Half Double Principles Significantly Improve Project Success

A new large-scale quantitative study shows that the principles behind the Half Double methodology have a clear and measurable positive impact on project success. The research, recently published in the prestigious IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, draws on data from 351 projects and highlights leadership as the most influential principle. The results position Half Double as one of the most evidence-based project methodologies available today.

The Half Double methodology has long been recognised for its pragmatic, impact-oriented approach to project management. Now, this new scientific study by Svejvig, Kock and Hansen (2025) provides robust evidence that the methodology’s principles work.

The study, published in one of the world’s leading journals in engineering and management research, represents one of the most comprehensive analyses of principles-based project management to date.

Below a figure from the article illustrating the conceptual framework and the hypothesis tested in the study:

One of the largest studies of principles-based project methodologies

The research is based on an extensive dataset, including:

• 351 projects
• 92 portfolios
• 139 European organisations
  

A multi-informant survey design was applied, collecting data from both project managers and portfolio owners. Project success was assessed across four dimensions: 

1) execution efficiency
2) product effectiveness
3) organisational learning
4) adaptability

This design strengthens both the reliability and validity of the results.

Half Double principles work—especially leadership

The study documents that Half Double’s three core principles—impact, flow, and leadership—all have significant positive effects on project success.
Together, the principles explain 32% of the variance in project success, which is notably high for organisational research.

Among the three principles, leadership stands out as the strongest predictor of success.
The more a project embraces active stakeholder engagement, high-frequency interaction, and leadership that embraces uncertainty, the greater the likelihood of achieving strong project outcomes.

Improvements are observed across all four dimensions of project success, with particularly strong effects on execution and adaptability. The impact of the principles is consistent across project types and sizes, though most pronounced in larger and more complex projects.

Simple principles—powerful results

The findings indicate that principles-based project approaches can outperform traditional, process-heavy methodologies. The Half Double principles serve as clear guiding beacons, enabling better decision-making, sharper communication, and stronger project momentum.

Half Double as an internationally validated methodology

With this publication, Half Double strengthens its position as a scientifically grounded project methodology with real-world documented impact. The study demonstrates that its core principles are not only conceptually strong—they deliver tangible improvements in diverse project environments.