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Mitigating threats to project plans
From shifting stakeholder priorities to market pressures and supply chain disruptions, change is the only constant in the built environment. For this month’s Ask the Expert, we sat down with B&D Project manager Aneura Phillips to talk about navigating uncertainty, aligning complex stakeholder groups, and keeping projects moving forward in an era defined by disruption.
B&D: You come from a design-focused background. Can you share a bit about your career path and what led you into project management?
Aneura Phillips: I spent about ten years working in architecture before transitioning into project management and eventually joining B&D. Design has always been at the core of my work, but over time I became increasingly interested in what happens beyond the drawings. I wanted to be involved in the full lifecycle of a project, from how spaces are imagined, to how they’re delivered, and ultimately how people experience them day to day. Project management gave me that broader lens.
B&D: During implementation, what threats to project plans tend to catch teams off guard the most?
AP: A lot of challenges fall into a few recurring themes. One is misalignment, when expectations around scope, funding, or decision-making aren’t fully aligned early on, it can create issues later. Another is public procurement requirements. Even small delays in those processes can snowball if they aren’t anticipated from the start. And then there’s stakeholder complexity. Many of the projects I work on involve district leadership, school administrators, teachers, students, community members, and governing boards, all in addition to the client. Understanding not just the client’s goals, but the priorities and concerns of those broader stakeholder groups, can make a huge difference in how smoothly a project moves forward.
B&D: With that many voices at the table, how do you keep everyone aligned without losing sight of the project’s core goals?
AP: It really comes down to early and meaningful engagement. These projects belong to the community, and people are deeply invested in them. Even if you’re not the one using the facility every day, you need to understand what matters to the people who are. Taking the time to listen, ask questions, and acknowledge different perspectives early on helps build trust,and that trust becomes invaluable when decisions need to be made later in the process.
B&D: Looking ahead, what changes do you see on the horizon for the industry?
AP: There always seems to be a new challenge emerging, financial downturns, global health crises, supply chain disruptions, and now cost volatility tied to materials and tariffs. Because of that, I think it’s more important than ever to build project frameworks that are resilient and adaptable. You can’t predict every disruption, but you can create structures that allow teams to respond thoughtfully when conditions change.
That’s also where trusted partners really matter. Experienced teams can help clients understand their options, weigh trade-offs, and make informed decisions. The goal isn’t to foresee the next disruption, it’s to be prepared to navigate it when it happens.
Thank you to Aneura Phillips for participating in this month’s Ask the Expert. If there’s a topic you’d like one of our experts to cover in a future feature, please submit your ideas here.
