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Date

An outstanding article by Ed LeBard, PMP, in the December, 2014 edition of PMNetwork Magazine, makes us very optimistic about 2015 and beyond. Our positive reaction is due to LeBard's focus on key and traditional project management process groups, such as procurement, but applied to an important consideration for us temporary-endeavor-with-definitive-start-and-finish-minded project managers - the product of the project in the steady state, holitically viewed, and for the long term, in operation. Just like the photo above which we used to decorate our blog post - projects are not just about where the rubber hits the road - they're about the success of the product of the project way, way down the road.
The first line sets us straight:
"Organizations are incorporating more sustainable
design into their construction projects to harness
energy savings and lessen their environmental impact."
That's what we're talking about!
Of course, we'd assert that it goes way beyond construction projects and into any type of project with any type of product. But let's stay focused on this article, because although it's fairly short, it has so much to convey.
We really like the perspective the article takes on - one of ongoing performance, of expected benefits from the building, rather than (only) the usual focus on project management excellence - on time, within budget, and meeting scoped requirements upon delivery and handover. No. This article takes on the proper perspective - focused on realization of benefits, and performance in the steady state, the way that the customer (and residents) of the building see it, to say nothing of the other stakeholders (fellow dwellers of the planet who seek lower impact).
But the article, despite the use of the word "Green" in the title ("Mastering the Green Domain") is not about "Green" in the way we are sometimes bombarded with; it's not an article about saving the whales and hugging trees.
Instead, it's more about the view of sustainability that we prefer - a triple bottom line view, that yes, includes ecological elements but also social and economic sustainability. A project is successful if it is able to STAY 'in business' for a long time, without causing undue impact on people or environment. Thankfully, that's what comes across in the story.
The article contains advice about the extra effort (e.g. great communications and teamwork) required to make a project this sort of long-term success. To us, this illustrates once again the 'integratedness' of sustainability into PM. It's not a little throw-in extra. It needs to be a consideration in all of the process groups and Knowledge Areas. Heck, in the first few paragraphs, LeBard has three out of the ten Knowledge Areas covered already!
But perhaps one of the best parts of the article is the term used to describe this philosophy: "performance-based design". We love it. It speaks in very active terms about the thinking necessary for a project manager - beyond handoff... to steady-state performance. If a project manager can inundate his or her team with that phrase, it will yield more projects that are focused on benefits realization, which, the way we see it, is the true meaning of sustainability. We'll be covering this much more in an upcoming book.
Have a look at the article. And even if you're not in construction, imagine your project in this light.
May it shine on ... and on...
Posted
by
Richard Maltzman
on: January 06, 2015 08:46 PM |
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