Defining 'project success' for a complex project - The case of a nuclear engineering development

The case of a nuclear engineering project was investigated to establish the relevant success criteria for the development of complex, high-technology systems. The project was first categorised according to an existing scheme, and the Delphi method was used to determine the criteria for project success that apply to this specific case. A framework of project success dimensions was extended to include criteria that are of specific importance for the project under consideration. While project efficiency (delivery on time and within budget) obviously still needs to be controlled, the results provide empirical evidence for the notion that, for ‘super high tech’ projects, this is relatively less important. The relative importance of the dimensions of success was also evaluated and presented on a timeline stretching from project execution to 10 years after project completion. This provided empirical evidence for certain concepts in the literature.