Key components and critical success factors for project management success: A literature review

Abstract

This paper aims to comprehensively identify the key project components and their associated critical success factors (CSFs) contributing to project management success in the context of the construction industry. Although the CSFs have been documented in the literature, insofar there has been no attempt to consolidate them. An extensive search of literature was conducted on the Internet and publication databases using multiple keywords which include, inter alia, 'project management success', 'critical success factors in construction projects' and 'key project components'. As a result, this paper proposes five key project components (project human resources management, project design package, project management efficiency, project stakeholder management and project budget) and their unique CSFs contributing to project management success specifically for construction projects, along with some common CSFs such as top management support and commitment in terms of clear direction, communication, technical and skills development, as well as providing a conducive cultural work environment and friendly environmental factors which apply to all types of projects. The resulting outcomes fetch research and managerial implications which are detailed in the body of the paper.