We are going to take a different approach with this blog post. Start by watching this very short video.
Just do it.
Watch it.
Now. If you’re like us, this is a a very revealing and meaningful case.
It has the following key take away messages:
1. You can integrate sustainability in a project such that it lowers costs.
2. The approach to best truly engage a business-oriented stakeholder is around financials. You can invoke the altruistic elements but don’t rely on them.
3. This case, which has already been duplicated scores of times in Latin American water-treatment projects, could be adapted in principles across all kinds of projects, beyond civil works projects.
Here is the transcript of the video:
We think the best way to do that, generally, is to show folks how nature can work for them. Here’s one example: in Quito, Ecuador, town leaders were contemplating building a new water filtration plant – so an expensive investment in capital equipment to clean water for drinking water. And our local team said, “You know there’s a cheaper way to secure clean water: upstream conservation.” Now the upstream area that we wanted to protect, the water shed, the Nature Conservancy would have wanted to protect in any case. It’s the bio condo reserve of Ecuador, a really precious habitat to protect. But in this case, we were focused very specifically on investing in order to keep water clean. So the intervention was to change some practices in ranching and agriculture. Money was distributed to local people who are clearing land or who were letting their cattle get too close to the river. And it worked. It kept the water clean, and, low and behold, now today all of the citizens of Quito, when they pay their water fee, some small part of the fee goes for upstream conservation. It’s not organized as an environmental initiative; it’s organized as a lower cost way to secure clean water.
But some powerful things happen. People then become aware of that fee. They understand – they didn’t build a filtration plant, but instead they’re investing in nature. And it’s kind of an aha moment. People say, “I get it. Taking care of nature is not just a nice thing to do; it actually provides very practical dividends, in this case, clean water.” And that idea is so elegant, we now have almost 30 of these “water funds,” we call them, across Latin America, impacting some 50 million people. That kind of initiative and talking about it, I think, helps people understand – nature is really a source of infrastructure, if you will, green infrastructure, that produces practical things that people need. That’s not the only reason to save nature, but that’s one very good one.
Here’s one more angle on this (same case, still Mark Tercek). Have a look.
So.
Expand this. Imagine that the water filtration plant is ANY new process you are implementing as a PM. Imagine that rather than implementing the process, you at least consider ‘upstream’ processes that could be invoked to change how your process could be implemented so as to make it more effective or even to substitute the upstream processes for this new one at a lower overall cost. Sounds a little like Lean Six Sigma, doesn’t it?
It is. And there are significant lessons here not just for project managers, but sustainability professionals. Don’t lead with your bio-condor reserve. Reserve that pitch for later. Lead with ways that you can help your business partners save money. And, oh-by-the-way, if you are as successful as Mark Tercek and the Nature Conservancy, you will not only succeed once, but you’ll have a repeatable model you can duplicate all over your enterprise.
