New research highlights how politics shapes success in complex government projects

New research supported by the Association for Project Management (APM) is shedding light on one of the most challenging – and often overlooked – aspects of delivering large public projects: politics.

The report, The Impact of Politics on Project Success in Multi-Agent Projects, authored by Professor Amos P Haniff, Professor Laura Galloway and Isabel M Gillert, examines how political behaviour and organisational dynamics influence the outcomes of complex government projects involving multiple stakeholders.

Published this week by APM, the research explores how adversarial political behaviours, power shifts, and tensions between organisations shape the delivery of major projects across the UK public sector. The study provides practical recommendations for improving project performance and strengthening collaboration across government, industry and civil society.

Understanding politics in multi-agent projects

Many of the most significant public sector projects – from infrastructure development to digital transformation programmes – involve multiple actors working together. These can include government departments, private contractors, regulators, and third-sector organisations.

While such partnerships bring expertise and resources, they also introduce further political complexity. Competing priorities, shifting political agendas and cross-organisational power dynamics can influence decision-making and project outcomes.

The report highlights how these dynamics can affect project delivery, noting that political priorities, changes in leadership and tensions between organisations often shape the success or failure of projects that span multiple institutions.

Such dynamics are particularly pronounced in “multi-agent” environments, where several stakeholders have authority or influence over the same project. In these settings, governance and accountability can become blurred, making coordination and effective decision-making more difficult.

These include:

• Strengthening leadership and accountability through clearer governance structures and defined roles
• Improving communication and transparency across organisations involved in project delivery
• Enhancing project management capability through training, professional development and standardised methodologies
• Reducing politicisation of delivery by encouraging cross-party collaboration and protecting project teams from short-term political pressures.

The report also emphasises the importance of leadership continuity and the development of project management expertise and sponsorship within government institutions.

Engaging policymakers and practitioners

The findings are already informing policy discussions across the UK.

On 3 February, the research team presented their findings to the Scottish Government’s Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise, where the report contributed to discussions about improving the delivery of major public programmes.

Later in the month, Professor Haniff was invited to present the report at a parliamentary event in Westminster hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Project Delivery. The session, chaired by Henry Tufnell, brought together members of parliament and the House of Lords to debate how the UK can strengthen its project delivery capability.

The parliamentary group was established to improve the delivery of national infrastructure and government programmes and to promote best practice in project management across the public sector.

Strengthening the evidence base for project governance

By exploring the intersection of politics and project delivery, the report contributes to a growing body of research examining how governance, institutional dynamics and leadership affect large-scale projects.

Rather than viewing politics purely as a barrier, the study argues that recognising and managing political dynamics is essential to delivering successful outcomes in complex, multi-organisational environments.

For governments facing increasing pressure to deliver large infrastructure, digital transformation and climate transition programmes, the research offers timely insights into how projects can be structured, governed and led more effectively.