Abstract
Program management has been widely accepted as an effective tool for making strategic and tactical changes. A brief review of the program management process showed that the ambiguity-reduction learning loop together with the uncertainty-reduction performance loop would make program management a feasible sustainability-oriented management tool for addressing the needs of a sustainable society. The requirements and impacts of sustainability are becoming important considerations in formulating a program; however, not much related literature can be found within the project management body of knowledge. This paper aims to facilitate the understanding of “Sustainability in Program Management”. Sustainability considerations adopting a three pillars approach is proposed. A “Program Sustainability Assessment Framework” is constructed to help the program manager incorporate sustainability considerations into program management practices. The key factors for aligning program sustainability to corporate sustainability strategy are also discussed.
Highlights
The Agenda 21 program, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, called for a global partnership of governments, business and industry in ensuring a sustainable development (UNCED, 1992) against an increasingly demanding environment which included: disparities between and within nations; worsening poverty; hunger; ill health and illiteracy; and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our wellbeing.The program management process has been widely used by organizations in the new millennium to deliver strategic changes and optimum benefits
Two key components are included in this definition reflecting the attributes of sustainability in project management: a) promoting positive impacts and minimizing negative impacts on economic sustainability; environmental sustainability; and social sustainability within the project development process; and b) the recognition of such project benefits realized is contributing to a sustainable society
The framework shows that when the program team is developing a program by means of sensemaking, ideation and elaboration in the learning loop, sustainability considerations have to be included in the ‘Choice’ process
Summary
The Agenda 21 program, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, called for a global partnership of governments, business and industry in ensuring a sustainable development (UNCED, 1992) against an increasingly demanding environment which included: disparities between and within nations; worsening poverty; hunger; ill health and illiteracy; and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our wellbeing. “The promoting of positive and minimizing of negative sustainability impacts (economic; environmental; and social) within the process by which projects are defined, planned, monitored, controlled and delivered such that the agreed benefits are realized and contributing to a sustainable society.”. Two key components are included in this definition reflecting the attributes of sustainability in project management: a) promoting positive impacts and minimizing negative impacts on economic sustainability; environmental sustainability; and social sustainability within the project development process; and b) the recognition of such project benefits realized is contributing to a sustainable society. “The promoting of positive and minimizing of negative sustainability impacts (economic; environmental; and social) within the process of coordinated management of related projects, which may include related business-as-usual activities that together achieve a beneficial change of a strategic nature for an organization and contributing to a sustainable society.”
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