Resumo

Organizations increasingly recognize the need to establish sustainable project management; however, translating this awareness into actionable plans and initial steps often poses a challenge. Project management itself can serve to foster discussions about sustainability requirements. This study's distinctive contribution offers a strategic framework guideline that empowers organizations with a self-assessment mechanism to kick-start their sustainability journey. Such a framework can empower decision-makers with a holistic perspective.

The core objective of this research is to define strategic actions that organizations must undertake to effectively integrate sustainability requirements within their business model and consequently support projects’ development. By identifying these strategic actions, we developed a comprehensive framework guideline to facilitate the seamless integration of sustainability requirements in organizations.

This literature review focuses on identifying the state of the art of integrating project management and using the sustainability tripod in decision-making, approvals, and project development to define the relevant measures to be taken and the leading players. Sustainability is not a recent concept, but it has been in the spotlight only in the last few years; therefore, the review encompassed a period beginning in 2014 to capture the most recent and updated publications.

The method used to support the investigation is the Complex Holographic Assessment of Paradoxical Problems (CHAP2), developed by Lins and Netto (2018), which proposes that the solving process is based on the problem and not on formal protocols based on the principle that one-size fits all. According to Lins et al. (2018), to solve complex paradoxical problems, it is necessary to interactively and iteratively cope with the various agents involved. Managing divergences, using multiple and distributed intelligence, and multi-methodologies is crucial to obtaining a more adherent view.

While organizations express a desire to board on the sustainability journey, they often struggle with the crucial question of how to take that initial step. This study's unique contribution addresses this paradox by presenting a strategic framework guideline that equips organizations with a robust self-assessment mechanism, propelling them confidently into sustainability. The broad objective is to empower organizations to perform a thorough self-assessment, pointing them toward the initial objective actions required to embark on their sustainability journey.

The findings of this study yield a comprehensive framework guideline designed to empower organizations on their path toward sustainability. This guideline comprises a well-structured list of objective actions clustered in strategic requirements under a critical sustainable success factor. Its primary purpose is to serve as an invaluable tool for organizations seeking to fortify their commitment to sustainability.

Chawla, V. K., Chanda, A. K., Angra, S., & Chawla, G. R. (2018). The sustainable project management: A review and future possibilities. Journal of Project Management, 3, 157–170. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.jpm.2018.2.001 Lins, M., & Netto, O. (2018). Estruturação de problemas sociais complexos: teoria da mente, mapas metacognitivos e modelos de apoio à decisão. Pham, H., Kim, S. Y., & Luu, T. Van. (2020). Managerial perceptions on barriers to sustainable construction in developing countries: Vietnam case. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 22(4), 2979–3003. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10