Sustainability and Project

Management

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 What is Sustainability/

• What words and phrases are associated

with the term “Sustainability”?

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 APM Definition

• An integrated approach (environmental,

social and economically) that meets
present needs without compromising the
environment for future generations.
• https://www.apm.org.uk/body-of-
knowledge/interfaces/sustainability/

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 Discussion Questions

• Do you agree with this definition?

• What body(ies) of knowledge does the
PMI definition draw on?

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 Industry Perspective on
Sustainability: PMI
• How organizations manage financial,
social and environmental risks
• Ensure business can continue to operate
regardless of obstacles such as resource
shortages, environmental disasters, and
social and political events.
• Related to: green practices, business
continuity planning, stakeholder
engagement.
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 Discussion Questions

• Do you agree with this definition?

• What body(ies) of knowledge does the
PMI definition draw on?

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 Sustainable Development

• Term was first used in 1980 in the World

Conservation Strategy (IUCN et al., 1980).
• Early definition in the Brundtland Report as
meeting ‘the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs’ (WCED,
1987, p. 43)

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 Overview of Perspectives on
Sustainability

Hopwood and O'Brien, 2005

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 Sustainable Development and
change
• Three views of the way in which political
and economic structures and human-
environment relationships need to change
• 1) Status quo: Achieved within present
structures
• 2) Reform: Fix present structures
• 3) Transformation: Replace present
structures

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 Discussion question

• What are the costs and benefits of each

option?
• Any other considerations?

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 Sustainability in Project
Management

• Concepts used in previous research

• Triple bottom line ( People, Planet, Profit)
• Social Dimension
• Economic Dimension
• Environmental Dimension

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 Project Management and
Sustainability
• Time: Short, med, long term
• Geographic: Local, regional, international
• Value orientation
• Performance
• Participation
• Waste reduction
• Accountability
• Cultural Dimension
• Risk Reduction
• Political Dimension
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 Definitions of Sustainable
Project Management

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 Discussion Question

• How do these definitions compare to the

APM and PMI definitions?

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 Sustainability impact on Project
Management

• Recognition of Project Context

• Stakeholders
• Project requirements and deliverables
• Business case
• Schedule
• Procurement
• Risk

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 Sustainability Strategies
Sustainability Sustainability Mutual sustainability strategies
strategies adopted strategies adopted
by project by project hosts
organizations
Strategy Description Strategy Description Strategy Description Description (host)
(Project)

Setting Focus on Setting Define rules Inclusion of Include people Inclusion of

strategic sustainability policies and norms to sustainability with skills, different
and tactical issues when support promoting capability and authorities and
goals developing sustainability actors roles NGO
project representatives
strategies

Sustainable Support Influence Support Developing Expanding Facilitation of

supplier suppliers in project development competencies skills of Project local decision
practices implementing practices of Managers making and
sustainable sustainable engagement
practices project
practices and
technical
systems
Project Incorporate
Design issues in early
stage of project
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Environmental
Sustainability
Sustainable Project
Materials
and
Canvas
resources
(products/ Scope (WHAT)
services) Which areas
Waste and
Purpose (WHY) should this project Success Criteria
packaging What is the goal of this cover? How do we know if we
project? Which areas have achieved our goal?
Energy
should not be
Emissions covered?
Milestones (WHEN)
Water
When will this project start and end?
Noise What are the key decision points?
How will we know if a milestone has been achieved
Social Sustainability
Actions (HOW)
Labour
What outputs/deliverables to we need to produce to reach a particular
practices milestone?
Which activities do we need to execute in order to produce these outputs
Human rights deliverables?

Society Stakeholders Users Risks

Resources
responsibility Who influences Who will benefit What risks may
What resources
Human the success of from the outcome occur during the
do we need?
capital this project? of this project? project?
development

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 What are the sustainability
challenges for PMs here?

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-
canada-30103078
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• Aarseth, W., Ahola, T., Aaltonen, K., Økland, A. and Andersen, B., 2017.
Project sustainability strategies: a systematic literature review. International
Journal of Project Management, 35(6), pp.1071-1083.
• Hopwood, B., Mellor, M. and O'Brien, G., 2005. Sustainable development:
mapping different approaches. Sustainable development, 13(1), pp.38-52.
• IUCN, UNEP, WWF. 1980. World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource
Conservation for Sustainable Development. IUCN: Gland, Switzerland.
• Silvius, A.J. and Schipper, R.P., 2014. Sustainability in project management:
A literature review and impact analysis. Social Business, 4(1), pp.63-96.
• Schipper, R, & Silvius, G 2017, 'THE SUSTAINABLE Project Management
CANVAS', Journal Of Modern Project Management, pp. 50-59, Business
Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 November 2017.
• World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). 1987. Our
Common Future. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

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