Critical success factors for build–operate–transfer (BOT) projects in China

This study aims to create a list of CSFs for China’s BOT projects to help organizations achieve project success. We first describe the role of CSFs in terms of three broad categories of whether BOT projects adopt strategies for risk transfer, the degree to which BOT projects foster the ‘whole- life approach’ to project design and management and extent to which BOT projects ensure timely delivery and supplies good-quality products and services. Based on an initial CSF list, a questionnaire survey was conducted to identify the relatively important CSFs for BOT projects in China. Our initial assessment shows that the key CSFs corresponded to our defined categories of BOT projects’ success factors. We then provide an updated list of CSFs with the top ten factors in ranking analysis. This list of CSFs could play a useful role in the phases of preparing, bidding, constructing, operating and transferring of BOT projects.