Project Resilience

The need for resilience at organisational, department and individual level has never been greater. Geopolitical conflict, climate change, supply chain disruption and political instability are just a handful of the risks that leaders must mitigate to ensure stable business operation and optimum effectiveness.

Project resilience refers to the ability of a project or initiative to anticipate, adapt and recover from unexpected challenges, disruptions or uncertainties. It involves the capacity to withstand shocks, maintain functionality in the face of adversity, and quickly recover to a stable state. Resilient projects underpin resilient organisations; a resilient organisation produces sustainable competitive advantage.

This book offers a structured framework - the Project Resilience Maturity Model - to assess and enhance resilience in organisations. The authors begin by considering different approaches to project resilience, and by identifying potential tensions therein. In the second part, methods of sustaining project resilience are examined, focusing on the perspective of the project manager, personal responsibility and leadership. The latter part of the textbook provides practical tools and applications to assess and enhance project resilience.

Throughout, the authors employ a pedagogical framework designed to ensure maximum effectiveness for students and practitioners. Chapters are organised to reflect the evolution of project resilience maturity and concepts are introduced in a sequential order that builds on what has come before, with Key Takeaways summarising each chapter's most critical points. Fictional case studies illustrate how topics can be implemented in a project management setting, while Key and Dormant Tensions highlight potential blind spots.

Demystifying complex topics without sacrificing scholarly rigour, Project Resilience provides you with a strategic approach to ensuring projects are well-equipped to withstand uncertainties and adapt to dynamic conditions. It is the perfect textbook to support advanced Project Management and Organisational Resilience courses, and to provide practical methods for leading responsible organisations.