Theories of the policy process meet project management: Insights for megaproject shaping

This paper explores how theories of the policy process (ToPP) can enhance our understanding of megaproject shaping, particularly in the front-end phase. While project management often treats planning and execution as rational and well-defined, the front-end phase remains more elusive: technical activities intertwine with dimensions that are fundamentally political, ultimately shaping the trajectory that project development follows. Drawing on five ToPP (Multiple Streams Framework, Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, Advocacy Coalition Framework, Narrative Policy Framework, and Institutional Analysis and Development Framework) we show how these approaches help explain how megaprojects gain support, face resistance, or shift course. Each theory highlights distinct aspects of political and institutional complexity, from timing and windows of opportunity to stakeholder coalitions and strategic storytelling. The paper applies this analytical toolbox to the Lyon-Turin high-speed rail megaproject, illustrating the value of a policy-oriented perspective. We argue that integrating ToPP into project management makes visible the political nature of megaproject development and offers tools to better analyse it.