Prerequisites and decision making procedures on an Icelandic public project compared against Norwegian standards

Abstract

Public projects are frequently subject to cost overruns, late schedules and debatable benefits. Research indicates that the initial project decision is based on unrealistic assumptions and judgmental biases. This is a risk factor that is mitigated in many western societies by issuing detailed guidelines on procedures and methods to apply in the conception of a public project. At the initial stages of the tunnel project Vadlaheidargöng number of expert reports were issued to serve as a input in the decision making process. Apparently some of these reports contradict each other. In this paper we screen these reports both individually and as whole and compare them against the minimal demands required for the conception of a large public project in Norway.