Chantal C. Cantarelli is a Research Fellow at the BT Centre for Major Programme Management at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on transport infrastructure and especially on the influence of project ownership and financing on project performance. In addition, the research focuses on explanations for the (in)accurate cost estimates in the construction of major projects.

Prior to joining the BT Centre, Chantal has worked as a PhD researcher at the section of Transport Policy and Logistics of the Delft University of Technology. She is currently finishing her PhD entitled: “Large-scale transportation infrastructure planning in the Netherlands: problems, causes and cures”. 

Chantal took her Master’s degree at the Delft University of Technology. Her Master Thesis received the Cuperus award 2007 for the best Master Thesis at a Dutch University in the field of transport studies and technology.

Large cost escalations are typically seen as signs of inefficiency and are often associated with public-sector projects. There is a widespread belief that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector and this led in recent years to a resurgence of interest in private-sector involvement in the provision of infrastructure. However, there is little evidence that demonstrates that private projects do indeed perform better than public ones as regards to cost escalation. On the contrary, preliminary analyses suggest that projects with public ownership perform better but the difference in performance between public and private projects has not yet found to be statistically significant.

This current research aims to investigate the influence of project ownership and financing on project performance of major programmes in more detail. Project performance concerns in particular cost overrun, unit costs, demand shortfall and viability. 

The findings of this research will contribute to the academic understanding of programme management and in particular on decision-making and financing.

Cantarelli, C.C., Chorus, C.G., & Cunningham, S.W. (Forthcoming). Explaining cost overruns of large-scale transportation infrastructure projects using a signalling game. Transportmetrica.

Cantarelli, C.C., Flyvbjerg, B., and Buhl, S. (Submitted). “Geographical variation in project cost performance. The Netherlands versus worldwide.

Cantarelli, C.C., Molin, E.J.E., Wee, G.P. van, & Flyvbjerg, B. (Conditionally accepted). Exploring the danger of ecological fallacy and cost overruns during project development: The Dutch case for transportation infrastructure projects.

Cantarelli, C.C., Wee, G.P. van, Molin, E.J.E., & Flyvbjerg, B. (Conditionally acccepted). Different cost performance: different determinants? The case of cost overruns in Dutch transportation infrastructure projects.

Cantarelli, C.C. (2011). Cost Overruns in Large-Scale Transport Infrastructure Projects. A theoretical and empirical exploration for the Netherlands and worldwide”. PhD Dissertation. Delft: Delft University of Technology.

Cantarelli, C.C., Flyvbjerg, B., Molin, E.J.E & Wee, G.P. van (2010). Cost overruns in large-scale transportation infrastructure projects: explanations and their theoretical embeddedness. European journal of transport and infrastructure research (online), 10(1), pp. 5-18.

Cantarelli, C.C., Flyvbjerg, B., Wee, G.P. van & Molin, E.J.E. (2010). Lock-in and its influence on the project performance of large-scale transportation infrastructure projects: investigating the way in which lock-in can emerge and affect cost overruns. Environment and planning B: Planning & design, 37, pp. 792-807.

Media Coverage

Redelijke bewaking infrakosten Nederland, Het Financieele Dagblad (28/11/2011)

Studie naar bouwkosten. NRC, (26-11-2011)

Dure bouwprojecten: partijen bedonderen de boel Trouw.nl (08/07/2011)

Dure bouwprojecten: partijen bedonderen de boel Sociale Vraagstukken (07/07/2011)