Flexibility at different stages in the life cycle of projects

As all experienced project professionals know, managing projects involves managing uncertainty. To do this successfully often requires using a flexible approach to effectively control each of a project's many phases. This article examines--via a survey of 48 Norwegian government projects--how the flexible approach's freedom-to-maneuver attribute affects a project manager's ability to manage a project from inception to completion. In doing so, it discusses the literature on using flexibility to manage projects, noting the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. It describes approaches--developed by other researchers--for integrating flexibility into project implementation. It also overviews the survey's methodology and its primary concerns and challenges. It then analyzes the survey results in relation to using the freedom-to-maneuver attribute when managing projects.