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Making societal impact matter: Reconciling project and public value

Lavagnon A. Ika et al.

International Journal of Project Management2026https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102849article
AJG 2ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

• Essay connects project value and public value • Essay shows how projects create, contest, distribute and realize value over time • Essay draws on value theory from public administration • Essay distills significance of four schools of value for project value research • Essay offers an agenda bridging project value and public value literature Although public projects carry significant societal stakes, systematic assessments of their success—and the value they generate—remain limited. Project research has expanded beyond efficiency-based criteria, yet it often emphasizes organizational and stakeholder perspectives, while public administration scholarship focuses on collective societal value, with limited attention to projects. To reconcile project and public value, this essay draws on four schools of public value theory: Public value management, Public value failure, Public sphere domain , and Public service logic . It shows how public projects create, destroy, contest, distribute, and realize value over time, highlighting that success depends not only on project value but also on legitimacy, political authorization, and stakeholder co-creation. The essay contributes by integrating public value into project value theory, reframing performance in societal terms, and articulating an agenda bridging project studies and public administration. It offers researchers and practitioners a lens for evaluating public projects amid growing societal expectations.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102849

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@article{lavagnon2026,
  title        = {{Making societal impact matter: Reconciling project and public value}},
  author       = {Lavagnon A. Ika et al.},
  journal      = {International Journal of Project Management},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102849},
}

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Making societal impact matter: Reconciling project and public value

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.