International Development Project Management: A Literature Review

This literature review examines the key aspects of international development project management. It synthesizes various scholarly articles and research papers, discussing the role of project cycles, the involvement of NGOs, and the factors contributing to project success or failure in developing countries. The review explores the application of project management tools and techniques, the challenges faced by project managers, and the importance of competencies such as communication, leadership, and risk management. It highlights the significance of adapting project management approaches to the specific contexts of international development projects, including political, social, and environmental factors. Furthermore, the review analyzes the impact of donor policies, accountability, and the use of results-based management in the design and implementation of projects. Overall, the synthesis emphasizes the importance of effective project management practices to improve the socio-economic development in recipient countries and the contributions of donor organizations.

LITERATURE REVIEW

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................1
SYNTHESIS....................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

LITERATURE REVIEW
According to (Briere & Laport (2015), development assistance is considered as financial
aid provided by governments and other important agencies in order to support economic,
environmental, social and political development of organizations. Dichter (2003) argued that,
“The best service which development assistant can now provide to developing countries is to
disappear quietly and allows external assistance towards project management to come close. The
main reason behind this argument was the need of virtual elimination of overall international
development that supported other humanitarian and emergency relief.
Moreover, interweaving analysis description of projects management, Dichter also
argued that the agencies of development aid have failed to produce appropriate results. It was
also that these development organizations are continuously or often caught up in their own self-
perpetuation and effective human relations efforts have developed as well as designed for
creating misconception of effectiveness.
As per the view of Landoni & Corti (2011), International cooperation mainly provides
international assistance to emerging economies and countries that are currently developing,
typically through their projects. In order to manage and control these projects, a specific
approach that is based upon the “project cycle”. Author also viewed that these development
agencies play important role in providing support by developing or introducing their new
projects.
In present scenario, there are various development agencies in economies which have
adopted the project cycle. Kendra and Taplin (2004) describes project cycle as a process of
planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling the project of development agencies
effectively and efficiently. It starts from the planning through execution and then completion &
reviewing in order to achieve the predefined objectives.
According to Golini, Kalchschmidt & Landoni (2015), international development
projects undertaken by various nongovernmental organizations play important role in providing
support and guidance to the developing countries. However, most of these projects have been
adopted by NGOs to have failure rates and their performance is often not considered as effective.
In this research, author has carried out survey on 500 project managers working in the field of
international development.
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Critics view that various tools, techniques and approaches are applied for completion of
different types of international development projects even within similar enterprise for adapting
methods of project management for specific requirements of every project. However, ID
projects are carried out in difficult environment in terms of political, natural or social factors.
The results indicated that existence and involvement of different maturity stages that
needed to be accomplished by project managers for adaptation of tools for management of
specific ID project. The implementation of project management tools is also significant factor for
success in both short term and long term.
According to Khang & Moe (2008), Non profitable project of development, mainly that
are financed with international development aid plays a vital role in process of socio economic
development process of developing countries. Success of these important projects tends to
determine socio economic growth with the recipient countries but also effectiveness of
contribution of donor countries and agencies. The project aim is to provide contribution towards
the general project management of knowledge through determination of international
development projects that takes place in developing countries.
Analysis of critical factors, which influence success of projects; mainly, it increases the
capabilities of givers and implementing organizations for ensuring the desired outcomes. In
this, survey was conducted in mainly two countries within south and East Asia; it is believed that
findings were supported by general conceptual frameworks that have practical influence in
managing international developments projects with some these developing nations.
Author also specified four success criteria’s in four life cycle phases such as
conceptualization, planning, implementation, closing completing, and overall projects success.
This important project cycle model provides a basis for evaluation of status of projects and also
forecasts the results effectively through stages.
As argued by Briere & Laport (2015), In international development, despite various
studies or projects undertaken by NGOs, only some specific studies addressed the competencies
of project managers in different agencies in contrast to important body of studies, which were
organised for private sector projects. This study was aimed to carry out analysis on the
international development competencies of projects managers.
Authors have clearly states some important competencies such as professional
communication, leadership, team management, negotiation and personal organization and
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appropriate risk management. Survey clearly determines a specific situation, which projects need
to deal with and important alterations for development of capabilities of project management.
However, competencies of human beings also gets a new meaning for individuals who
successfully manage ID projects with limited assistance, resources and DCS in order to provide
satisfaction to a client's donor and also providing respects to important populations.
Rahmani (2012) also described that nongovernmental organizations are significant players in this
discussion and there are contradictory views regarding their performance or operations,
responsibilities and effectiveness. This article provides clear understanding about the context in
which NGOs have operated in Afghanistan since 1970.
These organizations have important roles in providing growth for international
development projects that were carried out by various agencies in order to accomplish objectives.
International development of project managers provides major support to developing countries
and provided major assistance in accomplishment of projects. Effectiveness of assistance has
been an important subject in discourses around the development and renovation of Afghanistan.
Author stated that the public perception Non-government organizations and major
sources of these perceptions and concluded that donor's lack of understanding of local context
and their major policies have provided contribution towards development NGO's effectiveness.
Ika & Lytvynov (2011) describes that, RBM (results based management) is regarded
and evidenced to be as valuable tool in context for ID (International Development) Project
Management. ID is analysed as wide concept, which is concerned towards level of development
on an international scale. It is mainly considered as international basis for classification such as
under developed, developing and development nation. Authors clearly determined many
views and conventions related to project management, which are considered as exact features
including development of nation. Literature aim is to determine MPR(management-per- results)
approach for reinforcement of the project design functions of RBM and determines its
application to a real life project.
Ika (2012) argued that, project manager in various agencies various issues in developing
projects and its management in developing countries such as Africa and suggested it may fall in
four main issues such as size of technical issues, accountability, lack of capabilities and cultural
problems. There are mainly two resolution research questions which has challenged the author
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and policy develops such as Macros perspective: Does this assistance contribute towards
international development in accordance with growth and reduction of poverty.
Garcia (2005) view that, it is more essential for agencies to make these projects more
effective and its also suggested numerous ways under which project management literature
could support design as well as application of ID projects. However, there are some standards
that affects the practice of project management adopted by project managers in international
development such as deployment of practices in an organization, customer- supplier relationships
and community of practitioners of project management. These important standards have been
made to stabilize the processes that support in mediation three important factors in the project
success such as individuals and their skills, technologies and environment in which project
exists.
However, it can success of international development projects is based on the
competencies of project managers to initiate the project and analyse growth of management.
Highly effective management to play significant roles in analysis of view and management that
create satisfaction. NGOs also have different role in increasing economic growth of developing
countries.
SYNTHESIS
From the review key literatures, it is analysed that project management is the application
of methods, knowledge, various methods, skills and experience in order to achieve project
objectives. These literatures are based on different themes but they are associated with
management of ID projects in developing countries. Adaptation of effective project management
tools is important for success of international development projects. Project cycle model was
involved in the study provide clear understanding about four stage which are involved in
completion of specific project such as planning, organization, coordinating. Various there are
various key issues have been analysed such as lack of competencies, technologies, social
economic change and limited resources etc. Ineffective project management tends to create
major influence on growth and assistance of NGOs towards completion of projects. However, it
was also analysed that results based management is the most valuable tool which is used for
international development but there are some problems that limit the utilization of this tool at the
project design phase for management of results. Analysis of critical factors which influence
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success of projects mainly increases the capabilities of donors and implementing organizations
for ensuring the desired outcomes.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dichter. T.W. (2003) ‘The great paradox of development assistance’ n Despite good intentions:
Why development assistance to the Third hybrld has failed. University of Massachusetts
Press: Amherst & Boston, pp. 1-10.
Landoni. R & Corti, B. (2011) ‘The management of international projects: Moving toward a
standard approach or differentiation?’ in Project Management Journal. Vol. 42, Iss. 3.
pp. 45-61.
Golini. ft. Kalchschmidt. M., & Landoni P. (2015) ‘Adoption of project management practices:
the impact on International development projects of non- government organizations’ i
International Journal of Project Management, No. 33, pp. 650-663.
Khang, D. B. & Moe, T. L (2008) ‘Success Criteria and factors for International Development
projects: A Life- cycle Based Framework’, Project Management Journal, Vol. 39, No.
1, pp.72-84.
Briere, S., Proulx, D., Navarro Flores, 0. 8 Laporte M. (2015) ‘Competencies of project
managers In international NGOs: Perceptions of practitioners’, International Journal of
Project Management, Vol. 33, Iss., I pp. 116-125.
Rahmani, R. (2012) ‘Donors, beneficiaries, or NGOs: whose needs come first?; A dilemma in
Afghanistan’ in Development in Practice, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 295-304.
Ika, L.A. & Lytvynov, V., (2011). The “management-per-result” approach to international
development project design. Project Management Journal, 42(4), pp.87-104.
Ika, L.A., (2012). Project management for development in Africa: Why projects are failing and
what can be done about it. Project management journal, 43(4), pp.27-41.
Garcia, S., (2005). How standards enable adoption of project management practice. IEEE
software, (5), pp.22-29.
Kendra, K. and Taplin, L.J., (2004). Project success: A cultural framework. Project management
journal, 35(1), pp.30-45.
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