A process for improving the definition and alignment of intangible project outcomes and project outputs: Reflections on recent project management research

It is becoming increasingly apparent that many organisations are at last taking an holistic view of the meaning of project success. Traditional project management theory has stressed the `iron triangle¿ of success¿achieving time, cost, and quality (fitness for use) outcomes. In more recent times however, notions of value adding, project outcomes and benefits that are more intangible and difficult to formulate have emerged. Improved definition of intangible outcomes is now the subject of leading edge research in performance measurement and project management. In this paper, we report upon a study that has developed a process for the improved definition and alignment of project outcomes (both tangible and intangible) and tangible project outputs, which can be used as the basis for defining and assessing project success. The process was developed iteratively through a series of action research cycles, with each cycle focusing on one of five (5) case study projects. The process was recently tested in a small number of concurrent workshops conducted at a senior management conference of the Victorian state police force, in Australia. Police officers¿ responses to a brief survey were gathered before and after the workshops. Survey results presented in this paper indicate strong support for the process and its usefulness in managing projects where project success is assessed according to the achievement of a combination of tangible and intangible outcomes.