Charter for a responsible project management

“Crises arise because we passively continue with our practices.”

D. Meadows

The times we live in can be characterized in two ways. These are distinct yet interrelated.

The first is the growing number of weather-related disruptions that are manifesting in starkly contrasting ways. Droughts are followed by periods of continuous rain. Disasters follow one after another: wildfires, storms, and coastal erosion. Experts describe these phenomena as risks caused by climate change. They attribute their origin to global warming resulting from increased greenhouse gas emissions. However, this mechanism seems purely theoretical to many, since it cannot be observed at the local level and thus relies solely on the trust that can be placed in scientists.

The second issue relates to the perception of a psychological climate that is becoming increasingly widespread. For many, this accumulation of crises makes them skeptical about the possibility of coping with these random and uncontrolled phenomena. This uncertainty fuels their fears about a future that is becoming less and less predictable. Here again, experts speak of “eco-anxiety,” but fail to offer remedies that everyone could adopt for themselves. In fact, a sense of disarray is taking hold and fostering a resignation that is not conducive to taking remedial action. A cumulative chain of events is unfolding, fueling collective fatalism and mistrust toward any proposal for change.

What seems even more troubling is the growing distrust of all projects—even those that are the very essence of human activity.

Collective work is being called into question. The objectives pursued appear alien to society. Management is no longer recognized as effective but is seen more as a form of bureaucratic control in which each group finds a self-justification that is completely disconnected from tangible results. The digitization of tasks seeks to address this, but leads to a devaluation and depersonalization of work. Projects pile up but fail to produce tangible efficiency gains. Productivity—the sole driving force of the economy—is plateauing, if not declining. This observation is not a bias stemming from a defeatist outlook, but is reflected in all published macroeconomic indicators.

The same is true of individual projects. These face two challenges. Social mobility no longer functions sufficiently to foster promotion based on merit. The consumer society no longer has such easy access to various products due to rising material costs, which drive up prices. Intermediary services (health care, education, housing) are becoming increasingly expensive, due to a combination of inflexible organizational principles and rising costs associated with inefficiencies. Value chains in these sectors are lengthening as regulations impose new constraints, which must...