In search of success: Ex-post evaluation of a Norwegian motorway project

Abstract

Project success is a heterogeneous measure. Different stakeholders may have different definitions of successful project. Ex-post evaluation can and should be used to demonstrate whether a scheme has performed as promised and to assess its success from different perspectives. The paper demonstrates the use of a goal-oriented evaluation framework that is currently used on large Norwegian infrastructure projects. The framework includes traditional value for money measures, but more importantly it maps the results of schemes against the original objectives. The paper presents a recent evaluation of a motorway project. The evaluation suggests that the project has been successful and that the determinants for success were actions taken decades before implementation, namely during the appraisal and the construction.