No project begins with the expecation that it will
fail. Obviously, we all seek as much success as time and
circumstances will allow (and maybe even more than that). But, just
what is project success and can it really be achieved without
defined criteria, shared expectations and tangible consensus? Read
on to find the answers.

What is Project Success?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this questions. 
The best answer may very well be “it all depends”.  At the
broadest level,  success is a measurement of timeliness,
budget utilization, and the extent to which the primary project
needs were met.  Is the project on time?  If
so, that is success.  Is the project within budget?  If
so, that is success.  Are the project results as planned and
required?  If so, that is success.  But there’s more
to it.

This all sounds simple, but of course, the devil is in the
details.  It may seem counterintuitive, but it is possible that
your project could hit on all cylinders (time, money and results)
and still not be considered a success.  Unfair?  Sure. 
Reality?  Also sure.  And it’s all because projects
involve people – and people bring subjectivity to what otherwise
should be a purely objective calculation.

To cope with the quirks of project success, project managers must
understand and accept the dualities involved, and work to ensure
that “all-inclusive” success criteria are properly defined before
work begins. Stakeholders must be included in this process to
ensure shared expectations and acceptance of the key operating premise –
that
success exists at many levels, and that any single outcome (positive
or negative) may not be globally determinative.   That’s
the way to make success possible (and probable)!

Taking the First Step:  Inclusive Success Criteria

How does it work?  Success subjectivity is
minimized through the use of pre-defined success criteria, so that
success can be quantified before work begins.  Everyone will
know what they are working towards, and when the time comes to
measure success, established benchmarks will be available.  To
address the uncertainty that subjective bias, interests and
influences will bring, related “success criteria” should be defined
in the most inclusive way possible, accounting for all primary
variations in perspectives and dimensions:

• Was the outcome successful considering the initial needs and
  how well it was met?  This is the measurement of
  deliverables success.

• Was the project managed in a successful way considering how
  well it was organized, structured and executed, including
  timeliness, cost control, effectiveness of the project plan, and
  adherence to established project management standards? 
  This is the measurement of process success.

• Did the “human element” perform successfully considering stakeholder engagement,
  teamwork, collaboration, communication and cooperation? This is
  the measurement of performance success.

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Making Success Criteria Realistic and Relevant

To ensure that established success criteria are suitably realistic,
criteria development must follow the “define, align and approve” paradigm.
In short, success criteria must be suitably specified in measureable
terms, they must be aligned to project needs and constraints, and must
be approved by all decision making stakeholders.

#1 Success Criteria Must be Specifically Stated

• Success criteria must be stated in specific terms tied
  to the execution of the project management process, project
  tasks and related deliverables (as expressed in the Project
  Statement of Work and Governance Plans).  
  Specifically stated success criteria can be readily recognized
  and measured – which is the whole point.  Example: 
  “Success = Completion by the end of the 4th quarter”.

#2 Success Criteria Must Be Sufficiently “Aligned”

• Success criteria must be sufficiently aligned with the
  project vision, scope and work effort, considering the overall
  purpose, benefits to be realized, performing organization
  capabilities, priorities, risks, and related operational
  constraints.  Example: “Success = 5% reduction in
  problem reports relating to remote access”.

#3 Success Criteria Must Be Appropriately Developed

• Success criteria must be developed and defined using a
  structured, collaborative
  process, whereby all decision making stakeholders have the
  opportunity to provide input, challenge
  assumptions, negotiate
  and provide authorizing acceptance.  Example: 
  Project stakeholders should be selected for a “success criteria”
  committee.  This committee can be tasked with proposing initial
  criteria, soliciting feedback, organizing all input, and creating
  finalized results.  The committee should be given a specific
  timeframe for performing these tasks and producing viable end
  results.

Measure Success: Pass, Fail or Something in Between

At the end of a project, success criteria can be used as basis for
evaluating project performance. And, if you looked at success from a
single perspective, you would miss important indicators for future performance
improvements. As you go through your
post-project review, you can use your success criteria as a benchmark
for evaluating overall project performance:

• Were success criteria met?
• If the answer is yes, how was that accomplished, and how can
  we ensure repetition?
• If the answer is no, why did we fail to meet our success criteria?
• Which criteria did we fail to meet?
• Why did each failure occur?
• Were the success criteria realistic and attainable?
• What improvements can be made in the future to the way we plan
  deliverables, execute projects or utilize project staff resources?

As we have previously discussed, projects can succeed
or fail on any number of levels, and can still be considered a success
if overall priorities and objectives are met. But that does not mean
that there is no further room for improvement.

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