Project resilience
Discover how to anticipate and manage uncertainty in your projects with the help of strategic design tools. In an increasingly complex business context, this innovative approach goes beyond traditional risk management approaches to increase overall project and organizational resilience.
Presentation of the program
Volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous: the current context, aggravated by the COVID crisis, calls for the integration of new methods and tools into project management, in order to manage ever greater and more rapid fluctuations in constraints and resources.
Strategic design, combining foresight and rapid experimentation cycles, enables us to develop a new approach to managing uncertainty in project and organizational management. It consists in identifying the main factors of uncertainty linked to the future, imagining several possible futures, assessing their respective risks and opportunities, and then creating a portfolio of actionable options for each of them.
The aim of this short program is to enable managers and executives to apply the tools of strategic design to increase the resilience of their projects and organizations.
Learning objectives
- Understand and recognize the various factors of future uncertainty influencing the success of your projects.
- Master forward-looking tools capable of anticipating future uncertainties surrounding your project management.
- Integrate strategic design into your activities to increase the resilience of your projects and your organization.
Target audience
- Project or portfolio managers wishing to improve their management of project risks.
- Managers or professionals seeking to understand and master the notion of strategic design and its applications.
- Anyone wishing to explore new ways of organizing or managing complex projects.
About the program
This short program Project resilience was built for professionals seeking to learn about fundamental concepts and then practice them trough practical exercises. There is a strong emphasis on practical application supported by academic excellence, with the use of exercises and break-out groups, industry examples and guest speakers. The fundamental notions will be presented beforehand, then supplemented and illustrated by numerous practical exercises based on real cases .
This approach will allow the participants to deploy the concepts presented during the course as well as forging a strong analytical mindset to tackle future challenges they might face on .
our speakers
main program
Program's sessions
- full dates
- 18, 19 and 20 June 2026
- language
- French
- registration
- Before 14 May 2026
- full dates
- 24, 25 and 26 June 2027
- language
- French
- registration
- Before 20 May 2027
Related programs
Digital marketing
Data science & management
Project leadership
How do I manage a project when everything becomes uncertain?
The program helps you structure your thinking in the face of uncertainty. You learn to identify the factors that genuinely influence your projects rather than simply reacting to fluctuations. Through strategic design, you work on multiple possible futures instead of betting on a single scenario, developing options suited to different outcomes. This approach strengthens your adaptability and supports more informed decisions, even when information is incomplete.
What is the difference between project resilience and risk management?
Risk management identifies and mitigates known threats. Resilience goes further by preparing you to face unforeseen or complex changes. You learn to imagine multiple future scenarios and create tailored responses for each. This logic strengthens the overall robustness of your project. You are not just trying to avoid deviations; you are building the capacity to bounce back and adjust your trajectory.
Will I learn to anticipate crises?
You learn above all to anticipate structural uncertainties. The program helps you spot the key variables that could shift the course of your project. Through foresight tools, you analyze trends and areas of instability, then build concrete options to address them. This preparation reduces the element of surprise and allows you to approach complex situations with more method and less improvisation.
Is strategic design practical or theoretical?
The approach is applied. Concepts are directly connected to practical cases and to your own projects. You work with scenario-building tools, uncertainty analysis, and option creation. The goal is for you to integrate them quickly into the way you manage. Conceptual rigor supports action; it does not replace it.
How do I identify the real uncertainties in a project?
You learn to distinguish predictable trends from major uncertainties. The tools provided help you rank the variables that can influence your project's success. This analysis prevents you from scattering your attention on secondary risks. By clarifying the critical areas, you focus your efforts where the potential impact is greatest, making your management more strategic.
Is this useful if I already manage complex projects?
Yes, especially if you operate in volatile environments. The program enriches your strategic perspective beyond conventional methods. You develop the ability to think in scenarios and test different options before committing significant resources. This strengthens your judgment in high-uncertainty contexts.
Is this suited to managers who are not foresight specialists?
Yes. The tools are introduced gradually. No technical background in foresight is required. You progress step by step, with concrete examples and peer exchanges. You acquire a structured method without needing to become an academic expert in the field.
How quickly can I apply resilience thinking to my current projects?
You can use the tools as soon as the program ends. Uncertainty analysis, scenario building, and option creation are all directly transferable. You test the approach on a real project, which allows you to adjust your action plan and strengthen the soundness of your decisions in a short timeframe.
What are the terms and conditions applicable to this course ?
Contact us
The quality of the training and the professionalism of the instructors are reflective of HEC Lausanne.
- full dates
- 18, 19 and 20 June 2026
- language
- French
- registration
- Before 14 May 2026
- full dates
- 24, 25 and 26 June 2027
- language
- French
- registration
- Before 20 May 2027