A Holistic Approach to Project Management
Leading Sustainability and Regeneration in Projects
SERIES ARTICLE
By Dr. Hugo Minney
United Kingdom
Figure 1 Soil of types of capital grows four entwined trees with many benefits
Abstract
Project managers are increasingly mandated to deliver sustainable and regenerative outcomes. This article (the second in a series with PM World Journal) lays the conceptual foundation for sustainability in project management by tracing the origins of the sustainability “pillars” model. It introduces three prevailing conceptual approaches—Marsh’s sectoral overlap, Pinchot’s pillars in balance, and Hayek/Friedman’s prioritisation of economic growth. The article uses systems thinking to explain interdependencies and introduces frameworks to identify and manage synergies and trade-offs. It defines and unpacks the evolution of the sustainability pillars framework, from the 1987 Brundtland Report to current practice. It explains why a four-pillar model (environmental, economic, social/community, and personal wellbeing) better reflects the complexity of contemporary projects, which are unique and temporary but leave behind lasting change. Using systems thinking, it shows how interventions in one pillar can affect others and how project managers can anticipate and align benefits across systems.
Keywords: Sustainability, Regeneration, Project Management, Holistic Approach, Environmental Pillar, Economic Pillar, Community Pillar, Human Wellbeing, Systems Thinking, Multi-Capital Thinking, Regenerative Practice.
Introduction
In our previous article, we explored the evolving mandate of the project manager in a world increasingly focused on sustainability and regeneration. We saw how project managers are pivotal in championing these outcomes, from initial scope definition to supply chain management. Now we delve deeper, providing an overarching framework that integrates sustainability and regeneration into the very fabric of project management. This piece advocates for a holistic approach, moving beyond a single-minded focus to embrace all four crucial pillars: environmental, economic (for the nation), community, and human wellbeing. Understanding their interdependencies, potential synergies, and how to manage trade-offs is essential for achieving truly regenerative project outcomes.
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Editor’s note: The author Dr. Hugo Minney is a Fellow of APM (Association for Project Management), a Member of PMI and PMI UK, Co-Chair of APM’s Benefits and Value SIG, and committee member of PMI UK’s Sustainability Community of Action. For more, see his author profile at the end of this article.
How to cite this work: Minney, H. (2025). Integrating Sustainability Pillars: Leading Sustainability and Regeneration in Projects series article, PM World Journal, Volume XIV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pmwj155-Aug2025-Minney-Integrating-pillars-Sustainability-2.pdf
About the Author
Dr Hugo Minney
London, UK
Dr. Hugo Minney is a Fellow of APM (Association for Project Management), a Member of PMI and PMI UK, Co-Chair of APM’s Benefits and Value SIG and committee member of PMI UK’s Sustainability Community of Action (none of which are paid).
Minney set out to become a farmer but was defeated by bureaucracy. He sold high ticket computer systems and specialist software for workforce planning; joined the National Health Service for 18 years (and as a Chief Executive for the last 7 of these) and is now a project management consultant with a sideline chairing a charity restoring the sense of community for young people.
Minney works in project management, and in particular benefits management, motivating team members by reporting what they are achieving together and changing the community and culture to want to achieve – together. At present, he’s more involved on the governance side, accredited as a Social Value practitioner and Chartered Project Professional, and reviewing the balance of projects and contribution to objectives and benefits across portfolios.
Dr. Minney can be contacted at hugo.minney@thesocialreturnco.org
To view previous works by Hugo Minney, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-hugo-minney/
