A Framework to Support Decision Making for Sustainable International Development Projects

Abstract

In international development projects, concept of the sustainable development has been expanded. however, the decision making factors for maintaining sustainability are insufficient due to the uncertain position and tasks of various stakeholders. This paper presents a decision making framework for the roles and responsibilities (R&R) of Project-based organization (PBO) according to a hierarchy of leadership, senior executioner board, change management board, and executioner. R&R give direction for classifying controversial values to keep sustainability in multiple level: economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. The proposed framework was constructed from analysis of literature review based on classified sustainability factors. Moreover, the framework was validated by conducting semi-structured interviews with high-level decision makers. The results showed that focussed values and potential risks can be identified according to the each PBO’ R&R and sharing of responsibilities between levels. That includes balancing the sustainability values, such as triple bottom line (TBL), between the environmental and the non-environmental aspects at the upper level and deploying full-time resident managers to avoid conflicts with locals at the execution level.