A strategic reference for empowering project professionals to lead the sustainability transition.

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This deliverable introduces a robust and future-oriented Competency Framework for ESG Project Management Professionals, developed to support the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into all phases of project delivery and across diverse institutional contexts.

What’s Inside?

Developed under the ESG4PMChange initiative, this framework reflects contributions from 14 partner organizations across 7 countries, and is grounded in international best practices and policy standards, including EQF, GRI, CSRD, SFDR, and OECD principles.

The framework defines 64 competencies, structured into five interlinked domains:

• Core Project Management
• Environmental
• Social
• Governance
• Cross-Cutting & Enabling Competencies

Each competency is mapped across five progressive levels (L1–L5), corresponding to EQF levels 3 to 8, enabling its use in both education and workforce development.

How It Was Developed

📊 Based on analysis of 191 job postings across 26 countries
👥 Informed by field research, surveys, focus groups, and expert validation workshops
🔄 Refined through iterative, cross-disciplinary collaboration to ensure usability and relevance

Who Is It For?

• Higher education institutions designing ESG-integrated programs
• Employers and HR professionals building ESG-resilient leadership pipelines
• Policy actors aligning green, social, and governance mandates with project execution
• Training providers and certification bodies developing micro-credentials and recognition schemes
• Project professionals and learners seeking ESG-aligned career advancement