By Natalie Lovell, ANTICIPATE Project Manager, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK

Managing projects amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and its cascading impacts provided valuable lessons for adaptive management. While all projects undergo a risk assessment during the conception phase, we seldom plan for the type of uncertainties experienced in the past few years due to the pandemic.

Collaborating with dryland communities in Gujarat, ANTICIPATE examined how different actors forecast and prepare for co-located hazards under conditions of climatic uncertainty, and whether and how these practices can be integrated for building preparedness. Originally conceived to be a two-year project starting in April 2020 and concluding in March 2022, the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in several unavoidable delays, stretching ANTICIPATE and its limited budget into a four-year project ending in June 2024. Indeed, managing an international project while navigating the Covid-19 pandemic has been a formidable challenge, requiring adaptability, innovation and collaboration. Here I trace the timeline of ANTICIPATE and reflect on what it means to manage a project in the face of uncertainty.

Inception

Although the project officially began in April 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused significant delays during the inception period (April to September 2020). Logistical delays to contracting as well as nationwide lockdown measures imposed by the UK and Indian governments to curb the spread of the virus forced a revision of fieldwork schedules, resulting in the research team missing the crucial drought and monsoon periods in Western India.

Implementation

From September 2020 to December 2021, the research team adopted remote data collection methods in a bid to ensure research activities could continue. Relying predominantly on literature reviews to build a conceptual foundation and phone-based interviews with local communities provided some progress but had its limitations. Despite restrictions on movement being lifted, plans for face-to-face fieldwork from March to July 2021 were hindered by the severity of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. Additionally, a duty of care and the need to minimise the risk of infection to communities, team members and collaborators added another layer of complexity. And while substantial progress resumed with the easing of restrictions and fieldwork from September 2022, new challenges soon emerged: team members felt the personal effects of the pandemic, administrative barriers arose at partner institutions, local and state elections paused or delayed project activities.

Dissemination and Synthesis

Despite the numerous challenges encountered by ANTICIPATE, significant progress has been achieved and synthesis is underway. The project has gained visibility through impactful events such as the World Climate Research Programme (WRCP), Adaptation Futures, and COP28-related activities alongside the final dissemination event held at the Institute of Development Studies. Moreover, the project’s findings are proving to be of critical importance given the rise in extreme and erratic weather events, and India’s ongoing struggle with severe heatwaves and hydrological extremes.

Several factors contributed to the success of ANTICIPATE. These include: i) an adaptive management approach; ii) factoring in risk as well as uncertainties which required the continuous reassessment of project plans, timelines and objectives; iii) ongoing communication and collaboration between the internationally dispersed research team; and iv) flexibility from the funder. These strategies enabled ANTICIPATE to navigate the immediate challenges presented by the pandemic, to adapt and respond to changing project conditions, and to ensure that project activities remained relevant and effective. ANTICIPATE exemplifies that through careful planning and adaptability, an opportunities for experimentation may arise from unprecedented uncertainty.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.