Digital Transformation and Cognitive Challenges in Project Management: Navigating Crises in the Information Society

Abstract

Cognitive challenges and decision-making complexity are intensifying in the digital era, particularly within project management frameworks affected by systemic crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores how digital technologies reshape project management by influencing information processing, coordination, and governance models in both the private and public sectors. Drawing on empirical evidence from Ukrainian public institutions and SMEs, the article identifies the uneven pace of digital adoption and the structural, ethical, and informational asymmetries that hinder optimal implementation. The study highlights how big data, intelligent analytics, and emerging AI applications—particularly neural computing and machine learning—introduce new paradigms of cognitive processing, configuration management, and value generation across the project lifecycle. It also addresses infrastructural and organisational obstacles, such as digital inequality, information overload, and the need for adaptive decision models. Special attention is given to public administration, where digital tools must balance democratic inclusivity with system efficiency. The findings underscore the dual role of digital technologies as both enablers and disruptors of traditional management logic, requiring a fundamental reconceptualisation of how information is structured, evaluated, and acted upon in dynamic environments.