Success: Introducing the Endeavor Success Matrix

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Measuring Project Success

Measuring project success is a key aspect of project management. If a project is delivered on schedule, within budget, and satisfying all stakeholders, then it should receive a thumbs up. If a project is delivered late and over budget, with all the stakeholders dissatisfied with the outcome, then clearly it should receive a thumbs down. However, it is not always as simple as this, because there is usually a gray area in between.

Do we measure the success of a project against the original approved baselines or the final approved baselines? If a project encounters force majeure situations or the customer changes the scope, it would be unfair on the project management team to use the original baseline. However, if the project management team was incompetent in defining the scope in the first instance, then subsequent “corrective” scope changes should detract from the success of the project. Scope creep is defined as adding functionality without obtaining customer approval or with customer approval, but without informing them of the impact of the change. This would detract from the success of the project.

We also need to consider from whose perspective we are viewing project success. Stakeholders, such as the buyer/customer or seller/contractor could have differing opinions. For example, a cost-plus percentage fee type of project…

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