Project management efficiency of a Portuguese electricity distribution utility using data envelopment analysis

In this paper a model to assess the efficiency of project management by a Portuguese company responsible for the electricity distribution is proposed. The main objectives of the model is to assist the company in three areas: Assess the efficiency of twenty five Operational Areas developing remote control projects of the distribution network, making more transparent the benefits of an integrated project management methodology; identify possible actions to improve the efficiency of those Operational Areas; and prepare the company to use the model for evaluating the efficiency of other projects. Data envelopment analysis is used to assess the ability of this utility in converting inputs into outputs upon remote control projects in the distribution network during a period of time. The most important findings of this study regard the identification of inefficient Operational Areas, further showing how much the Operational Areas should reduce their resources usage and which Operational Areas are performing at best level, setting the best practices to be benchmarked. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.