Project management and development of human capital in the Caribbean: three case studies

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the primacy of adequate human capital for successful completion of infrastructure projects in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is used and three Caribbean infrastructure projects analyzed using a common framework to identify links between project success and availability of adequate human capital. Findings – Explains how the scarcity of human capital at executive and managerial levels may have disastrous consequences for successful project completion, particularly in developing countries. Research limitations/implications – Developing countries like those of the Caribbean that have done well in human development rankings can still suffer from scarcity of human capital. Practical implications – The funding agencies need to emphasize the estimation, provisioning and development of human capital for funded projects and ensure the continued availability of the same until project completion as much as they do for physical and economic capital. Originality/value – The paper brings out the critical role of human capital, which is quite often scarce in developing countries but is needed to use the Project Management body of knowledge for successful completion of projects.