Project management and sustainability

What is sustainability in project management ?

Definition

Sustainability in project management is defined by the “green project management”, part of the PMI (Project Management Institute) as follow : "Since the adoption of ISO 14001, which exists to help organization minimize how their operations impact the environment and comply with applicable laws, the subject of sustainability though project management had remained nebulous at best had been a lack of continuity among organization who desires to use project management as a mechanism to impart change" Green project management

The issue developed by this definition is based on the low level of interest on this subject in academic literature. It is only a concept that must be developed.

To go further on this subject we suggest you to watch the following video.

You can watch some exemples.

Green Project Management

The Time / Cost /Quality and the TBL

Fundamental

  • Sustainability in project management is about balancing or harmonizing social, environmental and economic interests in a project.

  • Developing Sustainability in Project Management takes into account the full life-cycle of the project / of the asset / of the product at hand.

  • Sustainability in project management is a way to cross the triple bottom line of business with the golden triangle of project

.

To go further on this subject we suggest you to watch the following video.

You can watch some exemples.

Claudia Weninger on Sustainability in Project Management

Sustainable Project Management

Fundamental

The management of project-organized change

  • in policies, assets or organizations,

  • with consideration of the economical, social and environmental impact,

  • of the project, its result and its effect,

  • for now and future generations.

Example

Sustainable development in project management can expand the perimeter of the project by increasing the temporal vision and his scope.

According with the following table, sustainable project management takes into account the societal impacts of the project and expands the definition of the perimeter of the project in two ways:

  • Local and global society (societal vision)

  • In time, incorporating the impact of the project on future generations

.

From: Sustainability in Project Management, By Gilbert Silvius, Ron Schipper, Julia Planko, Jasper van den Brink and Adri Köhler; Published May 2012; Paperback; ISBN 978-1-4094-3169-5

The following table explains the differences between a sustainable project approach and an orthodox project approach:

Presented by Sally Garrett, GM, Business Services, Watercare Services Ltd at NZSSES Forum, May 2006

Sustainable Project Approach

Orthodox Project Approach

Consensus

Top down decision-making

Leaps of faith - climate change

Fact-based

Systemic approach - ecosystem

Linear & mathematical analysis

Social, environmental science

Engineering & Science

Business judgement

Engineering judgement

Business case (benefit) justification

Risked-based justification

Design as a journey-with errors

Design as a deliverable-zero defects

Triple bottom line

NPV

Customer ownership

Outsourced

Root cause

Specification

Long term

Short term

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