IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v36y2024i1p146-171.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

International development project success: A literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Nur Chasanah
  • Indra Gunawan
  • Bassam Baroudi

Abstract

The success of international development projects (IDPs) in addressing human development problems has been debated for years. This study aims to catalogue the various ways in which the concept of IDP success has been operationalised and suggest worthwhile dialogues between parts of the literature primarily housed in separate disciplines especially project management and development studies. The study used a PRISMA‐ScR and a thematic analysis of 30 research papers. Results showed that the measure of IDP success includes short term– and long term–oriented criteria. Furthermore, four determinants of IDP success were identified: human factors, project characteristics, management and external environment. Additionally, insights gained from the findings resulted in reciprocal learning between project management and international development.

Suggested Citation

  • Nur Chasanah & Indra Gunawan & Bassam Baroudi, 2024. "International development project success: A literature review," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 146-171, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:1:p:146-171
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3809
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3809?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feeny, Simon & Vuong, Vu, 2017. "Explaining Aid Project and Program Success: Findings from Asian Development Bank Interventions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 329-343.
    2. Jonathan Isham & Daniel Kaufmann, 1999. "The Forgotten Rationale for Policy Reform: The Productivity of Investment Projects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(1), pages 149-184.
    3. Richard Heeks & Carolyne Stanforth, 2014. "Understanding Development Project Implementation: An Actor‐Network Perspective," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(1), pages 14-31, February.
    4. Mehmet Ali Abdulhayoglu & Bart Thijs, 2018. "Use of locality sensitive hashing (LSH) algorithm to match Web of Science and Scopus," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(2), pages 1229-1245, August.
    5. Denizer, Cevdet & Kaufmann, Daniel & Kraay, Aart, 2013. "Good countries or good projects? Macro and micro correlates of World Bank project performance," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 288-302.
    6. Kilby, Christopher, 2000. "Supervision and performance: the case of World Bank projects," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 233-259, June.
    7. Richard Mallett & Jessica Hagen-Zanker & Rachel Slater & Maren Duvendack, 2012. "The benefits and challenges of using systematic reviews in international development research," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(3), pages 445-455, September.
    8. Hristos Doucouliagos & Martin Paldam, 2009. "The Aid Effectiveness Literature: The Sad Results Of 40 Years Of Research," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 433-461, July.
    9. Mishra, Prachi & Newhouse, David, 2009. "Does health aid matter?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 855-872, July.
    10. Rory Horner, 2017. "What is global development," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 202017, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    11. Kilby, Christopher, 2015. "Assessing the impact of World Bank preparation on project outcomes," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 111-123.
    12. François Bourguignon & Mark Sundberg, 2007. "Aid Effectiveness – Opening the Black Box," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(2), pages 316-321, May.
    13. Davies, Andrew & Manning, Stephan & Söderlund, Jonas, 2018. "When neighboring disciplines fail to learn from each other: The case of innovation and project management research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(5), pages 965-979.
    14. Salamat Ali Tabbasum, 2015. "The Political Economy of the United States Economic Growth Programme in Pakistan," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(7), pages 1312-1331, October.
    15. Aghaei Chadegani, Arezoo & Salehi, Hadi & Md Yunus, Melor & Farhadi, Hadi & Fooladi, Masood & Farhadi, Maryam & Ale Ebrahim, Nader, 2013. "A Comparison between Two Main Academic Literature Collections: Web of Science and Scopus Databases," MPRA Paper 46898, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 18 Mar 2013.
    16. Currie-Alder, Bruce & Kanbur, Ravi & Malone, David M. & Medhora, Rohinton (ed.), 2014. "International Development: Ideas, Experience, and Prospects," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199671663.
    17. Isham, Jonathan & Narayan, Deepa & Pritchett, Lant, 1995. "Does Participation Improve Performance? Establishing Causality with Subjective Data," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 9(2), pages 175-200, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Presbitero, Andrea F., 2016. "Too much and too fast? Public investment scaling-up and absorptive capacity," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 17-31.
    2. David Bulman & Walter Kolkma & Aart Kraay, 2017. "Good countries or good projects? Comparing macro and micro correlates of World Bank and Asian Development Bank project performance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 335-363, September.
    3. Silvia Marchesi & Tania Masi, 2021. "Delegation of implementation in project aid," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 655-687, July.
    4. Silvia Marchesi & Tania Masi & Saumik Paul, 2021. "Project Aid and Firm Performance," Working Papers 479, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Sep 2021.
    5. Eilers, Yota & Kluve, Jochen & Langbein, Jörg & Reiners, Lennart, 2023. "Volume, Risk, Complexity: What Makes Development Finance Projects Succeed or Fail?," IZA Discussion Papers 16691, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Tierney, Michael J. & Nielson, Daniel L. & Hawkins, Darren G. & Roberts, J. Timmons & Findley, Michael G. & Powers, Ryan M. & Parks, Bradley & Wilson, Sven E. & Hicks, Robert L., 2011. "More Dollars than Sense: Refining Our Knowledge of Development Finance Using AidData," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 1891-1906.
    7. Matthew S. Winters, 2019. "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen? The Division of Financing in World Bank Projects and Project Performance," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 117-126.
    8. Matthew S. Winters, 2019. "Too many cooks in the kitchen?: The division of financing in World Bank projects and project performance," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-6, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Heinzel, Mirko & Reinsberg, Bernhard, 2024. "Trust funds and the sub-national effectiveness of development aid: Evidence from the World Bank," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    10. Denizer, Cevdet & Kaufmann, Daniel & Kraay, Aart, 2013. "Good countries or good projects? Macro and micro correlates of World Bank project performance," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 288-302.
    11. Silvia, Marchesi & Tania, Masi, 2019. "Allocation of implementing power: Evidence from World Bank projects," Working Papers 399, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2019.
    12. Bedasso, Biniam, 2024. "Ministerial musical chairs: Does leadership turnover undermine the effectiveness of World Bank education aid?," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    13. Kilby, Christopher, 2015. "Assessing the impact of World Bank preparation on project outcomes," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 111-123.
    14. Hauke Feil, 2021. "The cancer of corruption and World Bank project performance: Is there a connection?," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 39(3), pages 381-397, May.
    15. repec:dau:papers:123456789/14817 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Axel Dreher & Stephan Klasen & James Raymond Vreeland & Eric Werker, 2013. "The Costs of Favoritism: Is Politically Driven Aid Less Effective?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 62(1), pages 157-191.
    17. Mirko Heinzel & Andrea Liese, 2021. "Managing performance and winning trust: how World Bank staff shape recipient performance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 625-653, July.
    18. Christopher Kilby, 2012. "Assessing the contribution of donor agencies to aid effectiveness: The impact of World Bank preparation on project outcomes," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 20, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    19. repec:got:cegedp:97 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Terence Wood & Sabit Otor & Matthew Dornan, 2020. "Australian aid projects: What works, where projects work and how Australia compares," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(2), pages 171-186, May.
    21. Lisa Chauvet & Paul Collier & Andreas Fuster, 2015. "Supervision and Project Performance: A Principal-Agent Approach," Working Papers DT/2015/04, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    22. Tea Gamtkitsulashvili & Alexander Plekhanov & Alexander Stepanov, 2024. "Killing two birds with one stone? Sound investment with social impact," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(2), pages 617-640, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:1:p:146-171. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.