Managing megaprojects through a program management approach : lessons from Shanghai Expo Construction

Abstract

Over past three decades the number of construction megaprojects has increased exponentially in responding to fast economic growth in China. However, these megaprojects are usually besetting with many problems, such as cost overruns, extensive delays, environmental pollution, and conflicts amongst contracting parties. How to establish an effective management system to deal with these issues poses challenges to many clients. In the Shanghai Expo Construction, the program management approach was employed to establish an effective management organization by the client. It has successfully procured megaproject with high performance. This paper proposed five Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for utilising program management to manage megaprojects. The proposed CSFs were validated through case data and content analysis. It is believed that these findings of this paper can enhance the understanding of program management in general and provide insights in managing megaprojects in China in particular.