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The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 40486

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Socorro Garcia Cascales

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Guest Editor

Department of Electronics, Computer Technology and Projects, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena | UPCT
Interests: project management; multi-criteria decision-making; renewable energy; soft computing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francisco Ortega-Fernandez

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Guest Editor

Project Engineering Area, Universidad de Oviedo. Spain
Interests: project management; machine learning; circular economy; process re-engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since 1987, when the World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainability as the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, it has become the key to the development of our society. Sustainability is not just limited to environmental issues; it extends to economic and social concerns.

Sustainable development (SD) is a value-based concept, which requires matching the values of the organizations with those of the individuals involved in the project. Ethics, social awareness, integrity, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency, participation or respect are part of the key values of what is expected from SD. As social and political interest in sustainability grew, there was also a growing interest in its study from both an academic and practical point of view.

Economic activity is strongly based on projects, so making them more sustainable can provide the puzzle pieces for a more sustainable economy and society. This is why a debate on sustainable project management has been opened.

With the adoption of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, there is a collective set of key performance indicators that all projects should adhere to. To achieve these sustainability objectives, portfolios, programs and projects must not only become better aligned with organizational strategies for sustainability but be the driving force. The project management profession at large should promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing objectives, plans and implementing their practice in a given context. Considering Sustainability in Project Management Processes: Sustainable Project Management is the planning, monitoring and controlling of project delivery and support processes, with the consideration of the environmental, economic and social aspects of the life-cycle of the project’s resources, processes, deliverables and effects, aimed at realizing benefits for stakeholders, and performed in a transparent, fair and ethical way that includes proactive stakeholder participation.

The aim of this cross-disciplinary Special Issue is to serve as a forum to bring together active researchers and project practitioners to share their recent advances in different aspects of sustainable project management. Papers will enrich the debate about the contribution of project management to sustainable development in a broad sense, including, but not limited to, specific cases of sustainable projects, conceptual methodologies or environmental and social aspects in a variety of fields, from construction to digitalization.

Dr. Maria Socorro Garcia Cascales
Dr. Francisco Ortega-Fernandez
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

project management
sustainable development
product industrial design
environmental engineering and nature resources
energy efficiency and renewable energies
construction projects

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Research

23 pages, 1521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Model for Measuring and Managing the Impact of Design on the Organization: Insights from Four Companies

by Iker Legarda, Ion Iriarte, Maya Hoveskog and Daniel Justel-Lozano

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12580; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212580 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3267

Abstract

Increasing numbers of companies are looking to embed design as a strategic capability to meet today’s business and social challenges. However, integrating design in an organization is a challenge, due to the scarcity of knowledge on managing this process and measuring its impact. This study presents a model for measuring and managing the impact of design on the organization (DIMM). The model builds on four levels of design impact identified in the literature: results, perception, processes, and design culture. The model was tested with four service companies that have recently developed design capabilities. To this end, those responsible for the integration of design were interviewed, using the model itself as an interview guide to confirm its usefulness and identify possible improvements. The results showed that the model was useful to assess the impact of design on companies with emerging design capabilities, but also as a reflection and management tool to align design with strategic objectives and promote its integration into the organization. Finally, future research should test the model longitudinally, as well as in a broader scope of organizations, to validate its usefulness for organizations with greater design maturity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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15 pages, 2485 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Consideration of Uncertainty and Multiple Disciplines in the Determination of Sustainable Criteria for Rural Roads Using Neutrosophic Logic

by Leonardo Sierra, Felipe Araya and Víctor Yepes

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9854; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179854 - 2 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2929

Abstract

In Latin America, there is a wide gap between kilometers of paved ways and those with no type of protection. This situation is worse in rural areas, limiting development opportunities and inhabitants’ quality of life. In Chile, there are state programs that seek to reduce the territorial gap through basic low-cost paving solutions; however, the prioritization criteria for rural roads are unclear. Multiple actors affect the rural territories, and the non-existence of reference patterns increases subjectivity in infrastructure decision making. This study attempts to determine criteria that influence the selection of rural roads in southern Chile to promote sustainable territorial development considering multiple actors and the uncertainty of the selection process. For this, a documentary review, field visits, and 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The criteria are validated through a multidisciplinary panel of experts and the application of neutrosophic numbers to address the uncertainty derived from the expert consultations. The results of this study contribute 14 sustainable criteria in order to support the planning of basic rural roads in southern Chile. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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22 pages, 3193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design of Pumping Stations Using a Multicriteria Analysis and the Application of the AHP Method

by Diana S. Sánchez-Ferrer, Christian X. Briceño-León, Pedro L. Iglesias-Rey, F. Javier Martínez-Solano and Vicente S. Fuertes-Miquel

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115876 - 24 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2688

Abstract

The pumping station is a very important hydraulic system in urban water supplies because the pumps raise the water head, ensuring the minimum pressure required in drinking water systems. In the design of a pumping station, one of the most important criteria is the number of pumps. However, in the traditional design, this criterion is defined arbitrarily. The other criteria are defined from the number of pumps and can produce a design that is not optimal. In addition, the traditional design does not consider the importance of the environment in choosing the pumps. The objective of this paper is to define a new design methodology for pumping stations. It has been developed using a multicriteria analysis in which nine criteria are evaluated. The application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) allows for finding an optimal solution. These design criteria have been associated in three cluster factors: technical factors; environmental factors; and economic factors. The results obtained allow us not only to validate the methodology but also to offer a solution to the problem of determining the most suitable model and the number of pumps for a pumping station. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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15 pages, 1700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Visual Perception of the Competences of Project Managers

by Rocio Poveda-Bautista, Jose-Antonio Diego-Mas and Jorge Alcaide-Marzal

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4984; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094984 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2107

Abstract

Based on the appearance of their faces, we attribute to people personality traits, moods, capacities, or competences. This unconscious process plays a central role in our everyday decisions and how we choose partners or our favorite candidate. This work is the first approach to the analysis of the influence of appearance-driven judgments of faces in the project management field. The main objective of this study was to obtain an approximate image of the general mental prototype of the face of a project manager using noise-based reverse correlation. The obtained image shows the features of the faces that drive the perception of a good project manager. The face shows very high average scores for all the competences recognized in the IPMA Individual Competence Baseline when assessed by a sample of project management practitioners. From these results, it can be stated that people have clearly defined prototypes of facial features that convey the perception of being a competent project manager, and this finding may have implications in the project management field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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14 pages, 4620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adjustment of Lighting Parameters from Photopic to Mesopic Values in Outdoor Lighting Installations Strategy and Associated Evaluation of Variation in Energy Needs

by Enrique Navarrete-de Galvez, Alfonso Gago-Calderon, Luz Garcia-Ceballos, Miguel Angel Contreras-Lopez and Jose Ramon Andres-Diaz

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4089; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084089 - 7 Apr 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2173

Abstract

The sensitivity of the human eye varies with the different lighting conditions to which it is exposed. The cone photoreceptors perceive the color and work for illuminance conditions greater than 3.00 cd/m² (photopic vision). Below 0.01 cd/m², the rods are the cells that assume this function (scotopic vision). Both types of photoreceptors work coordinately in the interval between these values (mesopic vision). Each mechanism generates a different spectral sensibility. In this work, the emission spectra of common sources in present public lighting installations are analyzed and their normative photopic values translated to the corresponding mesopic condition, which more faithfully represents the vision mechanism of our eyes in these conditions. Based on a common street urban configuration (ME6), we generated a large set of simulations to determine the ideal light point setup configuration (luminance and light point height vs. poles distance ratio) for each case of spectrum source. Finally, we analyze the derived energy variation from each design possibility. The results obtained may contribute to improving the criterion of light source selection and adapting the required regulatory values to the human eye vision process under normalized artificial street lighting condition, reaching an average energy saving of 15% and a reduction of 8% in terms of points of light required. They also offer a statistical range of energy requirements for lighting installation that can be used to generate accurate electrical designs or estimations without the necessity of defining the exact lighting configuration, which is 77.5% lower than conventional design criteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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21 pages, 1437 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Approach to the Analysis of Causes of Delays in Industrial Construction Projects through Planning and Statistical Computing

by Carlos Araújo-Rey and Miguel A. Sebastián

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3975; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073975 - 2 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3028

Abstract

The analysis of the planning activities of industrial construction projects can help to evaluate some of the causes that have an impact on the variation of execution times and can also contribute to identifying those activities and components that are most likely to experience or cause delays. Data analysis is facilitated by the use of techniques based on statistical programs, allowing delays to be unequivocally linked to the different elements that make up these projects. In a theoretical study, a simulation is carried out with data that are hypothetical but consistent with real projects, which are transformed and standardized before being uploaded to the statistical software. Using the statistical software’s graphical interface, the data set is analyzed from a descriptive point of view, unraveling the relationships between variables and factors by means of contingency tables and scatter plots. Using other techniques such as the comparison of variables and correlation studies, as well as linear regression and variance analysis, the characteristics are evaluated and the differences in project delays are investigated in order to determine, after the fact, which components have the highest rates of delay in execution times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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19 pages, 1718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electric Vehicle and Renewable Energy Sources: Motor Fusion in the Energy Transition from a Multi-Indicator Perspective

by Isabel C. Gil-García, Mª Socorro García-Cascales, Habib Dagher and Angel Molina-García

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3430; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063430 - 19 Mar 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4571

Abstract

Energy transition requires actions from different sectors and levels, mainly focused on achieving a low-carbon and high-renewable integration society. Among the different sectors, the transport sector is responsible for more than 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mostly emitted in cities. Therefore, initiatives and analysis focused on electric vehicles integration powered by renewables is currently a desirable solution to mitigate climate change and promote energy transition. Under this framework, this paper proposes a multi-indicator analysis for the estimation of CO

_{2}

emissions combining renewable integration targets, reduction emission targets and realistic renewable resource potentials. Four scenarios are identified and analyzed: (i) current situation with conventional vehicles, (ii) replacement of such conventional by electric vehicles without renewable integration, (iii) and (iv) integration of renewables to fulfill emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 respectively. The analysis is evaluated in the state of Maine (United States). From the results, a minimum renewable penetration of 39% and 82%, respectively, is needed to fulfill the emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 by considering 100% conventional vehicle replacement. Different combinations of available renewable resources can reduce emissions by more than 35%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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15 pages, 323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Donor Agencies in Promoting Standardized Project Management in the Spanish Development Non-Government Organizations

by Agustín Moya-Colorado, Nina León-Bolaños and José L. Yagüe-Blanco

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031490 - 1 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6972

Abstract

Project management is an autonomous discipline that is applied to a huge diversity of activity sectors and that has evolved enormously over the last decades. International Development Cooperation has incorporated some of this discipline’s tools into its professional practice, but many gaps remain. This article analyzes donor agencies’ project management approaches in their funding mechanisms for projects implemented by non-governmental organizations. As case study, we look at the Spanish decentralized donor agencies (Spanish autonomous communities). The analysis uses the PM² project management methodology of the European Commission, as comparison framework, to assess and systematize the documentation, requirements, and project management tools that non-governmental organizations need to use and fulfill as a condition to access these donors’ project funding mechanisms. The analysis shows coincidence across donors in the priority given to project management areas linked to the iron triangle (scope, cost, and time) while other areas are mainly left unattended. The analysis also identifies industry-specific elements of interest (such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals) that need to be incorporated into project management practice in this field. The use of PM² as benchmark provides a clear vision of the project management areas that donors could address to better support their non-governmental organization-implemented projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

16 pages, 673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modern Project Management Approaches in Uncertainty Environments: A Comparative Study Based on Action Research

by Unai Apaolaza, Aitor Lizarralde and Aitor Oyarbide-Zubillaga

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10542; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410542 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5677

Abstract

Change and high uncertainty levels are the main characteristics of current project contexts. Years ago, the traditional project management faced problems when operating in these environments. Thus, at the end of the 20th century, new project management approaches were conceived to provide a more effective answer to such contexts. These methods propose a different approach, aimed at promoting the project flow by focusing on the short term. However, their adoption involves certain adjustments from a managerial perspective. The influence on the way resources are used is of special interest, as it may cause unexpected behaviors and reactions. The literature vastly analyzes the features and benefits of these methods. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical evidence about both the practical implications of the transition process toward them and their superior performance. Thus, this research aims to contribute to filling this gap by providing real-world based evidence related to the change process from a traditional project management approach to a flow-driven one. With this objective in mind, we analyzed the transition processes experienced by two design departments from companies of different industries. The results of the study confirm that the adoption of this type of approach can improve an organization’s performance and simplify its project management system. Therefore, we consider that our findings are useful for anybody interested in these methodologies. From the academic perspective, the evidence obtained in this study contributes to supporting the research works suggested by the literature. Furthermore, it can be helpful to guide further research and extend current knowledge. Additionally, they can assist companies in the improvement of their current project management approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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16 pages, 5367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prioritization of Cartagena Coastal Military Batteries to Transform Them into Scientific, Tourist and Cultural Places of Interest: A GIS-MCDM Approach

by J. M. Sánchez-Lozano, F. J. Salmerón-Vera and C. Ros-Casajús

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9908; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239908 - 26 Nov 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2669

Abstract

This study presents a combination of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies with geographic information systems (GIS) to carry out a prioritization of obsolete military coastal batteries with the aim of transforming them into touristic, scientific, and cultural places of interest. The study area is located in the Municipality of Cartagena, in Southeast Spain. Such a prioritization requires taking into account transport criteria (distance to roads or train stations), infrastructure criteria (distance to electrical grids or distance to water tanks), touristic or scientific criteria (distance to towns, beaches, archaeological sites, assets of cultural interest, etc.), and orography criteria (area, altitude, and slope of each battery). Therefore, this decision problem involves a set of alternatives (coastal military batteries) to be prioritized based on a group of criteria that should be considered. To tackle this, GIS software is used to provide the attribute table of alternatives and criteria (decision matrix), and the proposed decision problem is solved through a combination of MCDM methodologies based on the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques. The AHP approach is applied to determine the weights of the criteria whilst the TOPSIS method provides a ranking of alternatives in order to obtain a prioritization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contribution of the Project Management to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))

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