Title: Project management in a public transformation change process

Authors: Parinaz Farid; Jan Terje Karlsen; Tim Torvatn

Addresses: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway ' BI Norwegian Business School, 0442 Oslo, Norway ' Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of project management as a tool and framework for managing a public transformation change process. The studied case concerns a large public merger project occurring between Trondheim and Klæbu municipalities in Norway. The results demonstrate that the Trondheim-Klæbu case effectively applied project management successfully as a tool for managing the change process. We found that basic project management practices from various knowledge areas were vital and employed in a systematic and integrated manner. We especially identify the importance of a fixed goal, a milestone and progress plan, and good communication with stakeholders.

Keywords: public organisation; project management; change; case study; merger.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2021.118677

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2021 Vol.8 No.3, pp.289 - 303

Received: 09 Aug 2018
Accepted: 09 Sep 2018
Published online: 03 Nov 2021 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article