Utilising project management to optimise project sustainability. A pilot study of an international project manager’s perspective on practices, challenges, and opportunities in delivering sustainable construction projects

Abstract

Project management originated as a necessary tool, supporting building professionals and related trades. To effectively manage, optimise and deliver complex projects with vast resources. The current urgent climate-context, make attainment of environmental sustainability objectives an added mandatory part to traditional project management goals. This explorative study focuses on construction project management experts, i.e., project managers. A baseline-model on project management processes and supporting practices, was derived from literature, which aid project managers in optimising project sustainability. A purposely-designed questionnaire, was distributed globally amongst established project managers. Data collected, demonstrated respondents’ increasing sustainability awareness and how their decision-making role placed them, in an optimum position, to bring forward a sustainability agenda. Pre-construction and construction phases demonstrated promising opportunities in optimising project sustainability. Some challenges highlighted were: client’s refusal to increased capital committal; lack of involvement by company at initiation stages; and, a rising need, for further specialised training on project sustainability skills.