Project Management and Sustainability - United Nations

1 Brief for GSDR 2016 Update Project Management and Sustainability Luca Sabini, Newcastle University Business School*. Introduction The moral imperative to make big less emphasis has been placed on more changes is inescapable, that what practical, micro-level concerns. For example, we take for granted may not be the role of professional and knowledge here for our children workers as key intermediaries in building a Al Gore, 2007 sustainable economy and society has received far less consideration1. US Vice-president Al Gore's statement above refers to the need for the issue of Project Management Sustainability to become central to the This contribution is the description of a contemporary political and economic agenda. European funded research investigating the The World Commission on Environment and role of the Project Management (PM).

2 Development defined Sustainability as the profession in developing a sustainable development that meets the needs of the economy. The focus of this ongoing research present without compromising the ability of is on the role of PM, as an example of a future generations to meet their own needs prominent professional occupation, in (WCED 1987). Sustainability relates primarily building a sustainable economy and society. to environmental and demographic concerns This is important because professionals such but, in the light of the recent economic and as Project managers possess the technical fiscal crises across Europe and the USA, it skills, competences and knowledge required increasingly includes social issues such as to successfully implement Sustainability equality, social mobility, social renewal and initiatives.

3 In the same way that accountants financial Sustainability (UNCTAD, 2014). have been involved in developing Accordingly, concomitant with the growing Sustainability reporting tools and engineers in political interest in Sustainability , there has developing sustainable green' technologies, been a growing interest in the study of so too have Project managers been Sustainability both as an academic field of responsible for the development and diffusion research and as an area of practice. A of sustainable practices. The role of Project relatively recent study by McKinsey et al managers in this context is likely to be shows that energy efficiency can save the particularly important as a growing trend United States $ trillion a year (McKinsey et towards projectification' ( the al.))

4 , 2009). Similarly, a growing body of reorganization of tasks and activities as academic research focuses on how projects) places Project managers in a Sustainability might be achieved as a strategic prominent economic and societal position. imperative. In particular, research has With a focus on the role of Project managers emphasised the role of governments in Sustainability , this research is timely as it is (UNCTAD, 2014), corporations (Shrivastava, 1995) and the broader community (Van 1. Berkel, 2010). An interesting initiative led by the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability (AIRES). While a large body of work focuses on macro- aims at fostering Sustainability in business and industry level Sustainability issues ( : climate through education and learning with a focus on Sustainability in the Key Professions change, consumption of natural resources), ( ).

5 *The views and opinions expressed are the author's and do not represent those of the Secretariat of the United Nations . Online publication or dissemination does not imply endorsement by the United Nations . addressing a key EU research topic: Inclusive, Global Sustainability Community of Practice). Innovative and Reflective Societies (and in From a theoretical perspective, the particular Inclusive societies2) by importance of Project managers is not limited investigating how societal well-being is to their functional roles as implementers of generated and sustained over time. sustainable, technical solutions, such as the sustainable projects described above, but This Project aims to contribute to our refers to the broader institutional role that understanding of the importance of professions exercise in accomplishing radical professionals such as Project managers in change.

6 This is important as delivering building a more sustainable economy and Sustainability may involve challenging society. As such, this research focuses on how assumptions and practices which are deeply the PM profession has contributed to the institutionalized in order to create and development, adoption, adaptation, and institutionalize new organizational models rejection of Sustainability principles and and working arrangements. An example of practices. changing institutional practices relates to the duration's shift in the Project lifecycle. The PM and Sustainability delivery of final artefact or service is the normal Project end; instead, the objectives of Error! Reference source not found. (which the PM process are starting to take into represent the number of academic account the utilization' of investment of the publications on this topic) captures the Project beyond the end of Project activities growing interest in Sustainability and PM, (Gareis, 2005, p.)

7 546). This paradigm shift reflecting (a) the growing importance of this links to the concept of Sustainability that profession as part of the projectification of consequently arise in the need to: (a). society and (b) the centrality of PM skills, contribute to the optimization of the business competences and techniques in delivering case of the investment initialized by the Sustainability . Project ; (b) manage the Project complexity As economic activity is increasingly based on and Project dynamics; (c) continuously adjust projects, making these projects more the Project boundaries. In other words sustainable can provide the building blocks for building a sustainable economy and society a more sustainable economy and society. through projects is not an exclusively Accordingly, a growing debate amongst technical matter, but it involves institutional practitioners has focused on the issue of change (Scott, 2008, p.

8 219). Hence, sustainable projects3. As part of the drive theoretically, this proposal relates to the toward sustainable projects, PM has growing debate around the institutional developed a number of new methodologies, work' of the profession, focusing on both the tools and techniques which foreground a purposeful and everyday forms of agency concern with Sustainability ( : the GPM P5 through which professions contribute to Standard for Sustainability in Project creating, maintaining and disrupting Management ; or the Project Management institutions (Lawrence, Suddaby, & Leca, 160. 140. 2. 120. Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020): 100. 80. /legal_basis/ 3. These refer to what Silvius & Schipper (2014) call: the 60. planning, monitoring and controlling of Project delivery and 40.)

9 Support processes, with consideration of the environmental, economic and social aspects of the life-cycle 20. of the Project 's resources, processes, deliverables and 0. effects, aimed at realising benefit for stakeholders, and performed 2002 in a2003. transparent, 2004 fair2005and ethical 2006 way 2007that 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015. includes proactive stakeholder participation . Books Book chapters Journal articles Proc. and conf. papers Other articles White papers Figure 1: Articles related to Sustainability and projects (update from Silvius & Schipper, 2014). 2009). The research question that drives the research is: what is the role of PM in developing sustainable business practices? (With two sub questions: SQ1 - What is the influence of professional associations with regard to institutionalizing Sustainability practices into PM tools &.

10 Techniques? SQ2 - How do PM practitioners contribute to implementing Sustainability practices within projects?4. References Gareis, R. (2005). Happy Projects! Vienna: Englische Auflage, Manz. Lawrence, T. B., Suddaby, R., & Leca, B. (2009). Institutional work: actors and agency in institutional studies of organizations. Cambridge university press. McKinsey. (2009). Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the US. economy. Scott, W. R. (2008). Lords of the Dance: Professionals as Institutional Agents. Organization Studies, 29(2), 219 238. Shrivastava, P. (1995). The role of corporations in achieving ecological Sustainability . Academy of Management Review, 20(4), 936 960. Silvius, G., & Schipper, R. P. J. (2014). Sustainability in Project Management : A literature review and impact analysis.