Project Portfolio and Construction Management Practices Impacting Urban Infrastructure Performance: Theoretical Perspectives

This paper examines the impact of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and Construction Management (CM) practices on Urban Infrastructure Projects (UIPs) performance. Through a comprehensive literature review of 108 journal articles, 23 books, 18 conference papers and 3 technical reports, the paper provides insights on the complexities and challenges faced by UIPs in South Africa, emphasizing the importance of effective leadership, Stakeholder Engagement(SE), and project management practices for successful project implementation. Despite advanced project management methods, urban infrastructure projects often suffer poor performance and execution which bring forth the research gap. Theoretical underpinnings from project management, PPM, CM, and SE theories are integrated to offer a holistic understanding of UIPs performance. A conceptual model is proposed to explore the indirect influence of UIPs characteristics on project performance through projectization, stakeholder involvement, success factors, PPM, CM practices, and key performance indicators. Further empirical research are recommended to fill existing gaps in knowledge regarding the influence of project portfolio and construction management practices on the success of South African UIPs and to provide a deeper understanding of key constructs impacting the performance of UIPs in South Africa.