Adaptive Project Management Frameworks for Accelerated Delivery in Complex Civil Engineering Environments: A Conceptual Review

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@article{1719715,
      author = {Victory Onyedikachi Onukwugha},
      title = {Adaptive Project Management Frameworks for Accelerated Delivery in Complex Civil Engineering Environments: A Conceptual Review},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1365-1371},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719715.pdf},
      abstract = {Cost overruns, schedule delays and poor performance are all common challenges in a constantly changing area of civil engineering projects and work, particularly in complex and dynamic delivery environments. The traditional linear project management approaches such as Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and Waterfall have not been proven beneficial in dealing with uncertainty in large-scale delivery of infrastructure. The concept of adaptive project management (APM) frameworks is introduced in this conceptual review, which could offer a theoretically oriented and practically relevant solution these issues. This review, based on the ideas of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), Contingency Theory (CT) and Lean Construction, explores the theoretical justification for adopting an Adaptive approach in the civil engineering sector. It also gathers empirical and conceptual examples of the use of hybrid approaches (e.g., Agile-Waterfall hybrids, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Lean-Agile hybrids) in construction and civil engineering projects. The review outlines some of the enablers and barriers to the adoption of APM including contractual rigidity, regulation, organisational culture and the use of digital technologies (Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital twins). A conceptual model is proposed that describes the interactions between the adaptive elements and how they can interact with each other to speed up the delivery in a complex environment of a project. Critical gaps are identified such as lack of empirical validation of APM in infrastructure specific contexts, especially in lower resource settings. The review concludes that adaptive frameworks show great promise for transforming the way civil engineering projects are delivered to the world, but that they must be tailored to each context, institutional priorities and governance mechanisms must foster their uptake, and institutional buy-in needs to be gained.},
      keywords = {Adaptive Project Management (APM), Civil Engineering Projects, Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), Lean Construction, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Infrastructure Project Delivery.},
      month = {July},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719715}
  }