What is Optimism Bias

Too many large engineering/science projects fail in terms of budget overruns, schedule slippage, or underperformance, and this has profound implications not only for the construction and commissioning organizations, but also for the funders (public or private) and the clients or users. Successful design and delivery is therefore not only a commercial necessity but also a societal imperative. Success in complex mega-projects is not easily achieved and is interpreted differently by various stakeholders. Moreover, there is growing recognition of the importance of front-end shaping. In this chapter, the author addresses the inception, planning, and feasibility phases of complex mega-projects in some depth, based on extant and updated research of large-scale high-technology science projects. Five key success drivers are explained and, when addressed together, are shown to be especially potent. This chapter draws out subtle aspects of mega-project management shown to be crucial at the preliminary, or start-up, phase.