Projects as interventions. Issue 8 (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Whyte, Jennifer; Mottee, Lara
• Is Part Of: International journal of project management. Volume 40:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: 934
• Page End: 940
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: Sustainability -- Value -- Uncertainty -- Interventions; Project management -- Periodicals; Network analysis (Planning) -- Periodicals; 658.40405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.10.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-7863

Abstract

Highlights: Conceives of a project as an intervention into nature. Shifts the mindset away from seeing projects as solely social or technological. Focuses on the development of infrastructure projects as an example. Brings into view alternative forms of future making for uncertain futures. Provides a call to action for scholarship. Abstract: The project scholarship community needs to revisit how it conceptualizes a 'project' to understand it as an intervention into nature: intervening in both existing situations and uncertain futures. Taking a post-rationalistic approach to the future, in this essay we set out how we conceive of projects as interventions, and the important implications of this for practice and scholarship. While there are promising recent developments, there is also an urgency to further shift the mindset away from conceiving of projects as solely a social or technological endeavour, with success measured in terms of cost, quality and schedule; toward a broader outcome focus, with concern for both the natural resources used and the positive and negative impacts on places and people across time. This has implications for the skills needed by practitioners and their training, for the kind of projects that are conceived and delivered, and for our scholarship community and its agendas for further research.