On April 28, 2025, the Sustainable Project Management through PM² (SPM²) project reached a major milestone with the first consortium-wide working session dedicated to the preparation of SPM² Guide. This dynamic online workshop brought together experts from across the consortium to collaboratively shape the structure, content, and methodology of the future SPM² Guide, which will serve as a sustainability-tailored extension of the European Commission’s PM² methodology.
A METHOD TAILORED FOR SUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN PROJECTS
The SPM² Guide is not merely a replication of existing practices—it is being developed through a co-creation approach, anchored in extensive research conducted throughout the project’s first year. Based on survey data, interviews, and institutional reviews, the Guide will offer tailored recommendations across the entire project lifecycle, including redefined artefacts, tools, and procedures adapted to sustainability-driven project environments.
The session, hosted via a shared Miro board, allowed participants to actively contribute in real time across key building blocks of the Guide:
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Introduction & purpose
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Development of the SPM² Manifesto
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Project governance structure
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Project management lifecycle tailoring
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Embedding sustainability in artefacts & tools
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Designing sector-specific use cases
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Creating value through practical application
EXPERTISE ACROSS EUROPE
The session brought together a strong interdisciplinary group of experts representing leading academic, consulting, and professional institutions. Contributions came from the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad (Serbia), the University of Information Technology and Management (Poland), and the University of Thessaly (Greece), alongside innovation and capacity-building organisations such as Advise Institute (Serbia), the PM² Alliance (Belgium), the European Academy (Latvia), and Scientific Events – PM² Center. Each organisation brought unique insights into sustainability integration, teacher and trainer development, methodology adaptation, and EU-level project management practice.
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR IMPACT
The SPM² Guide will ultimately be complemented by a Digital Hub, offering templates, tools, training resources, and validated use cases, forming the backbone of an educational transformation aligned with the EU Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This first working session marked the beginning of an iterative process that will continue through upcoming piloting and validation activities. The SPM² consortium remains committed to developing a methodology that is both rigorously structured and practically applicable, empowering project professionals and educators across Europe to lead sustainability-oriented initiatives with confidence and competence.
🔗 Stay connected with the SPM² project at www.spm2.eu as we continue shaping the future of sustainable project management.
