State Agencification in Morocco: Towards a New Model for Managing Public Projects

Abstract

Drawing from the findings of a PhD dissertation defended in 2023, this article examines state agencification in Morocco as an emerging model for managing public sector projects under the New Public Management framework. The study addresses the following central research question: What is the optimal combination of explanatory factor groups driving project management success in Moroccan public establishments? The primary objective is to identify the organizational, human, and regulatory levers conditioning the performance of complex public projects. Grounded in a positivist stance and a quantitative hypothetico-deductive approach adapted from Belassi and Tukel's (1996) framework, the empirical research analyzes data from 61 decision-makers across 14 major Moroccan public agencies and state-owned enterprises. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that project success extends beyond technical planning tools, relying heavily on project manager leadership, organizational design flexibility, and public procurement legal agility. Theoretically, this research contributes to public management literature by introducing institutional variables into project performance models within an emerging economy context. Managerially, it recommends establishing Project Management Offices (PMOs), empowering project managers, and shifting away from rigid a priori controls toward outcome-based governance to grant public agencies genuine operational autonomy