Megaproject Oversight

Abstract

The U.S. General Accounting Office pegs the cost of the Boston Central Artery/ Tunnel (CA/T) Project at $10.8 billion and warns of increases. Public officials in Massachusetts fear that the very magnitude and complexity of this multibillion dollar megaproject creates a magnet for waste, fraud, and abuse of public funds. In 1996, the legislature directed the elected attorney general, the elected state auditor, and the appointed state inspector general to create a newcommission to coordinate independent state oversight of the project. This case study describes how Massachusetts officials responded to the charge. In this article, the author (a) identifies institutional barriers to cooperation among oversight agencies, (b) evaluates a number of the options for structuring oversight coordination, (c) discusses the Massachusetts experience so far, and (d) explores lessons learned so far that may assist other jurisdictions in grappling with megaproject oversight.

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