July PM Mixer part 1: from strategy to sustainable delivery

lorenaflorian0
2 hours ago
4 min read

The July PM Mixer brought together a dynamic mix of project professionals, academics, and students to explore one of the most pressing challenges facing our industry today: how to translate sustainability strategy into meaningful, measurable delivery.

The session centred on offering a practical lens on how organisations can move from high-level commitments to tangible outcomes, featuring insightful perspectives from Jose Fredes (Commercial Manager Property & Procurement at The Smith Family) and Hadi Vandchali (ESG and Procurement Consultant).

Turning strategy into action

Jose Fredes' experience in procurement and commercial management within the not-for-profit sector provided a grounded and candid view of implementation challenges. He emphasised that while sustainability ambitions are often clearly articulated at a strategic level, the real complexity emerges when organisations attempt to operationalise them.

A key theme in his presentation was the need to balance competing priorities. Sustainability, he explained, is not a single-dimensional goal; it requires organisations to simultaneously consider environmental impact, social value, and financial performance. This “three-lens” perspective, often referred to as the triple bottom line, demands disciplined decision-making and, at times, carefully managed trade-offs.

TBL was developed in 1994 by John Elkington, a British management consultant and sustainability guru. The idea is that an organisation should be judged not only by how much money it makes but by whether it improves people's lives and the well-being of the planet.

Jose highlighted that embedding sustainability into delivery is not achieved through isolated initiatives, but through system-wide shifts in how organisations operate. Procurement plays a pivotal role. Decisions about what is purchased, from whom, and how resources are used or disposed of can significantly influence an organisation’s environmental footprint and social contribution.

Simplifying complexity through structured delivery

Faced with a broad and often overwhelming sustainability agenda, the approach shared during the session focused on simplification and prioritisation. Organisations can create momentum by identifying opportunities that deliver the greatest value early on, while building a roadmap for longer-term transformation.

A practical framework discussed involved categorising initiatives across three core dimensions:

Value creation (commercial and operational benefits)
Emissions reduction (environmental impact)
Diversity and inclusion outcomes (social impact)

By structuring decision-making in this way, project teams can more effectively assess trade-offs, prioritise initiatives, and communicate outcomes in a language that resonates across

stakeholders.

However, prioritisation alone is insufficient without a disciplined approach to implementation. Three core steps consistently underpin successful outcomes.

First, strategy must be clearly defined at a level of detail that removes the need for interpretation. Ambiguity at this stage often leads to inconsistent execution and diluted results.

Second, communication must be deliberate and accessible. A concise communication plan, supported by opportunities for feedback and constructive challenge, ensures that strategy is both understood and refined through engagement.

Third, the strategy must be effectively cascaded across all levels of the organisation. Alignment is only achieved when direction is translated into action at operational levels, not retained solely within leadership or specialist teams.

Data plays a critical role in supporting these steps. Reliable, well-structured information provides the foundation for informed decision-making—whether assessing procurement spend, understanding energy usage, or identifying inefficiencies across locations. Without this visibility, even the most well-designed strategies risk falling short during implementation.

In practice within The Smith Family

The Smith Family’s approach provides a practical example of how these implementation principles can be applied within a complex organisational context. Environmental sustainability is embedded within its broader organisational strategy, reinforcing its role as an effective not-for-profit and system participant, while maintaining focus on areas where it can drive measurable impact. This has required applying commercial discipline to sustainability decisions, navigating detailed reporting and compliance requirements, and validating outcomes through independent assessment.

Guided by established standards such as NABERS ratings, renewable energy targets, and greenhouse gas management, the organisation has worked to establish clear baselines across multiple areas, despite the inherent complexity. The Smith Family has delivered tangible outcomes, including achieving 100% renewable energy ahead of schedule, improving NABERS ratings across its portfolio, establishing reliable performance baselines, and reducing electricity operating costs by 19.1% within the first year.

Final thoughts

The progression from sustainability ambition to measurable outcomes ultimately depends on the strength of execution. The insights explored highlight that success is not driven by isolated initiatives, but by clear strategy, structured implementation, and disciplined decision-making embedded across delivery teams.

For project and program professionals, this reinforces the importance of integrating sustainability into core delivery practices—through early engagement with procurement, improved data visibility, and consistent alignment across stakeholders. When supported by clear communication and practical frameworks, sustainability becomes less about complexity and more about making informed, repeatable decisions that balance environmental, social, and commercial outcomes.

Ready to turn sustainability strategy into measurable outcomes?

At PMLogic, we help organisations bridge the gap between strategy and delivery through practical project, program, and portfolio management solutions. If you're looking to embed sustainability into the way your organisation delivers projects, we'd love to help.