Abstract
Projects face changes and uncertainties caused by internal and external disturbing pulses. Project resilience describes the ability to persist, absorb and recover impactful changes triggered by these disruptive events. Its characteristics are not understood right now to intentionally shape resilient projects. To investigate project resilience, we apply organisational resilience concepts with reactive and adaptive elements, an indicator-based model combined with existing specific project resilience models. This explorative qualitative research includes three in-depth project case studies triangulating content-analysed semi-structured interviews, document analysis and observation, which we summarize in single-case and cross-case findings. Results show: Investigated projects became resilient by solved conflicts and uncertainty handling. Reactive and adaptive patterns, leadership, and formal project practices combined with networking and stakeholder-oriented practices marked this path. Our contribution combines the multi-dimensionality of the phenomenon in an explanatory framework integrating disruptive events, project and contextual aspects. Shaping project resilience could intentionally use a set of practices.