The kickoff of the ESG4PMChange project was marked by a dynamic focus group meeting held in Rzeszów, bringing together stakeholders from across education, industry, policy, and sustainability sectors. Designed as a platform for open dialogue and strategic reflection, the event aimed to explore how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and Sustainable Project Management (SPM) practices can be more effectively embedded into project management education and professional standards.
The session focused on collecting insights from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, business consultants, ESG specialists, and policy advisors, with the shared goal of shaping a roadmap for ESG-related competency development. Key discussion areas included:
- Integrating ESG and SPM into university and vocational curricula
- Addressing real-world challenges in applying ESG-PM across industries
- The role of policy and regulation in supporting sustainability transitions
- The importance of soft skills such as leadership, conflict management, and creativity
This event laid the foundation for future actions by highlighting both the urgency and the complexity of defining ESG-PM competencies that are meaningful, applicable, and widely accepted across sectors.
Stakeholder Insights: Competencies, Barriers, and Unexpected Tensions
The focus group generated a wealth of valuable observations, revealing both opportunities and systemic gaps. One recurring theme was the lack of a unified framework for ESG-PM and SPM competencies, as well as the limited perceived value of existing certifications, which many participants felt were not aligned with practical industry needs.
Other key insights included:
- Competency development in ESG is often treated as part of internal change management rather than formal project practice
- Case-based learning and hands-on problem solving were identified as essential educational strategies
- Organizational readiness to adopt ESG practices strongly correlates with project maturity
- A gap remains in structured collaboration between HEIs, VETs, industry, and policymakers, especially for small and mid-sized organizations
One unexpected finding was the competitive tension between VET providers and universities in the education market, potentially hindering cooperation. Additionally, participants noted that shifting political contexts must be taken into account when designing long-term ESG frameworks and credentials.
The conversation confirmed that practical tools, microcredentials, and modular postgraduate programs could serve as key enablers of ESG competency development — provided they are co-created with industry and tailored to sectoral realities.
Internal Dissemination and Next Steps
Although designed as an informal strategic session, the outcomes of the meeting were shared with a targeted group of institutional and external stakeholders, including representatives from:
- Academia (UITM educators, CSP leadership, e-learning experts)
- Industry (marketing specialists, consultants, project managers)
- Policy and public administration (PM specialists from the Municipality of Rzeszów)
- Professional and environmental associations (PMI Chapter Poland, PRME Chapter Poland)
These contacts received a post-meeting summary outlining key takeaways and initial ideas for how their respective sectors could engage with and contribute to the further development of the ESG4PMChange initiative.
The event marked a significant first step in ensuring that ESG integration in project management will be practically grounded, competency-based, and driven by collaboration across all relevant sectors.
