Kylindri–Blanas-Henriksen–Stoyan, 212-223 Oral – MIBES 212 25-27 May 2012 Measuring Project Outcomes: A Review of Success Effectiveness Variables Stamatia Kylindri University of Southern Denmark Institute of Technology and Innovation Dr George Blanas Department of Business Administration TEI of Larissa Leif Henriksen & Dr Tanev Stoyan University of Southern Denmark Institute of Technology and Innovation Abstract The main objective of each project is to be successful. The field of project management is directly related with project success. At least for five decades the project evaluation was determined by meeting three criteria (time, cost, quality). Many researchers suggest that success can’t be accessed only through the three criteria, since project success is more complex. Do the owner, developer, contractor, user, general public see the project with the same dimensions of success? The success criteria vary from project to project since we have different types with different people. In project assessment we may need a multidimensional approach due to project complexity differences that will also take under consideration the project effectiveness variables. The paper reviews the appropriate management models that include key elements of measuring project success and project effectiveness that can both be outcomes in a project. Keywords: complexity, project management, project success, effectiveness, project success model Introduction There is no single uniform measure for project success. As referred the term of success covers a broad area and is not easy to be defined (Morteza & Kamyar, 2009). We don’t definitely know if the dimensions of success differ between different project types and what dimensions should we add for more complex projects. When a project deemed successful is based on specific success factors. Those factors might not be the success factors in another one. Morteza & Kamyar, (2009) also mentioned that what appears to be accepted in one project may have the opposite effects in another project. By a short historical review the last five decades we can see that project success is specified by meeting the time, cost and quality criteria. In the 1960’s the measures of project success it was just on a finishing and operational basis. Most of the earlier studies (1980s) which were concerned, being determined on a basis of time, cost and quality. A Review of Project Success – Effectiveness Dimensions