Topic: Research Cycle Support Services (Post-Award)
Abstract
Collaborative Research and Innovation (R& I) projects pose distinct challenges when it comes to understanding and articulating the value of project management (PM) practices in delivering the anticipated benefits to stakeholders. We will be presenting the results of a study that seeks to enhance our comprehension of the significance of PM practices in the success of these projects, examining the perspectives of firms, higher education institutions (HEIs), and other research-performing organizations. To achieve this, we utilized exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to categorize the key PM practices surveyed, initially organized according to the typical project lifecycle stages (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/controlling & replanning, and closure). EFA revealed four underlying factors, one of these factors representing the 'must-have' practices that span the entire PM lifecycle. Notably, there are significant variations in the adoption of key PM practices among respondents from different sectors. For instance, Interface Centers exhibit a greater use of 'must-have' practices compared to firms and a greater use of 'planning' practices compared to firms and HEIs. This distinction may be influenced by the widespread presence of project management offices in Interface Centers, serving functions beyond administration, unlike other sectors such as HEIs. The findings suggest that tailored team capacity-building programs in PM practices, addressing sector-specific requirements, would greatly benefit collaborative R&I projects of this nature involving firms and research-performing organizations.
