Abstract
International Development Projects (IDPs) are plagued with failure although they have become and will remain an important instrument of activating and achieving development in developing countries. They are failing at an astonishing rate, despite genuine management efforts. This paper looks into IDP failure using three real-world classic examples of failed IDPs and confirms a marked consistency in factors that cause failure of both IDPs and conventional projects. It identifies and describes some common factors for IDP failure with a view to understanding them so as to reduce the rate of their failure. The paper introduces new stimulating research ideas and provides a platform for the incremental accumulation of future research on IDPs. Findings will benefit project professionals, especially IDP professionals, development-oriented organisations and the International Development Body of Knowledge.
Highlights
Despite the importance of International Development Projects (IDPs) to the development of developing countries, they are failing at a surprising rate
This finding is corroborated by Youker [19], who once concluded that the problems that cause IDP failure are almost exactly the same, a conclusion he arrived at after comparing problems encountered in IDP implementation gleaned over the years from expost facto evaluation reports to a similar list from the United States of America
IDPs continue to be used as a major means to achieve development in the developing world because projects, by virtue of being manageable units of activity, offer important advantages to all participants; as such, they are especially appropriate ways of organising highly innovative, experimental or risky ventures or those with high priority in development policy [25]
Summary
Despite the importance of International Development Projects (IDPs) to the development of developing countries, they are failing at a surprising rate. Factors identified as essential to the success of projects, usually referred to as “Critical Success Factors (CSFs)” are replete in literature. Should this be the case with awareness of project success/failure factors and success criteria? 80 With the Projectisation of the World, The Time is Right to Unravel Why International Development Project (IDP) Failure is Prevalent extensively analysed to identify common factors of IDP failure. With projects having taken the centre stage of development interventions, the paper concludes that there could be reasons underlying the prevalent failure of IDPs, which ought to be investigated to aid our understanding of IDPs and improve management processes. This paper introduces new stimulating research ideas It contributes to standard project management literature by extending generic literature on factors of project failure.
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