The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Toward a NASA-Specific Project Management Framework
Abstract
:One of the most common myths in the discipline of project management is the assumption that all projects are the same and can be managed with the same set of processes and techniques. In reality, however, projects differ and “one size does not fit all.” Based on our previous research, we have learned that adapting the right approach to the right project is critical to project success; yet, very few organizations know how to distinguish among their project efforts. Furthermore, we have also learned that there is no universal framework that works effectively for all organizations. NASA's procedures suggest several distinctions among projects based on product lines and priority levels. These distinctions form a base for different approval processes. The next step will be to help managers actually manage different projects in different ways. The purpose of this research was to study several NASA programs and start identifying a framework that would work for project managers and teams in the NASA environment. We used four current projects as case studies to test the validity of potential frameworks, and have suggested an initial NASA-specific framework that could eventually lead to guidelines for tailoring project and program management to project type.
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NASA's Kepler project was devoted to building and launching a spacecraft into the Milky Way in search for Earth-size extraterrestrial planets where other intelligent life may exist.
“A more recent case is NASA's Kepler project, which was devoted to building and launching a spacecraft into the Milky Way in search for Earth-size extraterrestrial planets where other intelligent life may exist [15].”
From What is Strategic Project Leadership? (2015) · cites this paper as [15]
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Do project managers practice what they preach, and does it matter to project success?
Papke‐Shields, K. E., Beise, C. M., & Quan, J. “. (2009) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.11.002 · Cited by 419
“Shenhar et al. (2005) propose that it is no longer appropriate to focus on just “efficiency, operational performance, and meeting time and budget goals” (p. 8) and a more strategic perspective is needed.”
BackgroundJoslin, R., & Müller, R. (2015) · Project Management Methodologies, Governance and Success · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.03.005 · Cited by 351
“…a framework for analyzing the development and delivery of large capital projects (Miller and Hobbs, 2005), NASA-specific framework for projects (Shenhar et al., 2005), governing the project process (Winch, 2001), mechanisms of governance in project organizations (Turner and Keegan, 2001),…”
BackgroundImpact of risk management on project performance: the importance of soft skills
de Carvalho, M. M., & Rabechini, R. (2015) · International Journal of Production Research · doi:10.1080/00207543.2014.919423 · Cited by 320
“In their subsequent studies, the authors sought to create other dimensions until they came up with a signi fi cant model called Diamond, which includes four dimensions: novelty, complexity, technology and stage (Shenhar et al. 2005; Shenhar and Dvir 2007).”
BackgroundMethodSauser, B. J., Reilly, R., & Shenhar, A. (2009) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2009.01.004 · Cited by 308
Self-citationde Carvalho, M. M., & Rabechini, R. (2017) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.02.018 · Cited by 240
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Müller, R., Pemsel, S., & Shao, J.-T. (2014) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.03.007 · Cited by 145
In search of technology readiness level (TRL) 10
Straub, J. (2015) · Aerospace Science and Technology · doi:10.1016/j.ast.2015.07.007 · Cited by 133
Shenhar, A., & Holzmann, V. (2017) · Project Management Journal · doi:10.1177/875697281704800604 · Cited by 123
“The project was managed well and followed well-defined procedures and plans (Shenhar et al., 2005).”
MethodSelf-citationA framework for governance of projects: Governmentality, governance structure and projectification
Müller, R., Zhai, L., Wang, A., & Shao, J. (2016) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.05.002 · Cited by 84
“Examples include studies on multi-project governance (e.g. Elonen and Artto, 2003; Müller et al., 2008; Too and Weaver, 2014), NASA projects (Shenhar et al., 2005), construction projects (Pryke, 2005; Winch, 2001), public projects (Klakegg et al., 2008), not-for-profit projects (Renz, 2007), or…”
BackgroundThe Interrelationship of Governance, Trust, and Ethics in Temporary Organizations
Müller, R., Andersen, E. S., Kvalnes, Ø., Shao, J.-T., Sankaran, S., Turner, J., Biesenthal, C., Walker, D., & Gudergan, S. (2013) · Project Management Journal · doi:10.1002/pmj.21350 · Cited by 97
“Many of the studies on project governance were industry or project-type specific and developed frameworks for their particular setting (Clegg, Pitsis, RuraPolley, & Marosszeky, 2002; Klakegg, Williams, Magnussen, & Glasspool, 2008; Miller & Hobbs, 2005; Pryke, 2005; Shenhar et al., 2005).”
BackgroundCritical planning processes in construction projects
Zwikael, O. (2009) · doi:10.1108/14714170910995921 · Cited by 94
“Hence, its conclusions can hardly extend the knowledge on construction projects (e.g. Pinto and Slevin, 1989; Ibbs and Kwak, 2000; Shenhar et al., 2005).”
BackgroundOperationalizing governance categories of projects
Müller, R., & Lecoeuvre, L. (2014) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.04.005 · Cited by 89
Müller, R., & Martinsuo, M. (2015) · International Journal of Managing Projects in Business · doi:10.1108/ijmpb-04-2014-0036 · Cited by 84
Intellectual capital and performance in temporary teams
Massaro, M., Mas, F. D., Bontis, N., & Gerrard, B. (2019) · Management Decision · doi:10.1108/md-02-2019-0219 · Cited by 49
Defining Problems Fast and Slow: The U‐shaped Effect of Problem Definition Time on Project Duration
Choo, A. S. (2014) · Production and Operations Management · doi:10.1111/poms.12219 · Cited by 47
“High-priority projects receive more attention and resources, which may affect the motivation and the pace of completing the project (Shenhar et al. 2005, Verma and Sinha 2002).”
BackgroundLeybourne, S. A., & Sainter, P. (2012) · Project Management Journal · doi:10.1002/pmj.21306 · Cited by 55
“Research in this area has included tools, techniques, methodologies, and different aspects of project management practices (Dvir, Raz, & Shenhar, 2003; Gowan & Mathieu, 2005; Ibbs & Kwak, 2000; Kerzner, 2000; Ling, Low, Wang, & Lim, 2009; Papke-Shields et al., 2010; Shenhar et al., 2005).”
MethodThe Six Sigma program: an empirical study of Brazilian companies
de Carvalho, M. M., Ho, L., & Pinto, S. H. B. (2014) · doi:10.1108/jmtm-04-2012-0045 · Cited by 34
Knowledge Integration in Product Development Projects
Enberg, C. (2007) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199563142.003.0020 · Cited by 32
“Eisenhardt and Tabrizi (1995) and Shenhar et al. (2005) are also among those authors asking for more contingency-oriented approaches in studies of knowledge integration in product development projects.”
What is Strategic Project Leadership?
Shenhar, A. (2015) · Open Economics and Management Journal · doi:10.2174/2352630001502010029 · Cited by 25
Self-citationRahmanniyay, F., & Yu, A. J. (2018) · International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management · doi:10.1080/17509653.2018.1534220 · Cited by 24
“…of competency scores in these 9 fi elds including personal e ff ectiveness competency, academic competency, workplace competency, industry-wide technical competency, industry-sector technical competency and occupational-speci fi c requirement competency (NASA competency model) (Shenhar et al., 2005).”
BackgroundTraceability project of a blood supply chain
Bentahar, O., Benzidia, S., & Fabbri, R. (2016) · Supply Chain Forum an International Journal · doi:10.1080/16258312.2016.1177916 · Cited by 24
“This model has obtained the acknowledgment of many researchers in project management (Shenhar et al. 2005) including that of Pich, Loch, and De Meyer (2002) who argue to this effect that they have proposed an important schema of empirical classification of projects based on the degree of technical…”
MethodInvestment project as an internal corporate venture
Vuori, E., Artto, K. A., & Sallinen, L. (2012) · International Journal of Project Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.01.011 · Cited by 23
Jaleel, F., Daim, T., & Giadedi, A. (2018) · International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management · doi:10.1080/17509653.2018.1483780 · Cited by 20
“Prior studies have explored establishing project management frameworks for different situations (Mizzel and Malone, 2007; Shenhar et al., 2005).”
BackgroundProject risk analysis based on project characteristics
Shishodia, A., Dixit, V., & Verma, P. (2018) · Benchmarking An International Journal · doi:10.1108/bij-06-2017-0151 · Cited by 17
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Jesus, G. T., & Chagas, M. F. (2018) · doi:10.22161/ijaers.5.4.12 · Cited by 14
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“The literature on project strategy initiated with a linear perception that a project organization will implement the strategic plan of its parent and thus the goals of a project are set by the parent before the project starts (Morris and Jamieson, 2005; Cleland, 2004; Shenhar et al., 2005).”
BackgroundDefining 'project success' for a complex project - The case of a nuclear engineering development
Niekerk, S. V., & Steyn, H. (2011) · The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering · doi:10.7166/22-1-38 · Cited by 14
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“This diamond-shaped framework6 helps to distinguish among projects, classify them, and adapt the right management approach to the right project (see [30] for its application to NASA projects; and [2] for innovation projects in general).”
BackgroundBorges, J. G., & de Carvalho, M. M. (2014) · Production · doi:10.1590/s0103-65132014005000019 · Cited by 12
“No entanto, alguns autores têm questionado esse ponto de vista, reforçando uma abordagem contingencial que enfoca a necessidade de gestão de projetos de acordo com suas características e não de forma universal Segundo Shenhar et al. (2005), o mito de que “um método se ajusta a todos” (one-size-fits-all) (Balachandra &…”
BackgroundInfluentialInnovation path and contingencies in the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite program
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Rabechini, R., & de Carvalho, M. M. (2009) · doi:10.5585/rai.v6i3.382 · Cited by 10
Hamsal, M., Dwidienawati, D., Ichsan, D. M., Syamil, A., & Trigunarsyah, B. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su142013137 · Cited by 9
“In addition to this, project complexity, such as institutional and stakeholder [14,15], socio-economic [16] and technology [17] complexity, also adds problems to projects, thus, leading to further pressure on the project teams.”
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Jemal, I., Armand, N. S. W., & Chikhaoui, B. (2024) · Expert Systems with Applications · doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2024.125648 · Cited by 13
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Beale, D., Tryfonas, T., & Young, M. (2017) · 2017 IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference (TEMSCON) · doi:10.1109/temscon.2017.7998381 · Cited by 7
Investments for New Product Development: A Break-Even Time Analysis
Park, W.-K., Lee, K., Doo, S., & Yoon, S.-S. (2016) · doi:10.1080/10429247.2016.1199747 · Cited by 7
“Shenhar et al. (2005), however, emphasize that it is a myth in the traditional project management world to assume that all projects are the same and can be managed with the same set of processes and techniques.”
BackgroundTechnology Confidence in Early Stage Development of Medical Devices
Johnson, J. T., & Moultrie, J. (2012) · International Journal of Innovation Science · doi:10.1260/1757-2223.4.2.57 · Cited by 6
Caracterização da gestão de fatores de risco em projetos de infraestrutura
Girardi, L., Rabechini, R., & Moutinho, J. D. A. (2017) · Gestão & Produção · doi:10.1590/0104-530x3011-16 · Cited by 5
Chagas, M. F., Jesus, G. T., Yassuda, I. S., Silva, F., Nóbrega, M., & Sousa, P. (2021) · IEEE Systems Conference · doi:10.1109/syscon48628.2021.9447079 · Cited by 4
“[9], [14], considering the use of TRL to evaluate the technology dimension [26], the IRL and SRL scales [27] to assess systemic uncertainty [28], the uncertainty dimension related to manufacturing [23], and discussions about the complexity dimension [29].”
MethodSauser, B. J., Reilly, R., & Shenhar, A. (2015) · IEEE Engineering Management Review · doi:10.1109/emr.2015.7433691 · Cited by 4
“NASA is no exception [71,72].”
Self-citationRamanathan, J. B., & Rathore, A. (2024) · Buildings · doi:10.3390/buildings14082331 · Cited by 3
Alianças em projetos complexos: um estudo de projetos do tipo EPC
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Puddicombe, M. (2013) · doi:10.1080/21573727.2013.794337 · Cited by 3
“Shenhar et al. (2005) applied their Novelty, Complexity, Technology and Pace model to an analysis of NASA projects and argue that projects need to access the unique project characteristics and their impact on the project-management approach.”
MethodExclusive project critical success processes: a cultural diversity perspective
Zwikael, O. (2012) · doi:10.1504/ijpom.2012.046327 · Cited by 3
Das, M., & Khanapuri, V. (2025) · Engineering Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10429247.2025.2508583 · Cited by 2
“A. Shenhar et al. (2005), p. 8) also pointed out that engineering project managers usually focused on meeting schedules, budget targets, and operational performance through a traditional project management approach: “but they must employ an integrated systems approach to achieve the strategic goals…”
Dwidienawati, D., Ichsan, M., & Syahchari, D. (2022) · Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management · doi:10.46254/na07.20220429 · Cited by 2
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A Project Classification System for R&D Portfolio Management in the Oil and Gas Sector
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“The categorization system for a technology introduction program [23] was proposed based on the diamond model [4], [14], using TRL to evaluate the technology dimension [26], the IRL and SRL scales [27] to assess systemic uncertainty [28], the manufacturing uncertainty dimension [29], and discussions about the complexit…”
MethodNader, R. B. (2017) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/96cd84a4zb2cez40caz8f2cz689f5c4054c1 · Cited by 1
Preliminary investigation of project success criteria in Norway
Hussein, B., Ramazani, S., & Kazemi, S. H. (2011) · Proceedings of the 6th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems · doi:10.1109/idaacs.2011.6072906 · Cited by 1
“for example the Sydney Opera House or the introduction of the Windows operating system [5].”
MethodA structured systemic framework for software development
Keating, C. B., & Adams, K. M. (2007) · doi:10.25777/znb3-j517 · Cited by 1
Jeong, S., Lee, S., & Kim, Y. (2012) · Journal of Technology Transfer · doi:10.1007/s10961-012-9252-0
A IMPLANTAÇÃO DA ESTRATÉGIA POR MEIO DE PROJETO: O CASO CARANDIRU
Rabechini, R., & Sabino, M. S. (2012) · doi:10.24023/futurejournal/2175-5825/2012.v4i2.113
“Accordingly, for Shenhar et al. (2005), the theory that a single model of project management can adjust itself to all kinds of projects may be mistaken.”
BackgroundMethodUpstream Data Project Portfolio Benchmarking as a Novel Approach for Strategy and Value Realization
Nasir, A. I. H. M., & Chan, W. (2024) · Day 2 Wed, May 08, 2024 · doi:10.2118/219302-ms
Chizari, E., Sedighy, S., Pishvaee, M., & Azar, A. (2024) · RAIRO Oper. Res. · doi:10.1051/ro/2024055
“[43]’s model is less compared to the presented model.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialBooth, S., Joseph, N. A., Nelson, J., Baker, C., & Falker, J. (2017) · doi:10.2514/6.2017-5233
Critical Success Factors in IT Project Management Effectiveness: A Study in Thai Firms
Vadhanasin, V. (2016) · The European Proceedings of Social & Behavioural Sciences · doi:10.15405/epsbs.2016.08.38
“Shenhar et al .”
MethodFatores Motivadores de Empresas que Estabelecem Cooperação com Institutos de Ciência e Tecnologia
Mazzola, B. G., Nishimura, A. T., Germano, E. C., & da Silveira, L. A. B. (2016) · doi:10.7444/future.v8i1.226
Contemporary Project Management: Concepts and Principles
Thamhain, H. (2014) · doi:10.1002/9781118849958.ch2
Self-citationPositioning of media economic framework for novel media in the field of project business
Iskander, N., & Lugmayr, A. (2011) · International Conference on Entertainment and Media in the Ubiquitous Era · doi:10.1145/2181037.2181086
Dwidienawati, D., Ichsan, D. M., & Hamsal, M. (2023) · Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management · doi:10.46254/ap03.20220223
Cronus: A Task Management System to Support Software Development
Ferreira, Y., Rodrigues, S., Lima, D. G., Durán, M., Blaschek, J. R., & de Souza, J. D. (2009) · International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems · doi:10.5220/0002011803760379
“Although some researchers claim that a pre-defined set of techniques and tools may lead a project to success, there are evidences that it does not happen even in projects of a single company (Shenhar, 2005).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Shenhar, A., Dvir, D., Milosevic, D., Mulenburg, J., Patanakul, P., Reilly, R., Ryan, M., Sage, A., Sauser, B., Srivannaboon, S., Stefanovic, J., & Thamhain, H.
- Affiliations
- Stevens Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Shenhar, Aaron
- Venue
- Engineering Management Journal
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2005-12
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 8-16
- ISSN
- 1042-9247 (ISSN-L)
- 2377-0643
- OpenAlex
- W1981325443
- Cited by
- 84
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Engineering Management Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Construction Project Management and Performance
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Software Engineering Techniques and Practices
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Product Development and Customization
- Keywords
- project management framework, NASA, project classification, project approval process, project types, program management, project success, project management guidelines
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