Modelling project complexity

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of what project complexity is, what drivers and factors that influence complexity and how consequences for organizational performance can be assessed. Design/methodology/approach The research is explanatory and based on literature review, model development, interviews and case studies. The model is validated through a case study. Findings The findings are a model for identifying and analyzing complexity drivers and complexity factors. The model starts with generic complexity drivers such as ambiguity, uncertainty, unpredictability and pace. These drivers are in each project influenced by nature and by socio-political, economic and technological surroundings to result in complexity factors that are specific to the project analyzed. The model can be used to analyze project complexity and to define requirements for the organization of the project and guidelines for the execution. Research limitations/implications The research is limited to large projects with a technical delivery of some kind of facilities. Practical implications The model can be used to assess the required capability of the organization for successful project execution. Originality/value The contribution of the research is a new model for understanding project complexity. The distinction between project complexity drivers and factors is essential as well as the taxonomy for the factors building on and adding to already published research.

Preparing for Successful Collaborative Contracts

“…The tool selected for assessing the level of complexity of the projects was the GAPPS CIFTER [33]. Of the many tools available for measurement of the complexity of projects (e.g., [34][35][36][37][38]) the CIFTER has the advantage of specifically addressing the management complexity of projects, it has been described as "the most researched model" [39], and it is the simplest to complete, having only seven factors against which complexity is assessed. Other instruments have over 50 items requiring completion [35,38,40], making them unwieldy for the purpose of this study.…”

Governing Government-Project Owner Relationships in Water Megaprojects: a Concession Game Analysis on Allocation of Control Rights

“…However, the complexity in water megaprojects is both exogenous and endogenous (Pich et al 2002 ; Solak et al 2010 ). In addition to environmental impacts, water megaprojects are also faced with complex problems such as the relevance of technical solutions and the incompleteness of construction knowledge (Brady and Davies 2014 ; Rolstadås and Schiefloe 2017 ). Specifically, complexity in water megaprojects is embodied in structural complexity and cognitive complexity, including complex engineering schemes, limited awareness of innovative technology and objectives, strong uncertainty from the external environment, and the participation of numerous stakeholders (Mai et al 2018 ).…”

The impact of project risk management maturity on performance: Complexity as a moderating variable

“…10,14,40 Complexity, according to system scholars, is associated to multifaceted project attributes which reflect challenges to be encountered by project teams. [41][42][43][44][45][46] The challenges include understanding, designing, analyzing, foreseeing, keeping under control, or managing systems or organizations. 47,48 Recent qualitative studies in project maturity and performance have provided early evidence to support the moderation assertion on PMM models.…”