Using Certification as a Tool to Develop Sustainability in Project Management

Silvia Martínez-Perales,Isabel Ortiz-Marcos,Jesús Juan Ruiz,Francisco Lázaro

doi:10.3390/su10051408

Silvia Martínez-Perales, Isabel Ortiz-Marcos + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051408

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: May 3, 2018
Citations: 20	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Abstract

Sustainability is a field of growing interest in Project Management (PM). Literature on Sustainability in PM is abundant at a theoretical level; however, it is necessary to explore hands-on approaches for designing models and practices. The purpose of this study is to introduce management systems as a practical tool for Sustainability in PM. Management system certifications are used as an indicator of the implementation of Sustainability practices, and thus, the impact of Sustainability on the success of projects is analyzed. The methodology for this study includes the analysis of the correspondence between Sustainability and five recognized management system standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, UNE 166002 and OHSAS 18001) and experimental research based on data delivered by CDTI (Center for Industrial Technological Development) including relevant and objective information about R&D&I Projects in the energy sector. This study analyzes the impact of four variables (duration, budget, year of funding and certifications to management systems) on the success of the project. The conclusion is the significant positive impact of having management system certifications on the success of company projects analyzed in the Spanish energy sector, which may be of interest to PM practitioners in order to consider Sustainability as a factor for success.

Highlights

Okland [5] reviews the treatment of Sustainability in Project Management (PM) standards (PRINCE2, PMBok Guide and ICB International Competence Baseline 3.0), concluding that there is a paucity of this discipline in the proposed frameworks
The proposal explores the link between the variables in the economic (8), environmental (8) and social (7) dimensions, and five relevant management system standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, UNE 166002, OHSAS 18001)
Values obtained for chi-square statistic (4.658) and p-value (0.031, lower than 0.05) suggest that ISO 9001 certification has a positive impact on project success

Summary

Introduction

Sustainability objectives have affected all areas of an organization to a greater or lesser extent in recent years. Literature is abundant and diverse, and approaches Sustainability in Project Management (PM) from different perspectives, including the theoretical concept and the definition of models and tools together with practical considerations. The approach of the concept of Sustainability to the field of PM has come to the attention of researchers in recent years. In the line of the theoretical relationship between Sustainability and PM, Tharp et al [4] include a review of the PM aspects that can be addressed by Sustainability considerations: the management of human resources, procurement, risks and communications. Okland [5] reviews the treatment of Sustainability in PM standards (PRINCE2, PMBok Guide and ICB International Competence Baseline 3.0), concluding that there is a paucity of this discipline in the proposed frameworks. In 2016, the subject matter of the IPMA conference [6]

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