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ARTICLE

Impact of COVID-19 on the use of project management methodologies, tools, and techniques in the construction sector in Auckland, New Zealand

Rudina Leksani1 ,  Olufemi Muibi Omisakin1* ,  Yury Zhukov1
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1 Applied Management Department, Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus, Auckland, New Zealand
DP, 025410044 https://doi.org/10.36922/DP025410044
Received: 9 October 2025 | Revised: 7 February 2026 | Accepted: 13 February 2026 | Published online: 22 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The construction sector plays a significant role in New Zealand’s economic growth through its substantial contribution to gross domestic product and employment. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, the sector faced considerable disruption. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the project management methodologies, tools, and techniques used in the construction sector in Auckland, New Zealand, and provides practical insights for stakeholders, policymakers, and project management professionals. We adopted a qualitative research design using 10 semi-structured interviews with project managers and construction professionals selected using purposive non-probability sampling. Thematic analysis identified six themes and 23 sub-themes. The findings show that COVID-19 substantially disrupted the traditional Waterfall method, while Agile and hybrid approaches demonstrated greater adaptability. Key drivers of change included remote working policies, supply chain disruptions, and skilled labor shortages. The findings highlight the need to optimize the mix of project management methodologies through an appropriate combination of Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid approaches, strengthen risk management, build more resilient and diversified supply chains, and invest in training and upskilling to improve project efficiency and reduce rework.

Keywords
Construction sector
Project management methodologies
Tools
Techniques
Virtual communication and collaboration
COVID-19
New Zealand
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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