Managerial perceptions of project stability

Research has shown that project outcomes, particularly project schedules, are significantly affected by the project manager's perception of the project's stability, of its resistance to disruption (stable) or its sensitivity to disruption (unstable). This article examines how a group of project managers perceived the validity of constructs used to gauge project stability and how this perception can influence a project's outcome and generate value. In doing so, it defines the concept of project stability, showing the difference between stable and unstable projects. It describes the dynamics of measuring project performance, looking at the single-dimension measures (cost, schedule, performance), the complex measures (net present value, earned value), and the alternative systems (EVMS, BSC) for measuring performance.