Sustainable project management: it matters for NGOs too

 

Climate change. Desertification. Pollution. Species disappearing. Not enough to grab your attention? What about a world water crisis? Could this be enough? I bet the thought of a sixth mass extinction is frightening though. But the scariest part of it all is that this is happening today right in front of you.

If current trends continue, two planets might be needed by 2050 to meet humanity's demands. I’m not sure if you’re paying attention to the news, but… it may take a while until we all get to Mars! However, not all is doomed. If you are working on a project, then you certainly are a problem-solver, a firefighter or, likely, a superhero. You may be exactly what the world needs.

Sustainability is starting to make the rounds in the project management arena, but we still have a long way to go. This is mostly because people don’t understand much about it, incorrectly perceive it is an endeavour that will bring more costs than benefits, or they simply assume they have to comply with the short-termism views dictated by the industry.

However, as a project management practitioner, you have a role to play. You are in a privileged position to influence what the world will look like in the future, and, if you are working with an NGO, you certainly know that every action counts towards a better tomorrow.

So what is sustainability and why should you bother with it? Sure, you may drive an eco-friendly car and recycle, but sustainability is much more than environmental concerns. Simply put, sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future ones. To achieve this, sustainability is composed of three key dimensions that must be effectively balanced, the triple bottom line: the economic dimension, the social dimension, and the environmental dimension.

As project management professionals, the triple constraint is the bread and butter of our profession. Thus, to incorporate sustainability with project management is essentially a matter of extending our much-loved triangle to account for long-term impact:

Project managers have an opportunity to advance sustainable development through particular practices and conduct and help shape a viable future for the world.

Nevertheless, what does this mean in practice and what can you start doing in your projects to apply sustainable project management in your organization? Here’s a list to start with:

• Focus on long-term impact rather than the immediate outcomes of the project
• Pay attention to the interests of the extended project stakeholders circle (community, planet, etc.) rather than limited to project sponsor interests
• Select sustainability-oriented suppliers
• Use sustainability as criteria for measuring a project’s success
• Extend the role of the project manager to include driving sustainability as a primary responsibility in day-to-day tasks
• Extend the role of the sponsor to include directing and promoting sustainability in the project
• Conduct a project impact assessment from a triple bottom line perspective: people, profit, and planet
• Make sustainability concerns visible in decision-making and in the project business case
• Identify requirements relating to sustainability, i.e., not just present, but also future needs
• Identify benefits relating to sustainability
• Start with the end in mind through early planning of the project legacy and how it is going to be managed once the project is finished

Contrary to what some people believe, sustainability doesn’t have to be costly. In fact, it enables valuable benefits such as the more constructive use of resources and consequent cost savings, better risk mitigation and maximization of opportunities, or more motivation and engagement from workforce. Ultimately, it creates a sustainable business, that is, one that could last.

We’re here for the long-run. Are you?