Improving the sustainability of project-oriented organisations

Transcription

1 Improving the sustainability of project-oriented organisations Making the activities of Rijkswaterstaat more sustainable Master thesis report Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management T.S. Fongers October 10, 2010

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3 Improving the sustainability of project-oriented organisations Making the activities of Rijkswaterstaat more sustainable Author: T.S. (Tijmen) Fongers Student number Graduation Chair: Prof. mr. dr. E.F. (Ernst) ten Heuvelhof TU Delft, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Policy Analysis section First Supervisor: Dr. W.W. (Wijnand) Veeneman TU Delft, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Policy Analysis section Second Supervisor: Dr. Ir. Z. (Zofia) Lukszo TU Delft, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Energy and Industry section External Supervisor: Ing. H.P. (Harry) de Boer Rijkswaterstaat, Regional Department of Zuid-Holland, RCI Department External Supervisor: Dr. Ir. P.T.G.A. (Pieter) Jacobs Rijkswaterstaat, Regional Department of Zuid-Holland, ARA Department Course: SPM5910 Master Thesis Project October 10, 2010

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5 You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today Abraham Lincoln

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7 Abstract This research is performed by order of Rijkswaterstaat, more specifically the Regional Department of Zuid-Holland. Rijkswaterstaat is an executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works. Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for management and maintenance of the Dutch network of roads, waterways and water systems. It also has a policy advisory task. Rijkswaterstaat organises its construction and maintenance tasks in projects. Rijkswaterstaat is trying to become more sustainable. To this end the organisation has constructed ambitious sustainability goals: A reduction of 30% in of emission of greenhouse gasses, primarily CO 2, by 2020 in reference to the emissions in 1990 Double the pace of the reduction of energy demand from 1% to 2% annually Increase the share of sustainably generated energy from the current 2% to 20% in To realise these goals the core activities of Rijkswaterstaat (construction and maintenance projects) have to be made more sustainable. The main research question was therefore: How could Rijkswaterstaat improve the sustainability of its core activities? Rijkswaterstaat had a strong desire to learn from other organisations. Besides analysing the current and past way of implementing sustainability in project this research should identify best practices on making a project-oriented organisation more sustainable. Therefore this research had the following goal: To advise Rijkswaterstaat how to incorporate sustainability into future projects and maintenance works based on what other organisations are doing in this field and thereby providing knowledge on how RWS and other project-oriented organisations can deal with sustainability when being sustainable is not one of their core activities. A case study research was set up with the following cases: MaasVlakte2 Scheveningen Boulevard The Highways Agency Schiphol A comparison was made between the working methods of Rijkswaterstaat and the working methods encountered in the cases. This comparison has led to the identification of 6 deficiencies and 2 plus-points of the working methods of Rijkswaterstaat. The 6 deficiencies are: i

8 1. The sustainability goals that are currently used by Rijkswaterstaat are taken from national policy and they are not based upon the characteristics of the premises of Rijkswaterstaat. 2. Employees are involved into the theme on a voluntary basis, as opposed to their function. This causes knowledge to be decentralised and sustainability to be an easy victim of busy schedules. 3. Rijkswaterstaat is not actively sharing success stories on sustainability. This results in diminishing commitment of employees who are not directly involved into the theme. 4. There is very little coherence between the various sustainability efforts. Rijkswaterstaat is missing coordination of the sustainability efforts in projects and between projects. There is no imperative approach towards sustainability and as a consequence sustainability rises autonomously from the projects. 5. Rijkswaterstaat provides insufficient freedom to contractors on the realisation of sustainability goals. The expertise from these contractors as well as a constructor s perspective on the sustainability of a project are not fully utilised. 6. Rijkswaterstaat is not adequately naming all sustainability efforts. The lack of central overview on all sustainability efforts means that measuring the effectiveness of these efforts is very hard. The 2 identified plus-points are: 1. RWS uses sustainability goals that are formulated in a limitative manner. The case study research pointed out that this way of formulating goals has a strong motivating effect on employees because there is a fixed end-point. 2. The System Based Contract Control Method that is being used by Rijkswaterstaat is perfectly suited to monitor the sustainability performance of projects. This monitoring method was the best monitoring method encountered in the case study research. Based on the case study research a set of recommendations was created that allows Rijkswaterstaat to overcome the identified deficiencies. Implementing these recommendations should improve the sustainability of the core activities of Rijkswaterstaat. First of all, Rijkswaterstaat should appoint a sustainability coordinator. He can bring coordination between the sustainability efforts in projects and between projects and by doing so he could realise synergy benefits. Due to his central position within the organisation he becomes the contact person for employees of Rijkswaterstaat as well as for external parties. The sustainability coordinator grants support to Project Teams on implementing sustainability into their projects. The second step should be a reconsideration of the sustainability goals. Analyses of the potential of the premises of Rijkswaterstaat on generating energy and reducing the energy consumption were being carried out at the time of writing this report. The results of these analyses should be ii

9 compared with the goals that are set to ensure that the goals match the characteristics of the premises. The third step Rijkswaterstaat should take is matching the processing of sustainability measures in projects to other working methods. Rijkswaterstaat is giving contractors considerable freedom in projects, however not on sustainability. The expertise of contractors should be put to use. The fourth and final step Rijkswaterstaat should take is strengthening employee commitment. Success stories, from within Rijkswaterstaat as well as external stories, should be shared with employees. Employee commitment can be improved when success is demonstrated. Furthermore, employees who are working on the theme in projects and working groups should officially be awarded time to work on the subject. This set of recommendations primarily serves to create more coherence between sustainability efforts by creating a more imperative approach towards sustainability in projects, by centralising knowledge and by increasing employee commitment. Ensuring the appropriateness of the sustainability goals and using contractor expertise complete the improvements to the current method of implementing sustainability into the core activities of Rijkswaterstaat. iii

10 Management samenvatting Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van de Regionale Dienst Zuid-Holland van Rijkswaterstaat. Rijkswaterstaat is een agentschap van het Ministerie van Verkeer & Waterstaat en de organisatie is verantwoordelijk voor het managen en onderhouden van 3 belangrijke infrastructuren in Nederland: het netwerk van snelwegen, het netwerk van waterwegen en de watersystemen. Rijkswaterstaat heeft voor deze 3 netwerken ook een adviesgevende taak. Rijkswaterstaat voert constructie- en onderhoudswerk aan deze 3 netwerken uit in de vorm van projecten. Rijkswaterstaat wil verduurzamen. Om dit te bereiken zijn de volgende doelen opgesteld: Een reductie van 30% in de emissie van broeikasgassen (voornamelijk CO 2 ) vóór 2020, vergeleken met de emissies van 1990 Het tempo van de reductie van energieconsumptie verdubbelen van 1% per jaar naar 2% per jaar Het aandeel van duurzaam opgewekte energie moet vóór 2020 worden vergroot van 2% naar 20% Om deze doelen te bereiken moeten de kernactiviteiten van Rijkswaterstaat (de constructie- en onderhoudsprojecten) duurzamer worden gemaakt. De hoofdonderzoeksvraag was daarom: Hoe kan Rijkswaterstaat de duurzaamheid van zijn kernactiviteiten vergroten? Rijkswaterstaat had een sterk verlangen om te leren van andere organisaties. Dit onderzoek moest behalve een analyse van de huidige manier van omgaan met duurzaamheid in projecten ook een set best practices op het gebied van het verduurzamen van projectorganisaties opleveren. Dit onderzoek had daarom als doel: Rijkswaterstaat adviseren hoe duurzaamheid in toekomstige constructie- en onderhoudsprojecten kan worden verwerkt, gebaseerd op wat andere organisaties hiermee doen. Zo moet inzicht worden verkregen in hoe projectorganisaties duurzamer kunnen worden wanneer duurzaam zijn niet tot de kerntaken behoort. Een case study onderzoek is opgezet waarbij de volgende cases zijn onderzocht: MaasVlakte2 De Scheveningse Boulevard The Highways Agency Schiphol iv

11 De werkwijzen uit de cases zijn vergeleken met de werkwijze van Rijkswaterstaat. Deze vergelijking heeft geresulteerd in de identificatie van 6 tekortkomingen en 2 sterke punten van de werkwijze van Rijkswaterstaat. De 6 geïdentificeerde tekortkomingen zijn: De duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen die nu worden gebruikt door Rijkswaterstaat zijn overgenomen uit landelijk beleid. Ze zijn niet gebaseerd op de eigenschappen van het areaal van Rijkswaterstaat. Medewerkers zijn op basis van vrijwilligheid betrokken bij het thema duurzaamheid. Deze betrokkenheid is niet gecoördineerd op basis van functie. Hierdoor is kennis decentraal aanwezig en de vrijwilligheid zorgt er voor dat werken aan duurzaamheid als eerste zal worden uitgesteld bij volle agenda s. Rijkswaterstaat deelt succesverhalen over duurzame projecten niet actief met de medewerkers. Hierdoor neemt de betrokkenheid bij het thema van medewerkers die er niet direct actief in zijn af. Er is weinig coherentie tussen de duurzaamheidsactiviteiten. Er is te weinig coördinatie van de inspanningen binnen projecten en tussen projecten. De aanpak van duurzaamheid in een project is niet dwingend en daardoor ontstaat de aanpak van duurzaamheid autonoom uit de projecten. Rijkswaterstaat geeft niet genoeg vrijheid aan aannemers ten aanzien van de realisatie van duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen in projecten. De kennis van deze aannemers wordt nu niet gebruikt. Rijkswaterstaat heeft geen centraal overzicht over de duurzaamheidsactiviteiten in projecten en daardoor is het zeer moeilijk de totale effectiviteit van alle inspanningen te meten. De 2 geïdentificeerde sterke punten zijn: Rijkswaterstaat gebruikt limitatief geformuleerde doelstellingen. In de cases is gebleken dat van deze formulering een sterk motiverende werking uitgaat omdat er naar een vast eindpunt kan worden toegewerkt. De Systeemgerichte Contract Beheersing methodiek die wordt gebruikt voor het monitoren van de kwaliteit van geleverd werk is geschikt om de prestaties van een project op het gebied van duurzaamheid te beoordelen. Een set aanbevelingen is opgesteld gebaseerd op het case study onderzoek. Deze aanbevelingen laten Rijkswaterstaat de geïdentificeerde tekortkomingen elimineren. De duurzaamheid van de kernactiviteiten van Rijkswaterstaat kan zo verbeterd worden. Allereerst zou Rijkswaterstaat een duurzaamheidscoördinator aan moeten stellen. Deze coördinator kan afstemming aanbrengen tussen de duurzaamheidsactiviteiten in projecten en tussen projecten. v

12 Op deze manier kan synergie worden bewerkstelligd. Door zijn centrale positie in de organisatie wordt deze coördinator de contactpersoon voor duurzaamheid voor alle medewerkers maar ook voor externe partijen. Hij verleent ondersteuning aan Project Teams op het gebied van het realiseren van duurzaamheid binnen projecten. De tweede stap zou het controleren van de duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen moeten zijn. Tijdens het schrijven van dit rapport worden analyses uitgevoerd van de mogelijkheden op het Rijkswaterstaat areaal ten aanzien van het winnen van energie en het besparen op het energiegebruik. De resultaten van deze analyses zouden moeten worden vergeleken met de doelstellingen om een goede overeenkomst tussen de doelstellingen en de eigenschappen van het areaal te verzekeren. De derde stap die Rijkswaterstaat zou moeten nemen is het afstemmen van de aanpak van duurzaamheid in projecten met andere processen. Rijkswaterstaat geeft aannemers aanzienlijke vrijheid bij het realiseren van projecten, behalve op het gebied van duurzaamheid. De kennis van aannemers blijft hierdoor onbenut. De vierde en laatste stap die Rijkswaterstaat zou moeten nemen is het versterken van de betrokkenheid van werknemers bij het thema duurzaamheid. Succesverhalen van zowel Rijkswaterstaat als daarbuiten moeten worden gedeeld. Betrokkenheid van medewerkers kan worden vergroot als wordt aangetoond dat het duurzaam realiseren van projecten succesvol kan zijn. Ook moeten medewerkers tijd krijgen om te werken aan het thema. Deze set aanbevelingen heeft als voornaamste doel het realiseren van meer coherentie tussen de duurzaamheidsactiviteiten. Dit gebeurt door het creëren van een meer uniforme aanpak van duurzaamheid, door het centraliseren van kennis en door het vergroten van de betrokkenheid van medewerkers. Het afstemmen van de doelen op de eigenschappen van het areaal van Rijkswaterstaat en het gebruiken van de kennis van aannemers completeren de verbeteringen aan de huidige manier van het verwerken van duurzaamheid in de kernactiviteiten van Rijkswaterstaat. vi

13 Preface Throughout my years of studying at Delft University of Technology I have been interested in the concept of sustainable development and sustainable energy technologies. By adding elective courses to the regular curriculum I have tried to expand my knowledge in this field. The interesting aspect of studying Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (SEPAM) is that the focus is not only on technical subjects. In the SEPAM programme students learn a great deal about public governance, project management, management of technology and interfaces between these fields as well. In my opinion, sustainability is a prime example of an interdisciplinary concept. Devising technical solutions alone will never yield maximum results. The manner in which technical solutions are used and social aspects such as behaviour are of great influence to the end-result as well. Success factors of sustainability are primarily situated on the interface between technology and management or public governance. When the possibility arose to perform my graduation research at Rijkswaterstaat I seized the opportunity. A public organisation wants to improve its sustainability and in my research I could focus on both technological and managerial issues. Throughout this research my graduation committee has supported me very well. I appreciate the input you have provided during the various meetings we had. I would like to thank you all. Special thanks go to my supervisors from Rijkswaterstaat. I greatly appreciate the opportunity you created for me to work at Rijkswaterstaat during this research. The freedom and constructive criticism you have given me while executing this research was unique. I have enjoyed this project very much! I would also like to thank family and friends for supporting me during my research. Many thanks go to my parents for supporting me throughout this project and throughout my entire education. Last but not least I would like to thank Elise for providing love and support and, by doing so, lightening the burden of this project. vii

14 Contents Abstract... i Management samenvatting... iv Preface...vii Contents...viii Abbreviations... xi Reading guidelines...xiii 1 Introduction Research Design Identification of the research problem Context of the research problem Problem demarcation Research goals Research questions Research strategy Sustainability in literature Set-up of the literature study Defining sustainability Connecting sustainability to project management Project performance and its assessment Overall conclusion RWS and sustainability The sustainability goals of RWS Past actions of RWS towards the implementation of sustainability into the core activities Current actions of RWS towards the implementation of sustainability into the core activities Identifying best practices on becoming more sustainable Description of the case study research Case study findings Findings of case study MV Organisational description of the Rotterdam Port Authority Project description MV The MV2 Case Study Findings of case study Highways Agency Organisational description Evaluating the approach Findings of case study Scheveningen Boulevard...58 viii

15 8.1 Organisational description Project description Evaluating the approach Findings of Case Study Schiphol Organisational description Evaluating the approach Case study integration Common characteristics Final findings Conclusions and recommendations General research conclusions Conclusions on advising Rijkswaterstaat Recommendations Reflection and suggestions for future work Reflection Suggestions for future work...83 References...85 Annex 1 The organisational structure of RWS...89 A1.1 Introduction...89 A1.2 Organisational structure and control...89 A1.3 Organisational goals...92 A1.4 Organisational methods...92 A1.5 Project Management...93 A1.6 Quality control...94 A1.7 General organisational environment...95 Annex 2 Project Life Cycle...97 A2.1 Characteristics of the Project Life Cycle...97 A2.3 The Project Life Cycle and sustainability...99 Annex 3 Basis of the case study research A3.1 Introduction A3.2 Long list of cases A3.3 Creation of the selection framework for projects and organisations A3.4 Application of the selection framework Annex 4 Case study protocol A4.1 Introduction A4.2 Purpose of the case study and protocol A.4.3 Data collection procedure A4.4 Case study questions A4.5 Validation Annex 5 Interview reports ix

16 Annex 6 Scientific Paper x

17 Abbreviations Below the reader can find an explanation of all abbreviations used throughout this thesis report. CSR Corporate Social Responsibility, Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Ondernemen DI DuBo DZH DZL ECN EIA Dienst Infrastructuur, national department that is amongst others responsible for the energy policy of RWS Duurzaam Bouwen, Sustainable Construction Dienst Zuid-Holland, Regional department of the Province of Zuid-Holland Dienst Zeeland, Regional department of the Province of Zeeland Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands Environmental Impact Assessment, Milieu Effect Rapportage (MER) EMVI Economisch Meest Voordelige Inschrijving, Most Economically Advantageous Tender HA HbR HHD HID HWN HWS HWVN IPM LCA MEAT MinVROM The Highways Agency Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, Rotterdam Port Authority Hoogheemraadschap Delfland, Water District Board for the Delfland region Hoofdingenieur-Directeur, Headengineer-Director Hoofdwegennet, network of main roads Hoofdwatersysteem, network of main water systems Hoofdvaarwegennet, network of main waterways Integraal Project Management, Integrated Project Management Life Cycle Analysis See EMVI Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieu, the xi

18 Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment. MinV&W MNP MRQ Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works Milieu- en NatuurPlanbureau, Environmental Planning Authority of the Netherlands Main Research Question MV2 MaasVlakte 2 NMP PLC PM PMR PUMA RCI RWS SCB SEPAM SRQ TIP TPM WCED WWTP Nationaal Milieubeleidsplan, National Environmental Policy Programme Project Life Cycle Project Management Project Mainport Ontwikkeling Rotterdam, Project Mainport development Rotterdam Projectorganisatie Uitbreding MAasvlakte, Consortium for the expansion of the Maasvlakte area Realisatie en Conditionering Infrastructuur, Realisation and Conditioning of Infrastructures Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Road & Water Authority System Based Contract Control Method, Systeemgerichte Contract Beheersing Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (MSc programme of the TU Delft) Sub Research Question Technological, Institutional, Process Technology, Policy and Management (TPM), faculty of the TU Delft World Commission on Environment and Development Waste Water Treatment Plant xii

19 Reading guidelines This section provides a short explanation of the structure of this report. This report consists out of 4 building blocks: project rigor, literature study and desk research, empirical evidence and analysis. Project rigor This block consists of chapters 2 and 5. Chapter 2 discusses the research design. Attention is given to the identification of the research design, the context of the research problem, the problem demarcation, research goals, research questions and the research strategy. Chapter 5 provides in a description of the case study research and its findings. The case study protocol is explained as well. Literature study & Desk research This block provides in the theoretical foundation of this research. Chapter 3 discusses all results that were obtained from the literature study as well as the set-up of the study. Chapter 4 discusses the results of the analysis of Rijkswaterstaat. This analysis forms the basis for the analyses of the case studies. Empirical evidence A large part of this research consisted of gathering empirical data from the four cases. Chapters 6 to 9 discuss the cases. Analysis Both the empirical data and the literature study formed the input for the analysis. This analysis leads to the conclusions and eventually recommendations. This block consists of Chapter 10 to 12. Chapter 10 integrates the individual case studies. Chapter 11 draws conclusions bases on the results of all previous chapters. Finally, Chapter 12 concludes this report by reflecting upon the work and by identifying possibilities for future research. This structure is schematically presented in Figure 1. Readers who are short in time but do want to understand the essence of this research are advised to focus on chapters 10 and 11. These two chapters provide a complete overview of all findings and conclusions. xiii

20 Project rigor Research Design Chapter 2 Identifying best practices Chapter 5 Literature study & Desk research Emperical evidence Sustainability in literature Chapter 3 Case MaasVlakte2 Chapter 6 Rijkswaterstaat and sustainability Chapter 4 Case Highways Agency Chapter 7 Case Scheveningen Boulevard Chapter 8 Case Schiphol Chapter 9 Analysis Case study integration Chapter 10 Conclusions and recommendations Chapter 11 Reflection and future work Chapter 12 Figure 1 - Report outline xiv

21 1 Introduction This research is performed by order of the Regional Department of Zuid-Holland of Rijkswaterstaat. Rijkswaterstaat puts effort in becoming more sustainable and seeks improvements to the currently used method. The subject of this research is to discover what could be improved regarding the implementation of sustainability into the core activities of Rijkswaterstaat. Sustainability is a hot item within Rijkswaterstaat. Initiatives are employed on both national and regional level. Ten weeks into my research a vivid discussion of the relationship between Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) and sustainability arose on a weblog of Annette Augustijn, director of the national sustainability programme of RWS, published on the intranet site of RWS. She asked RWS employees to give their opinion on the sustainability efforts done so far by RWS and the image this would create for RWS. More specifically, what are employees proud of, what do they tell their families at birthday parties? One employee wrote (translated from Dutch): At a birthday party I will tell family and friends that RWS has numerous possibilities to become more sustainable. Generating energy was given attention in designs as early as However, for some reason a lack of budget kills these initiatives over and over again. People are convinced that being sustainable costs money. They then ignore the fact that after several years we always regret our thriftiness. Governing is anticipating. Now is the time to finally start implementing our sustainability goals into our activities (Anonymous RWS employee 2010). This line of reasoning stresses the importance of this research. RWS has set itself ambitious goals to become more sustainable. However, just like in any other organisation budgeting is an important issue, as well as allocating non-monetary resources to the attainment of the set goals. In order to overcome these obstacles in the path towards more sustainability this research will look into the strategies used by other, comparable companies and in other projects. Success has been achieved in this field, the questions are to what factors this success can be attributed and whether or not RWS can incorporate these success factors? 1

22 2 Research Design This chapter introduces the reader into the design of the research as it was carried out for this thesis project. To this end, section 2.1 identifies the research problem. This identification is based on a hierarchical description of the development of the concept of sustainable development. First, an overview is drawn of the political background of becoming more sustainable. Then a short description is given of the process in which the Ministerie van Verkeer & Waterstaat (MinV&W) (Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management) has subjected Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) to sustainability goals. The identification of the research problem is concluded with a paragraph that describes the development of sustainable development in the organisation of RWS. This description leads to a definition of the research problem. Section 2.2 is aimed at introducing the reader into the context of the identified research problem. This context is formed by first discussing the position or RWS in reference to its environment. Then, brief attention is given to the approach towards sustainability within RWS. Section 2.3 is dedicated to the demarcation of the research problem. This demarcation provides in an outline of the contents of the research. In other words: what is the subject of this research and equally important; what is not the subject of this research? Once the research is demarcated the goal(s) of the research can be identified. This is the subject of section 2.4. Furthermore, this section identifies the knowledge gaps that are to be eliminated by this research. Section 2.5 addresses the research questions. First, the main research question is formulated. This leads to the formulation of sub research questions that allow answering the main research question in tangible bits. The formulation of the sub research questions is explained for every individual question. This chapter is concluded with section 2.6 in which the research strategy is discussed. The research strategy comprises the discussion of research methods for the sub research questions. 2.1 Identification of the research problem The problem which is to be solved by this research emerged from a complex environment. Political developments as well as organisational developments on both national and regional level contributed to the emergence of the research problem. These developments are discussed in the following paragraphs. 2

23 2.1.1 Political background of the research problem In 1992 the concept of sustainable development was discussed at the conference of the United Nations in Rio de Janeiro. Since then the Dutch government has been working on the implementation of sustainable development in Dutch policies (Ministerie VROM 2010). For example, in the 3e Energienota (3 rd Memorandum on Energy) published in 1996 the Ministerie van Economische Zaken (MinEZ) (Ministry of Economic Affairs) stated that a reduction of 33% in the use of energy should be acquired in the period between 1995 and 2020, as well as the attainment of a share of 10% of sustainable energy before 2020 (Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 1995). Over the years several initiatives were launched towards the formation of policy regarding sustainable development of the Dutch economy. The created policy was documented in Nationale MilieuBeleidsplannen (NMP) (National Environmental Policy Programmes) (Ministerie van VROM 2010c). Some of the most conspicuous initiatives to promote the sustainable development of the Dutch Economy are Duurzaam Ondernemen (Sustainable Operation) and the project Schoon en Zuinig; nieuwe energie voor het klimaat (Clean and Efficient: new energy for the climate) (Ministerie van VROM 2010b; Ministerie van VROM 2010d). The Schoon en Zuinig -project was aimed at creating policy to improve the Dutch energy balance towards more sustainability in the field of energy. To this end the Ministerie van Vokshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer (MinVROM) (Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment) partnered with independent expert organisation Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland (ECN) (Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands) and the Milieu en NatuurPlanbureau (MNP) (Environmental Planning Authority of the Netherlands) (Ministerie van VROM 2010d). This cooperation resulted in a policy document (entitled Nieuwe Energie voor het Klimaat, werkprogramma schoon en zuinig) that describes the intentions of the Balkenende Cabinet towards the reduction of energy demand, but also towards the generation of sustainable energy. By doing this, Schoon en Zuinig was part of the overall policy of the Balkenende Cabinet, that had a range from 2007 to 2010 (Ministerie van VROM 2010d). In fact, the project (and thereby its goal of sustainable development of the Dutch economy) was one of only 6 pillars of the policy of the Balkenende Cabinet. The main notion from the Schoon en Zuinig -project that is of importance for this research is making the goals concerning the reduction of energy demand operational. The goals that are set for RWS reflect the goals that are set for the entire Dutch economy (Ministerie van VROM 2010d): A reduction of 30% in of emission of greenhouse gasses, primarily CO 2, by 2020 in reference to the emissions in 1990 Double the pace of the reduction of energy demand from 1% to 2% annually Increase the share of sustainably generated energy from the current 2% to 20% in The creation of this policy has formed the basis for the goals concerning sustainability that are imposed upon RWS which are discussed in section

24 2.1.2 Transferring goals towards sustainable development In a response to the goals laid down in the 3 rd Memorandum on Energy, the Director-General (DG) 1 issued the following objective for RWS: in the period between 1995 and 2010 RWS will reduce the energy consumption of objects and installations by 20% compared with the level of energy consumption in 1995 (Bureau Energiebesparing Rijkswaterstaat 2008). In 1997 an action plan was issued in which the realisation of these goals was discussed. Over the years the efforts to realise this ambitious reduction in energy consumption lost priority, due to various reasons. The knowledge network built between 1995 and 1997 on the (technical) field of reduction of energy consumption was abandoned and as a result the knowledge regarding the energy consumption of objects of RWS disappeared Organisational background of the research problem. Over the past two years efforts made within RWS, and more specifically within the Regional Department of Zuid-Holland (DZH) to increase the sustainability of the core activities have shown an increase in frequency and ambitiousness. There is a lot of commitment towards the subject, and virtually all employees of DZH are motivated to put effort into attaining the goals that are set out. This has created a receptive environment that is open to all suggestions that might improve the sustainability of RWS. This receptive environment has an upside as well as a downside. The upside is that there is room to let creativity bloom; employees can make suggestions on how to make projects and maintenance tasks more sustainable (Fadeeva 2005), and they have done so on a large scale. Some of these suggestions are executed as pilots. The downside is that without central overview and coordination on these pilots there is a possibility that the approach to achieve sustainability becomes opaque and non-coherent. One of the conclusions that can be drawn from the analysis of RWS (see Annex 1) is that central overview or coordination of the current initiatives has been lagging behind. There is no predetermined method or approach to attain sustainability goals in new or running projects or in the maintenance activities. Such an approach is to be desired, given the desire to create a (to a certain degree) uniform strategy that is used to attain sustainability in all projects and maintenance activities that are carried out by RWS. This desire originates from the perceived need to treat all projects and maintenance works via the same methods: there are strict guidelines that govern all other aspects of project management within RWS, such as Functional Specification (Lever 2006), Integrated Project Management and assessing tenders via the EMVI-method. The above gives rise to the definition of the problem that is addressed in this research: 1 See Annex 1 The organisational structure of RWS for more information. 4

25 There is no central overview of what RWS is currently doing to incorporate sustainability into their core activities and how this approach relates to the organisational structure and control methods. 2.2 Context of the research problem The context of this research problem consists of two components; the position of RWS as an organisation and the approach that is currently used by RWS to make the organisation more sustainable. Both components are discussed in the following paragraphs The position of RWS RWS is an agency of the Ministerie van Verkeer & Waterstaat (from now on: MinV&W) (the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works). As an agency, RWS is responsible for the management of and maintenance on the Network of Main Roads (internally referred to as Hoofdwegennet (HWN)), the Network of Main Waterways (internally referred to as Hoofdvaarwegennet (HVWN)), the Network of Main Watersystems (internally referred to as Hoofdwatersystemen (HWS)). These 3 responsibilities, together with policy advisory activities (internally referred to as Beleidsadvisering ) form the core activities (internally referred to as Kerntaken) of RWS. Because of the reasons mentioned in section 2.1 RWS wants to incorporate sustainability into these core activities. RWS has defined itself a mission: RWS wants to be the number one and most authoritative, publicoriented and sustainable agency (of the Dutch government red.). This mission is stated in the Agenda 2012, an internal document that describes the organisational state that should be reached in For the past two years, sustainability has been a hot item within RWS. Political pressure urges RWS to become more sustainable. Together with the desire to be an authoritative agency this political pressure leads to a strong desire amongst the management of RWS to become a sustainable organisation. To this end, sustainability was made operational by way of goals laid down in the management contracts that all Regional Departments engage on with the national board of RWS. These goals are: In 2010 a reduction of 20% in the use of electricity as compared to 2006 should be accomplished. In 2020 all objects of RWS are energy-neutral. In 2020, of all energy used by RWS at least 20% is sustainably generated. DZH has created a Pijlergroep (Support Group) that is responsible for initialising the realisation of these goals. 5

26 2.2.2 Organisational approach towards sustainability Although the current approach of RWS towards sustainability is the subject of Chapter 4, a small discussion will be given here as well in order to come to a complete overview of the context of the research problem. Readers who wish to learn more about the current approach of RWS towards sustainability are referred to Chapter 4. RWS has devised a national Realisation Plan for Sustainability (Uitvoeringsprogramma ZekerDuurzaam) (Bureau Energiebesparing Rijkswaterstaat 2008). This plan focuses on two goals: The reduction of consumption of energy on the domain of RWS The generation of energy on the domain of RWS Furthermore, sustainability is introduced into several running projects by means of pilots. For example, the A20 Moordrecht project focuses on so-called green asphalt. Contractors are encouraged to use less energy intensive methods for pouring asphalt. 2.3 Problem demarcation Every research needs a demarcation. A clear outline of what is to be subjected to research and what is not to be subjected to research can aid the researcher when difficulties arise. This problem demarcation therefore serves two purposes; it introduces the reader into the boundaries between research problem and context and it may be helpful to look back on when difficulties arise. This research is executed at the Realisatie and Conditionering Infrastructuur (RCI) (Realisation and Conditioning of Infrastructure) department of the Regional Department of Zuid-Holland (DZH). However, the results of this research are not aimed at the needs of this specific department. The distinct goal of this research is to provide DZH and possibly even the entire organisation of RWS with workable results. This research depends strongly on the definition of the concept of sustainability. An analysis of the discussion of this definition in literature is presented in section 3.2. To complete the demarcation of the problem the conclusion of this discussion is presented here, for a complete overview of all arguments the reader is referred to section 3.2. Sustainability is demarcated to be the attainment of goals that are set by RWS. These goals are goals made operational 2, this allows for a numerical and quantitative assessment of the 2 The reader is referred to paragraph for a discussion of these goals 6

27 performance of RWS 3. Most definitions found in literature are qualitative and therefore only allow qualitative assessment of performance on the set goal(s). Furthermore, to ensure that results from case studies are relevant for RWS it is particularly useful to assess the cases on the same goals and a qualitative assessment allows for more precise learning from the investigated cases. Therefore, cases will be assessed for their sustainability using the same definition. 2.4 Research goals In paragraph the research problem was identified as: There is no central overview of what RWS is currently doing to incorporate sustainability into their core activities and how this approach relates to the organisational structure and control methods Considering this problem definition the goal of the proposed research is: To advise Rijkswaterstaat how to incorporate sustainability into future projects and maintenance works based on what other organisations are doing in this field and thereby providing knowledge on how RWS and other project-oriented organisations can deal with sustainability when being sustainable is not one of their core activities. A number of knowledge gaps can be identified from what is described in this chapter combined with the results of the analysis of RWS as an organisation in paragraph and Annex 1, and the analysis of the concept of sustainability in section 3.2. These knowledge gaps should eliminate the identified problem once they are solved. They are: It is unclear what RWS has previously done on sustainability in projects and maintenance works and why? It is unclear what RWS is currently doing on sustainability in running projects such as the A4 Delft-Schiedam and why? It is unclear what the relationship is between the current approach towards sustainability and the organisational control methods and the aspects of project management, such as Functional Specification and Integrated Project Management. 3 See also paragraph

28 These knowledge gaps are all related to the question how RWS is incorporating sustainability into its core activities. Once these three knowledge gaps are answered a method of working becomes visible as it is currently used within RWS. This introduces another knowledge gap: (How) Could the current method of introducing sustainability into core activities of RWS be improved? 2.5 Research questions Main research question The four knowledge gaps that are identified in section 2.4 lead to the main research question (MRQ) for the proposed thesis: How could Rijkswaterstaat improve the sustainability of its core activities? It is unclear what improvements can be made to the current way of working that is used by RWS to make its core activities more sustainable. This should be clarified through this research Sub research questions To answer the MRQ in a structured and orderly manner it can be divided into a number of sub research questions (SRQs): 1. a. How is sustainability defined in literature? b. How is sustainability integrated in project management in literature? 2. What are the sustainability goals of RWS for projects and maintenance activities and how do they relate to theory? 3. How can project performance be assessed? 4. a. How has RWS been incorporating sustainability in previous projects? b. How is RWS incorporating sustainability in running projects? 5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current approach to incorporate sustainability in projects in relation to the way in which projects are managed within RWS? 6. a. To what other (governmental) project oriented organisations can RWS be compared on the field of incorporating sustainability into core activities and why? b. What are the sustainability goals of these other project oriented (governmental) organisations and how do they relate to theory? c. How are these other (governmental) organisations incorporating their sustainability goals into their projects? 7. What are the differences and similarities between the methods identified throughout various projects carried out by different organisations? 8. (What) can RWS learn from approaches used by other organisations? 8

29 The individual SRQs will now be explained. For each SRQ both the importance and the contribution to the research as a whole will be treated. Sub research question 1a How is sustainability defined in literature? & Sub research question 1b How is sustainability integrated in project management in literature? These sub research questions are meant to provide in a solid basis of the research within the current literature on sustainability and project management, and in particular the relationship between these two fields. Sub research question 2 What are the sustainability goals of RWS for projects and maintenance activities and how do they relate to theory? To be able to assess the results of implementing sustainability into projects at RWS, and to be able to tell if this method of implementation needs improvement (see also sub research question 5) it is important to have a clear overview of the goals that RWS wants to achieve. This sub research question is included to provide in such an overview. Sub research question 3 How can project performance be assessed? To be able to assess the success or failure of a project it is important to dispose of a set of rules that allow for the assessment of project performance. Ideally, these rules are supported by literature to provide in a valid assessment method. Sub research question 4a How has RWS been incorporating sustainability in previous projects? This sub research question has been included to shed light on the way RWS has previously been incorporating sustainability into its projects. This should be analysed to be able to determine if RWS can learn from methods used by other organisations, and if so, what they should learn and how they should improve the current process. Sub research question 4b How is RWS incorporating sustainability in running projects? This sub-research question serves the same goal as sub research question 2a. To ensure a complete and fully up-to-date result running projects are analysed as well. Sub research question 5 - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current approach to incorporate sustainability in projects in relation to the way in which projects are managed within RWS? To establish the position of the current approach to incorporate sustainability into projects a comparison will be made with the various principles of project management used within RWS. This creates the opportunity to pinpoint the aspects of the incorporation of sustainability that are noncompliant with the general project management approach and which can be improved for that reason. 9

30 Sub research question 6a To what other (governmental) project oriented organisations can RWS be compared on the field of incorporating sustainability into core activities and why? This sub research question identifies characteristics of RWS as an organisation and then embarks upon finding comparable organisations that have taken steps towards incorporating sustainability into their core activities. This identification of comparable organisations forms the input for sub research questions 6b and 6c. Sub research question 6b What are the sustainability goals of other project oriented (governmental) organisations and how do they relate to theory? This sub research question is included to identify the sustainability goals of other project oriented organisations. To be able to make comparisons between activities carried out by RWS and activities carried out by these other organisations it is necessary to have a certain degree of concordance between the sustainability goals. It would otherwise be non-valid to draw conclusions on lessons that RWS could learn from these organisations. Sub research question 6c How are these other (governmental) organisations incorporating their sustainability goals into their projects? This sub research question is aimed at the strong (and also the weak) points of the ways in which the investigated organisations incorporate sustainability into their projects. This too should be analysed to be able to determine if RWS can learn from methods used by other organisations. Best practices are identified here and they are processed later on in the research when the subsequent questions are answered. Together, sub research questions 6b and 6c provide the same type of result as sub research questions 1a and 1b. By approaching both RWS and other organisations in the same manner the possibility for comparative conclusions is ensured. Sub research question 7 What are the differences and similarities between the methods identified throughout various projects carried out by different organisations? This comparative analysis should lead to the identification of differences between the approaches used by all organisations to incorporate sustainability in their core activities. Sub research question 8 (What) can RWS learn from approaches used by other organisations? This sub research question builds on the previous one. Once it is known what the differences are between the processes followed by the organisations it is possible to draw conclusions on best practices that RWS can take over from other companies. 10

31 2.6 Research strategy This research is designed to answer the main research question (How is RWS incorporating sustainability into its projects and (how) could this method of working be improved?). This research question was then split up into several sub research questions, each solving a different aspect of the main research question. These sub research questions require specific research methods to solve them. The individual sub research questions will now be discussed in relation to the research method that is devised to solve them. The considerations for the appropriate research method are based on Chapter 7 Research strategies from the book Designing a research project by Verschuren and Doorewaard (2005). Sub research question 1a How is sustainability defined in literature? & Sub research question 1b How is sustainability integrated in project management in literature? & Sub research question 3 How can project performance be assessed? These three sub research questions are aimed at providing a theoretical basis for the research. Therefore Desk Research is the appropriate way to handle these questions; a thorough literature study will be carried out to achieve the desired results. Sub research question 2 What are the sustainability goals of RWS for projects and how do they relate to theory? & Sub research question 5 - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current approach to incorporate sustainability in projects in relation to the way in which projects are managed within RWS? & Sub research question 6a To what other (governmental) project oriented organisations can RWS be compared on the field of incorporating sustainability into core activities and why? & Sub research question 6b What are the sustainability goals of other project oriented (governmental) organisations and how do they relate to theory? These questions are solvable by desk research as well. However, the focus here will be different from the desk research as executed for sub research questions 1a and 1b. The focus will now be on internal documents. When these documents do not provide enough information or are unavailable (for external organisations) interviews with employees of RWS or the appropriate organisation are a good means to gather information as well. If this is the case the approach will shift to conducting surveys, although the interviews will probably be different for every interviewee and the number of investigated cases will not be large. Subsequently the results of the study of internal documents 11

32 and internal tacit knowledge present at employees will be linked to the theoretical basis that was created. Sub research question 4a How has RWS been incorporating sustainability in previous projects? & Sub research question 4b How is RWS incorporating sustainability in running projects? & Sub research question 6c How are these other (governmental) organisations incorporating their sustainability goals into their projects? Executing case studies can solve these three questions (Svengren 1993). Case studies are suited to lay bare, in great detail, all the ins and outs of the various methods (used in the investigated cases, red.), the various ways in which these methods are being applied and carried out in practice, the motives and considerations of the stakeholders, and the origins of these motives (Verschuren 2005). Such a result is exactly what is desired as outcome of this part of the research. Sub research question 7 What are the differences and similarities between the methods identified throughout various projects carried out by different organisations? & Sub research question 8 (What) can RWS learn from approaches used by other organisations? These two questions are solvable by means of a benchmark study (Barber 2004). This method can be classified as desk research according to the description as given by Verschuren and Doorewaard (2005). A benchmark study creates the opportunity to rank approaches to incorporate sustainability into project as they were found during the case studies. From this ranking best practices can be identified (Luu, Kim et al. 2008). These best practices can be compared with the current way of working of RWS. In its turn, this comparison provides the basis for the conclusion whether the current way of working of RWS needs improvement, and if so, what are the improvements that can be recommended? 12

33 3 Sustainability in literature This chapter forms the theoretical basis of this research. To provide in this theoretical basis a thorough literature study has been conducted. The literature study consists of investigating three questions: 1a. How is sustainability defined in literature? 1b. How is sustainability integrated in project management in literature? 3. How can project performance be assessed? This chapter is structured as follows. Section 3.1 discusses the set-up of the literature studies that were done. Attention is given to the manner in which information was sought as well as the sources of information. Section 3.2 then presents the results of the study towards the definition of the concept of sustainability. Section 3.3 addresses the connection between sustainability and organisational and project management. Finally, section 3.4 discusses the assessment of project performance. Section 3.5 presents the overall conclusion. 3.1 Set-up of the literature study This literature study was conducted in three separate parts; each part being aimed at identifying the answer to questions a, b and c respectively. Literature was sought at various sources. Both books and journals were analysed for relevant information. Most relevant information was found in papers stemming from a large variety of journals. The discussion concerning the definition of the concept of sustainability largely takes place in the field of research on ecology and is therefore published in journals related to ecology, for example: Ecological Economics or the Journal of Cleaner Production. The discussion of the approach to implement sustainability into organisational processes and projects however is scattered throughout various fields of research. Contributions to this discussion are made by researchers occupied with (project) managerial research, ecological research but also methodological research (for example: research towards Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). This multidisciplinary approach means that the discussion is spread over various journals and conference proceedings, such as the Journal of Cleaner Production or the proceedings of the 12 th International Conference of Greening of Industry. The literature on project management and sustainability stems from recent publications. Interesting publications were found in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment and in an issue of the IPMA magazine entitled Projectie. The literature on assessment of project success emerged from the 1980s and onwards. Almost all the papers discussed here were published in the International Journal of Project Management. 13

34 3.2 Defining sustainability This paragraph will provide in a discussion of the various definitions of sustainability as they are found in literature. Later in this report the definition of sustainability as used within RWS will be discussed, after which conclusions can be drawn on the definition that will be used for this report The definition of sustainability in literature Defining the concept of sustainability started in the 1970s. Following the controversy that emerged from the publication of Limits to Growth by the Club of Rome in 1972 various authors wrote about sustainability. Besides the concept of sustainability, a lot of literature is aimed at sustainable development. Intuitively, sustainable development has a strong linkage with sustainability. Sustainable development can be thought of as an ongoing process of development in which sustainability is a key concern. When using this kind of definition it is still crucial to lay down a definitive definition of the concept of sustainability. In order to acquire a complete overview of important contributions on the discussion of the definition of sustainability both sustainability and sustainable development were researched. However, most authors discussing sustainable development also include aspects of social concerns and economic concerns. This is illustrated in Figure 2, a figure which represents the view of Adams on sustainable development (Adams 2006). Figure 2 - Contents of sustainable development (Adams 2006) This research is executed by order of RWS. Paragraph gave a brief overview of the sustainability goals of RWS. These goals only focus on the use of energy by RWS in projects and maintenance activities. Therefore in this research the societal and economical aspects are of lesser 14