Diagnostic framework and health check tool for engineering and technology projects

Purpose: Development of a practitioner oriented diagnostic framework and health check tool to support the robust assessment of engineering and technology projects. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on a literature review that draws together insights on project assessment and critical success factors to establish an integrated systems view of projects. This is extended to allow a comprehensive diagnostic framework to be developed along with a high-level health check tool that can be readily deployed on projects. The utility of the diagnostic framework and health check tool are explored through three illustrative case studies, with two from Canada and one from the United Kingdom. Findings and Originality/value: The performance of engineering and technology projects can be viewed through a systems perspective and being a function of six contributing subsystems that are: process, technology, resources, impact, knowledge and culture. The diagnostic framework that is developed through this research integrates these sub-systems to provide a robust assessment methodology for projects, which is linked to existing best practice for project reviews, performance management and maturity models. The case studies provide managerial insights that are related to the diagnostic framework but crucially also position the approach in the context of industrial applications for construction engineering and technology management. Research limitations/implications: The case study approach includes two case studies from the construction and facilities development sector with the third case study from the research and technology sector. Further work is required to investigate the use of the diagnostic framework and health check tool in other sectors. Practical implications: The health check tool will be of practical benefit to new projects managers that require access to a robust and convenient project review methodology for assessing the status and health of a given portfolio of projects. The tool can also be used periodically and throughout the project lifecycle in order to track the performance of projects. Originality/value: This paper provides a unique view and supporting management framework to help project managers assess the status and health of projects. Value can be associated with an extension to the literature on diagnostic tools for engineering project management as well as the insights provided in the three international case studies, which explore the scope and applicability of the health check tool to be used in support of projects that have encountered difficulties and which require implementation of project recovery strategies.