Governance Frameworks and Practical
Lessons for Project Leaders
FEATURED PAPER
By Dr. Vinod Manikkara, PhD, PMP, PgMP, PMI-RMP, PMI-CP
Head of Strategic Projects, PMO
Ministry of Works, Kingdom of Bahrain
Abstract
Infrastructure projects increasingly operate in complex and uncertain environments influenced by geopolitical conflicts, pandemics, economic disruptions, and supply chain failures. These crises introduce significant challenges to project delivery, including schedule delays, cost escalation, contractual disputes, and stakeholder coordination issues.
For public sector organizations responsible for delivering critical infrastructure, maintaining project continuity during crises is essential to safeguard public investment and ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services.
This paper examines how project management practices can be adapted to manage infrastructure projects effectively during crisis situations. It explores the characteristics of crisis environments, governance frameworks for crisis response, supply chain resilience strategies, and the evolving strategic role of Project Management Offices (PMOs). Drawing lessons from recent global disruptions—including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts affecting construction materials, and major logistics disruptions—the paper proposes a structured Infrastructure Crisis Response Model consisting of five stages: detection, assessment, prioritization, response, and stabilization.
The study highlights practical lessons for project managers and policymakers and emphasizes the importance of strong governance frameworks, centralized portfolio monitoring, adaptive decision-making, and resilient supply chains. The findings suggest that organizations that adopt structured crisis management approaches can significantly improve infrastructure project resilience and maintain delivery even in highly uncertain environments.
Keywords: Project Management, Infrastructure Resilience, Crisis Management, Project Governance, PMO Leadership, Supply Chain Disruption
- Introduction
Infrastructure development represents a cornerstone of economic growth and societal well-being. Governments invest heavily in infrastructure systems such as transportation networks, healthcare facilities, public buildings, water systems, and energy infrastructure.
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How to cite this work: Manikkara, V. (2026). Managing Infrastructure Projects During Crises: Governance Frameworks and Practical Lessons for Project Leaders, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue IV, April 2026. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pmwj163-Apr2026-Manikkara-Managing-Infrastructure-Projects-During-Crises-2.pdf
About the Author
Dr. Vinod Manikkara
Manama, Bahrain
Dr. Vinod Manikkara is Head of Strategic Projects, PMO at the Ministry of Works, Kingdom of Bahrain. With more than three decades of experience in infrastructure project management, he has led major capital projects across transportation, public buildings, and utilities sectors. His research interests include project governance, risk management, and infrastructure resilience.
