Building the Plane Mid-Flight: Managing design during institutional change
Becker & Frondorf
At Becker & Frondorf, we are often called into projects already in motion. Sometimes the design is underway, the budget is under pressure, or the institution itself is in the middle of a leadership transition.
Managing projects during institutional change presents a distinct set of challenges that require a specific kind of project management discipline.
This past May, B&F project executive Beth Van Why joined leaders from the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia for a session at the 2026 American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting titled “Building the Plane Mid-Flight: Managing Design During Institutional Change.”
Both institutions were navigating significant capital renovation work while welcoming new leadership.
When the Decision-Maker Changes Mid-Process
Capital projects don’t pause for organizational change. When a new leader arrives, they inherit work reflecting choices made before they got there and may want to recalibrate priorities or redirect scope.
Our job is to make sure that transition happens without losing ground.
Key questions include: How far along is the work? Are there funder requirements tied to specific scopes or timelines? What is driving the schedule, and is that driver fixed or flexible?
The Weitzman: Feasibility to Execution
For the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, work began in 2024 with a feasibility study scoping potential projects and establishing rough order of magnitude costs.
Building system assessments and improvements to galleries, public spaces, restrooms and offices were underway during a CEO search.
When Dan Tadmor joined as president and CEO, a substantial body of design work was already on the table. Rather than starting over, the team used that foundation to move quickly and purposefully.
Design options were presented with varying levels of impact and cost, giving new leadership a clear framework for decision-making.
First Salute opened in time for America’s 250th celebration, additional exhibition work is planned for 2026, and Phase 2 planning is underway.
The College of Physicians: Planning for the Long View
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia faced a parallel situation. A campus planning process launched in April 2024, with architect selection, design workshops and cost planning underway as a new CEO was expected.
The campus plan envisions expanded visitor amenities, events and education space, workspace, collection storage, meeting capacity and a new medicinal and meditative garden.
Because the planning work produced a range of options with associated costs, it was ready to be evaluated by incoming leadership rather than requiring a restart.
What the Plane Metaphor Actually Means
You don’t always get to land, refuel and take off again under ideal conditions. Sometimes the conditions change while you are already in the air, and the work is to keep flying.
What makes that possible is having strong systems in place: clear documentation, flexible design options, defensible cost estimates and a project manager who can brief a new leader without losing momentum.
