Exploring the factors influencing project management methodology implementation in local governments

This study seeks to identify the factors influencing the implementation of Project Management Methodologies (PMM) in Local Government (LG) and identify the concepts, themes and characteristics that make up each of those factors. Semi-structured interviews were employed as the primary technique, engaging practitioners directly involved in local government capital works projects. This approach allowed for flexibility in exploring individual perspectives while maintaining consistency across key thematic areas. The interviews were designed to elicit rich, detailed narratives about organisational practices, procedural challenges, and behavioural attitudes toward PMM. Subsequently, a qualitative thematic analysis was adopted for the study. Through systematically coding, insights emerge regarding the key factors influencing PMM adoption, deployment, and optimisation. The findings suggest that strong leadership commitment, adaptive learning and structured oversight are critical for successful PMM implementation. "Governance", "Experience and competency" and "Comparison and reflection" appear to be the most influential factors for PMM adoption, deployment and optimisation, respectively. The outcomes of this research will assist LGs in identifying and understanding the factors that influence the implementation of a PMM. Currently, no mandatory national policies standardise project management capabilities within the LG sector in Australia. Therefore, the outcomes of this study will provide a substantial body of knowledge and a platform to identity, analyse and evaluate the factors influencing the implementation of a PMM to the existing management practices within LGs.