Traditional project plans just don’t cut it in this kind of chaos. A rigid project plan doesn’t just slow delivery - it risks stalling the entire journey. That’s where adaptive management comes in. It’s all about staying flexible, learning as you go, and adjusting quickly when things change. It is the equivalent of travelling with a live GPS and the freedom to reroute. You still know where you need to end up, but you make constant, informed decisions about how to get there.
Adaptive management keeps project delivery moving by combining real-time information, local knowledge, and rapid decision-making. It allows teams to pause when conditions deteriorate, accelerate when windows open, and change routes without losing sight of the destination. Progress is measured not by sticking to the original itinerary, but by whether the project continues to move forward safely, responsibly, and effectively.
For projects like Swisscontact’s Empower AgriWomen, this approach is essential as it helps the team to keep supporting women farmers even when the ground shifts beneath them. Success isn’t be about driving fast or sticking to the map…but about staying alert and responsive enough to keep going at all.
This means the team has to gather feedback regularly, empower local partners to make decisions, and try new things. If something doesn’t work, they must learn from it and move on. It’s a mindset that values progress over perfection, and if it’s done right then it’s a game-changer.
Several core assumptions underpinning the original project design - active partners, stable markets, and feasible outreach targets - have shifted or collapsed over the last year. Targets around capital mobilisation, market access, and climate awareness are proving unrealistic under current conditions, not because delivery is weak, but because the context has fundamentally changed.
The project demonstrates adaptive management in action: expanding geographically, pursuing new financial partners, clarifying ambiguous indicators, and planning learning events to reflect and course-correct. Adaptive management allows the team to respond pragmatically. They are revising strategies, redefining indicators, improving measurement tools, and reallocating resources without abandoning the project’s long-term objectives. This last bit is important…it’s about maintaining overall end targets while transparently explaining annual shortfalls - balancing flexibility with accountability.
We decided to expand the project geographically beyond Chernihiv to Kyiv and other regions in response to underperforming targets and contextual constraints. Originally, delivery and targets were anchored in Chernihiv and relied on specific partners and market conditions that no longer hold due to the war. When it became evident that capital mobilisation and market-access targets would not be met under the original assumptions - because key partners were no longer active and market linkages had weakened - we agreed not to lower ambition or pause delivery. Instead, we are revising delivery: maintaining existing partnerships in Chernihiv while proactively opening new activities in Kyiv, where market access, financial institutions, and partnership opportunities are more viable.
This adaptation is paired with practical resource reallocation, using underutilised budget lines to bring in additional consultants or local agencies to support the expanded footprint, and with measurement adaptation, including plans to refine indicator definitions and deploy new surveys to better capture market access and use.
It's an example of adaptive management on the right track. Recognising that the original route is no longer passable, rerouting delivery based on real-time conditions and learning to move toward the same destination without losing credibility or momentum. Whether it’s changing training formats, finding new partners, or launching creative finance tools, the team are adapting to meet real needs.
In this environment, adaptive management is not optional. It is what enables continued progress, informed decision-making, and honest reporting when original plans no longer match reality. It ensures the project remains relevant, responsive, and deliverable despite ongoing uncertainty.
This project is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. The project is also supported by additional funding partners, including Katholisch Stadt Zürich.