How can sustainability and resilience goals be balanced with other project goals?

1 Define the scope and criteria

The first step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to define the scope and criteria of the project clearly and comprehensively. This means identifying the project's purpose, deliverables, requirements, constraints, assumptions, risks, and opportunities. It also means establishing the criteria for measuring and evaluating the project's performance, including sustainability and resilience indicators. By defining the scope and criteria, you can set realistic and achievable expectations for the project and avoid scope creep, conflicts, and confusion.

2 Engage stakeholders and experts

The second step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to engage stakeholders and experts throughout the project lifecycle. Stakeholders are the people who have an interest or influence on the project, such as clients, users, sponsors, regulators, communities, and suppliers. Experts are the people who have the knowledge and skills to advise on the technical, environmental, social, and economic aspects of the project. By engaging stakeholders and experts, you can gain insights, feedback, ideas, and support for the project and ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of different parties.

3 Apply systems thinking and design thinking

The third step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to apply systems thinking and design thinking to the project. Systems thinking is a way of thinking that considers the project as a part of a larger system that interacts with other elements and influences and is influenced by them. Design thinking is a way of thinking that focuses on understanding the problem, empathizing with the users, generating solutions, prototyping, and testing. By applying systems thinking and design thinking, you can adopt a holistic and user-centric approach to the project and create solutions that are sustainable and resilient in the long term.

4 Use appropriate tools and methods

The fourth step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to use appropriate tools and methods to plan, execute, monitor, and control the project. There are various tools and methods that can help you integrate sustainability and resilience into the project management process, such as life cycle assessment, carbon footprint analysis, risk management, contingency planning, adaptive management, and agile methods. By using appropriate tools and methods, you can optimize the use of resources, reduce the environmental impact, mitigate the risks, and respond to changes and uncertainties.

5 Learn and improve

The fifth step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to learn and improve from the project experience. This means collecting and analyzing data, feedback, and lessons learned from the project and using them to improve your knowledge, skills, and practices. It also means sharing and disseminating your findings, results, and recommendations with other stakeholders and experts and contributing to the advancement of the engineering profession and the society. By learning and improving, you can enhance your competence and credibility as an engineering manager and create value for yourself and others.

6 Communicate and celebrate

The sixth and final step to balance sustainability and resilience with other project goals is to communicate and celebrate the project outcomes and achievements. This means reporting and presenting the project's performance, impact, and benefits to the stakeholders and experts and acknowledging and appreciating their contributions and support. It also means celebrating and rewarding yourself and your team for the hard work and dedication that you have put into the project and enjoying the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. By communicating and celebrating, you can build trust and rapport with your stakeholders and experts and foster a positive and collaborative culture for future projects.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?