While distinct from complexity, uncertainty can be considered a dimension that can increase or decrease a project's complexity level (Baccarini 1996). Uncertainty in project management refers to a lack of awareness and understanding of issues, events, paths to follow, or solutions to pursue (PMI 2014).
The Cambridge Dictionary (2016) defines uncertainty as “a situation in which something is not known, or something that is not known or certain.” In project management, uncertainty is often considered an unwanted result of project complexity (Vidal and Marle 2008). This dimension relates not only to uncertainty within the project but also to uncertainty in the product being developed or the development process.
Remington and Pollack (2007) highlight the intrinsic relationship between uncertainty and complexity, stating, “complexity, very generally, is a result of interrelationships and feedback between the increasing number of areas of uncertainty and ambiguity.” This reinforces the importance of managing uncertainty as a key factor in exploring project complexity.
The uncertainty dimension encompasses various aspects of a project, including technological, market, and innovation uncertainty. These different facets of uncertainty can interact and compound, increasing a project's complexity. For ...
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