An assessment of the impact of front-end project initiation activities on the long-term deliverability of major projects

自项目管理作为一门研究学科发展以来，该领域长期缺乏对大型项目启动阶段（即项目前端）所面临的复杂性和挑战的理解（Lundin and Söderholm, 1995; Davies, 2017）。对于项目在政策阶段之后、但在项目进入正常业务阶段之前建立的方式，从根本上缺乏研究。本研究通过对大型项目前端完成的活动的调查来解决这一差距，以帮助更好地理解，并提供背后的原因，为什么项目生命周期中这个研究不足的阶段会对项目最终结果产生如此重大的影响（Artto, 2011）。现有文献证明了前端实践的重要性，并承认前端活动往往是“成功”或“失败”的根本原因，强调了进一步研究的必要性（Morris, 2013）。许多作者支持这样的观点，即前端实践对项目的成功执行有重要贡献（Edkins et al, 2013; Samset & Volden, 2016）。然而，前面提到的研究似乎只是强调了前端实践的重要性。它们详细说明了前端活动的重要性，通常与一个特定的案例研究示例相关。这项研究将更广泛地考虑前端实践，并在宏观范围内评估启动活动的影响，在一系列背景下交付的一系列项目中得出关键的新兴主题和良好实践。本研究将采用混合方法，从不同政府部门的项目交付专业人员那里获得主要数据，同时利用基础设施和项目管理局（IPA）等外部机构提供的次要数据来源。丰富的原始数据将通过与参与前端交付过程的关键利益相关者的半结构化访谈和观察获得。二级数据分析将包括通过审查现有报告（IPA/IfG）完成的内容分析和提供项目执行情况长期衡量标准细节的关键绩效指标。这个项目的一个关键优势是可以访问高质量和适当的数据源。通过ESRC资助的项目X和HPC供应链创新实验室，将允许访问丰富的主要和次要数据集，以推进有关大型项目的管理理论、实践和政策。应用/影响这项研究产生的影响可能是显著的。学术界和政府内部都呼吁对这一特定领域的项目交付知识进行更多研究（Edkins et al, 2013; Cabinet Office, 2019）。现有的研究强调了项目前端创造价值的机会，但是没有研究有时间，也没有资源能够对前端完成的不同活动的有效性及其产生的影响进行深入，全面的评估（Attro, 2016）。这项研究具有巨大的潜力，不仅因为它对学术理论的贡献，而且在为英国创造社会和经济价值方面。这项研究具有巨大的潜力，可以对英国政府目前正在进行的133个重大项目产生积极影响，这些项目的全生命周期净成本为4420亿英镑（IPA, 2019）。通过现有的研究链接（例如X项目）可以清楚地看到，英国政府正在积极寻求学术界帮助改进和塑造他们的实践（X项目，2018）。因此，这项研究可能会在政府环境中得到很大的利用。

Context / ObjectivesSince the evolution of project management as a research discipline, the field has suffered from chronic lack of understanding surrounding the complexity and challenges facing the initiating phase (i.e. project front-end) of large-scale projects (Lundin and Söderholm, 1995; Davies, 2017). There has been a fundamental lack of research into the ways that projects have been set up after the policy phase but before the project enters the business as usual phase.This research addresses that gap through an investigation into the activities completed at the front-end of large-scale projects in order to help better understand, and provide reasoning behind, why this under-researched stage in the project life-cycle can have such a significant impact upon a projects end result (Artto, 2011). Extant literature evidences the importance of front-end practices and concedes that front-end activities can often be the root of cause of 'success' or 'failure' highlighting the considerable need for further research (Morris, 2013).Many authors support the view that the front-end practices contribute significantly to the successful execution of projects (Edkins et al, 2013; Samset & Volden, 2016). The aforementioned previous studies merely seem to highlight the importance of front-end practices however. They detail the importance of front-end activities usually in relation to one specific case study example. This research will consider front-end practices more broadly and assess the impact of initiation activities on a macro scale, drawing out key emerging themes and good practice across a range of projects being delivered within a range of contexts.Methodology / DataThis research will adopt a mixed-methodology approach obtaining primary data from project delivery professionals within different government departments alongside utilising secondary sources of data available from external agencies such as the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). The rich primary data will be obtained through semi-structured interviews and observations with key stakeholders involved in the front-end delivery process. The secondary data analysis will involve content analysis completed through the scrutinising of existing reports (IPA/IfG) and key performance measures providing details on longer term measures of project performance.One key advantage with this project concerns the accessibility to high quality and appropriate data sources. Building on access to large-scale projects via the ESRC funded Project X and HPC Supply Chain Innovation Lab, will allow unique access to rich primary and secondary datasets to advance management theory, practice and policy with regard to large-scale projects.Application / ImpactThe impact arising from this research is likely to be significant. There have been calls for more research into this specific area of project delivery knowledge from within both academia and government (Edkins et al, 2013; Cabinet Office, 2019). Existing research highlights the opportunity for value creation in the front-end of projects however no study has had the time, nor the resources to be able to provide an in-depth, comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of different activities completed within the front-end and the resultant impacts (Attro, 2016).This research possesses significant potential not just through its contribution to academic theory but also in relation to social and economic value creation for the UK. This research has significant potential to positively impact the 133 major projects with a net whole life cost of £442 billion pounds currently being undertaken by the UK government (IPA, 2019). As illustrated through existing research links (e.g. Project X) it is clear to see that the UK government are actively looking to academia to help improve and shape their practice (Project X, 2018). As a result, this research is likely to be greatly utilised in a governmental context.