Planning for crises in project management

Crises in projects are inevitable. Yet, the destructive consequences of many crises can be reduced through the effective use of planning tools from emergency management. Risk analyses, contingency plans, logic charts, and tabletop exercises help in planning for crises and managing them when they occur. The primary strategy for managing crises in projects is to think through the project before the project is begun and to practice using these tools and their outputs. Examples of crises in projects such as the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games highlight the use and effectiveness of crisis planning tools. We offer recommendations for project managers to better plan for the inevitable crises that will disrupt their projects.