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The planning, monitoring and controlling of project delivery and support processes, with consideration of the environmental, economical and social aspects of the life-cycle of the project’s resources, processes, deliverables and effects, aimed at realising benefits for stakeholders, and performed in a transparent, fair and ethical way that includes proactive stakeholder participation.
In simpler terms, sustainable project management includes developing processes that address both standard and wider social or environmental considerations. A key concept this definition makes clear is that sustainable project management is not one-size-fits-all. Each organisation will develop their own frameworks which serves their own needs and considerations.
Sustainable project management has evolved over the years to align with broader environmental and social goals. Initially focused on efficient resource utilization and minimizing waste, it has now embraced a more comprehensive approach.
“Sustainability” originates from forestry and was first coined by Hans Carl von Carlowitz in the 18th century. Carlowitz was a Saxon forestry official and aimed to design forest use in such a way that it would be possible in the long term. He recognized that uncontrolled logging of the forest. This development would lead to the destruction of the forest ecosystem and thus affect the timber industry. To avoid this, he proposed to harvest only as much wood as can grow back (the so-called “permanent forest principle”). Carlowitz coined the term “sustainable use” for this. The principle of sustainable use was soon applied in other areas. Such as agriculture, mining, and fisheries, to ensure the long-term use of natural resources.
Next, the concept of social entrepreneurship can be traced back to various origins that have coalesced into one concept over time. In the 1960s and 1970s, social movements emerged in various parts of the world, particularly in the USA. They promoted social justice and environmental protection. Out of these movements developed the concept of “social activism,”. This term included the idea that companies have a social responsibility and should actively contribute to making the world a better place. In 1978, Freer Spreckley coined the term “socially responsible enterprises.” Social enterprises should incorporate not only economic. The social and environmental aspects should not be forgotten in their performance.
The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Model, also known as the “triple bottom line,” was first introduced by British entrepreneur John Elkington in 1994. It is a concept for measuring and evaluating the success of businesses that goes beyond the traditional profit maximization approach. It also considers the social and environmental impacts of business decisions. The TBL model emphasizes three areas, referred to as the “3Ps”: Profit, People, and Planet:
The idea behind the TBL model is that companies should not only focus on financial results. Additionally, their impact on people and the environment plays a role. By focusing on these three areas, companies can achieve long-term success by considering the needs of their employees, customers, and the environment, and thus also focus on long-term financial success.
The concept of TBL has gained popularity since its introduction. It is now used by many companies and organizations as a framework for sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Today, John Elkington argues that the three sustainability areas should not be played off against each other. They are all three equally important and must be given equal attention.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals. They were adopted by UN member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The goals aim to address global challenges such as poverty, climate change, inequality and environmental degradation. Thus, create a sustainable future for all people and the planet.
Sustainability in project management presents a critical challenge in contemporary organizational practices. As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of sustainable development, the project management landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift to align with broader environmental, social, and economic goals. The problem statement revolves around the intricate balance between project execution and sustainable practices.
The integration of sustainability into project management faces resistance from traditional methodologies and ingrained practices. Convincing stakeholders to adopt sustainable frameworks, invest in green technologies, and embrace ethical standards often encounters resistance due to perceived costs or unfamiliarity with new approaches.
Sustainability in software development addresses a spectrum of challenges inherent in traditional practices. One significant issue is the inefficient utilization of resources, leading to excessive energy consumption and electronic waste generation. The environmental impact of software development, including its contribution to the carbon footprint, is a pressing concern that sustainable practices aim to mitigate. Often, short-term cost considerations can result in decisions that jeopardize long-term financial stability, making the adoption of sustainable strategies essential. Ethical considerations and social impacts sometimes take a backseat in the fast-paced world of software development, emphasizing the need for sustainable approaches that align with ethical standards and contribute positively to social well-being. Agile methodologies, while promoting flexibility, can lead to rapid development without sufficient consideration for sustainability, prompting the integration of environmentally conscious practices into agile frameworks. The entire supply chain of software development, encompassing hardware manufacturing and data center operations, often lacks transparency and responsible practices, calling for scrutiny and sustainable choices. Compliance with evolving environmental regulations and standards, talent attraction and retention, and the broader issue of the social and ethical dimensions of software development further accentuate the need for sustainable project management practices in this dynamic industry.
A sustainable approach in IT projects manifests itself in matching the IT project management methodology to the client type which will be positively associated with higher levels of client satisfaction with IT project, delivered products, and results.
To verify the proposed hypothesis, an examination of clients' satisfaction with the IT project, its products, and its outcomes was conducted. Clients were divided into two groups: group A comprised those aligned with the IT project management methodology used, and group B included clients not aligned with the methodology. The study took place in Polish SMEs engaged in the development of dedicated software for organizations within the same category of IT projects. In this context, a client refers to an individual chosen for direct interaction with the IT team, selected by the organization implementing the IT project based on their knowledge of relevant organizational areas.
The assessment of client maturity in projects focusing on developing dedicated software for organizations is crucial. Client maturity, combining awareness and commitment in the IT project context, is assessed through a semi-structured interview. Awareness is conceptualized as a continuum of mental activity, ranging from complete awareness to poor or lacking knowledge in a given domain. Commitment, a multidimensional concept, encompasses employees' feelings, organizational ties, and the work performed.
The semi-structured interview serves as a tool for in-depth client analysis, covering essential topics. The interview format, included in the supplementary material, avoids a typical question-and-multiple-answers survey to minimize the impact of suggestions. The interviewer can engage in extended discussions on specific topics, providing insights into the client's awareness and commitment.
To assess client responses on the spot and guide further study parts, a semiotic analysis was employed. Clients' responses were evaluated for content and expression, with a 0 to 10 scale applied for encoding (where 0 signifies "none" and 10 signifies "maximum degree"). The encoded outcomes allow the identification of client types based on the client maturity assessment matrix.
The combination of the two aspects referred to above—awareness and commitment resulted in four categories of maturity: “high awareness”, “high maturity”, “low maturity”, and “high commitment”. Thus, examining the level of awareness and commitment makes it possible to identify the type of client.
To assess clients' satisfaction with the IT project management area, a measurement tool was developed based on the Servperv method, a modification of the Servqual method. Given the importance of both the delivery process and deliverables in IT projects, the study drew attention to the Servqual method, specifically its performance component, Servperv. This method comprehensively gauges clients' satisfaction with services, identifying emerging problems during service provision, applicable to services with tangible product deliveries, including IT projects.
The Servqual concept, rooted in gap analysis, measures the disparities between expected and perceived service quality. The model includes quality criteria within five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The questionnaire is employed for measuring both expected and perceived service quality, leading to the Servqual study being conducted twice. In Servperv, the study occurs only once, focusing solely on experienced quality or perceived quality. Cronin and Taylor, the method's authors, asserted that researching clients' expectations is unnecessary since they consistently desire the highest quality, allowing the results to be compared to "ideal quality."
Empirical studies highlight the superiority of Servperv in terms of validity, reliability, and methodological soundness. Furthermore, Servperv is preferred when comparing service perceptions across different groups.
1. Setting Clear Goals and Objectives:
A lack of clear vision and well-defined goals contributes significantly to project failures. Setting realistic, measurable goals and aligning actions to achieve them is crucial. According to a recent survey, 29% of project professionals attribute project failure to an inadequate vision or goal.
2. Scope Creep:
Scope creep, a prevalent challenge cited by project professionals, occurs when project requirements deviate from the initial agreement. Effective management within the project team, coupled with agreed-upon adjustments to funds or project duration, can help navigate this challenge.
3. Budget Restrictions and Changes:
Budget management poses a significant challenge for project managers. Accurate budget planning and the implementation of efficient cost management strategies are essential to prevent deviations from agreed-upon budgets.
4. Lack of Communication:
Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful project management. Seamless teamwork, efficient task allocation, and stakeholder engagement hinge on clear and transparent communication. Poor communication, on the other hand, leads to various challenges in project execution.
5. Team Conflict:
The absence of strategic direction and leadership often results in team conflicts. Identifying and addressing the root causes of conflicts is paramount for maintaining a productive team environment.
6. Mismatched Team Skills:
A mismatch between project requirements and team members' skill levels can lead to inefficiencies and project failure. Properly aligning tasks with team members requires a deep understanding of required skills and team dynamics.
7. Absence of Accountability:
Accountability is a cornerstone of successful project management. Fostering a culture of accountability empowers team members and enhances work commitment and performance.
8. Impractical Deadlines:
Overpromising on deadlines is a common pitfall that can lead to missed timelines, compromised quality, and stressed team members. Effective project managers negotiate realistic deadlines based on the capabilities of their teams.
9. Poor Risk Management:
Risks are inevitable in any project, and experienced project managers proactively identify potential scenarios, developing contingency plans to mitigate their impact.
10. Finding Effective Project Management Software:
Project management software is an indispensable tool for efficient project execution. Platforms like monday.com offer customizable solutions, centralizing data and addressing project challenges seamlessly.
AI-assisted project planning and decision-making: Propose unique AI-based methodologies for optimizing project planning, resource allocation, risk assessment, and decision-making while taking sustainability into account.
AI-enabled environmental impact assessment: Investigate how AI can aid in analyzing and reducing project environmental impact. Using AI approaches, address challenges such as ecological footprint analysis, carbon footprint reduction, renewable energy integration, waste management optimization, and eco-friendly supply chain management. Social equity and stakeholder engagement: Explore how AI can influence promoting social equity and inclusivity within project management contexts. Investigate AI applications in stakeholder analysis, community engagement, diversity enhancement, and conflict resolution to confirm the fair distribution of project benefits. Ethical consequences in AI-driven project management: Analyze ethical challenges arising from the use of AI in project management processes.
Examine issues such as bias identification and mitigation, transparency, accountability, privacy, and data security to ensure responsible and fair AI adoption in sustainable project management. AI for sustainability goal monitoring and evaluation: Provide guidelines for cutting-edge AI-driven methods for tracking, analyzing, and reporting project sustainability performance. To improve sustainability tracking and reporting, investigate AI applications in real-time data collecting, performance indicators, predictive analytics, and adaptive management. Collaboration and knowledge exchange in project settings facilitated by AI: Look at the ways that AI technology can improve stakeholder and community engagement, communication, and knowledge sharing. Investigate how AI can promote interdisciplinary cooperation and facilitate the sharing of sustainable project management best practices.
Effective leadership in AI-driven sustainable project management: For a number of reasons, effective leadership is essential in AI-driven sustainable project management. In order to guarantee that AI projects complement sustainability goals, it offers a clear vision and strategic alignment. Leadership promotes responsible AI use and just decision-making by addressing ethical issues. It encourages stakeholder involvement while combining various viewpoints and fostering trust. Leadership fosters a culture of creativity and flexibility that promotes organizational change. It empowers teams, promotes teamwork, and makes it possible to successfully integrate AI technologies for long-term project outcomes.
Only 35% of projects today are completed successfully. One reason for this disappointing rate is the low level of maturity of technologies available for project management. This is about to change. Researchers, startups, and innovating organizations, are beginning to apply AI, machine learning, and other advanced technologies to project management, and by 2030 the field will undergo major shifts.
Technology will soon improve project selection and prioritization, monitor progress, speed up reporting, and facilitate testing. Project managers, aided by virtual project assistants, will find their roles more focused on coaching and stakeholder management than on administration and manual tasks.
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