Sustainable Construction in UAE and role of Project Manager

Sustainable construction is getting popularity in UAE now a days and this is the high time the project management institutes to expand the nine of the knowledge areas mentioned in the project management body of knowledge book ( PMBok ) by including the sustainability goal of the project..
Project management techniques and tools are always related to the well known term called triple constraints TIME, SCOPE, COST. If any of one these elements vary, it affects the other elements as well. Although we say about the triple constraints, project management recognizes QUALITY also as one of component similar to triple constraints for the success of the project.


PMBok says the success of a project attributes the project manager capability to manage the project by completing the scope not more (known as Gold Plating) or not less.

PMBok explain the project management tools and technique with five process groups {Initiation, Planning, Execution, Control and Monitor, Close Out} and nine knowledge areas {Project Integration Management, Project Scope Management, Project Time Management, Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management, Project Human Resources Management, Project Communication Management, Project Risk Management, Project Procurement Management}

Now let us look closely what LEED says about the approach to make a project sustainable.

LEED guidelines, greatly emphasis on the important of a holistic project management approach while preparing the strategies for achieving the credits during the design phase and construction. Many of us argue this is an easy approach for talking… but not for walking. I bet, we are all habituated with the practices we follow and you cannot see this kind of approach in UAE in many of our project we involved. A great deal of trade off should be happening among the various disciplines of the project right from the initiation stage of the project.

Next question, you may ask who will foresee this requirement and bring all stake holders involvement from early stage of the project to meet the sustainability goal of the project? Answer to this question is Project Manager.

First thing the Project Managers should do to include the sustainability objectives in the business case and conduct workshop to integrate the project team to achieve sustainable goals during the initiation stage of the project. Also, don’t forget to employ sustainability criteria in selecting team members.
During planning stage, Project Manager shall integrate sustainable design methods in construction and make sure sustainability objectives are included in the project specifications, contract conditions.

During execution stage of the project, project manager shall review of sustainability performance of the project and shall communicate the sustainability aspect of the projects to all of the stake holders as per the project communication management plan.

There are several barriers are identified during the implementation of the sustainability goals in the project. Many of these are arising from lack of awareness of sustainable construction practices and its benefits to the society as a whole .The major fear of the end user is always related to the misconception about the project cost and time due to introduction of sustainability goals in the project.


It’s the project manager responsibility to convince the end user to include sustainability as one of the project objective by eliminating all fears from his mind.

Failure to employ life cycle costing in the initial stage, lack of availability of technical expertise with know- how on sustainability, failure to include sustainability goal in the output specifications and contract conditions, failure in conducting integral team green workshops, unsuitable procurement methods which hinders sustainability objectives, failure in evaluating tenders based on sustainability objectives, poor change controls on basis of sustainability objectives can cause the failure of the project as a whole .

Awareness campaign about the role of project management and sustainable building practices will certainly help the project managers to meet the challenges while managing a sustainable construction in UAE.

As Dubai has made it mandatory to make all developments in line with internationals requirement of sustainable construction, all Project Manager shall seriously consider Equity, Economy and Environment (Tripple E’s) as the new triple constraints for managing the sustainable construction along with time, scope, cost and quality.