You Have the Power to Create Change
Sasha Mayhew is a Change Architect for Marbral Advisory based in the UK. In this compelling article, she shares her experience of Sustainable Project Management and encourages us all to be part of the change.
Imagine a world with no project management – where chaos, inconsistency and missed opportunities were the norm. It would be like a boat drifting aimlessly down the murky River Thames, without a rudder or direction.
Project management is one of the foundations of modern business, propelling success in today’s hustle and bustle. By applying its principles to achieve specific goals, project management boosts efficiency, manages risks and delivers measurable results that are focused and impactful. Projects also have the power to transform the world by connecting communities, driving innovation and tackling global challenges.
Sustainable project management is seeing growth across multiple industries. At Marbral, we make sure sustainability principles are embedded into every project from the outset. A report this year by the Project Management Institute (PMI) found that organisations embracing sustainability experienced a 37% increase in project success rates.*
Sustainable Project Management: Protecting Our Blue Spaces
The below case study is a beautiful example of how collective action, powerful determination and project management can truly drive change.
As we are all aware, the UK water industry is undergoing a drastic transformation. People are protesting the illegal dumping of raw sewage into our waterways and are holding water companies to greater account than ever before. Last year, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) amplified the voices of communities, and campaigned hard for the government to open a consultation and modernise outdated Bathing Water Regulations to ensure they are fit for purpose in protecting local bathing spots where we swim, paddle, surf or play.
SAS secured record commitments from the government to set in motion a project plan to transform the industry and put an end to sewage pollution. I spoke to Lizzie Cresswell, Community Water Quality Officer at SAS: “We would not have accomplished this without the collective voices of our communities. One of the wins we are celebrating is that the bathing water season will no longer be fixed from May to September, with Bathing Water applications in England reopening in May 2025. Getting bathing water designation for your swim spot is a vital mechanism for change. At SAS, we support communities through the application process, and from conversations, lessons learnt, and best practices shared by community groups, we’ve developed a Protecting Wild Waters toolkit. In 2024, 29 new bathing waters were designated, including 15 applications directly supported by SAS. By fostering strong collaboration and maintaining consistent communication with our communities, we aim to sustain this momentum and fulfil our goal of ending sewage pollution in the places we surf, swim and play by 2030.”
The reform to Bathing Water Regulations is a step to recogising that our waterways are used outside of the months of May to September and testing needs to take place year-round for harmful substances. Water quality test data can then be used to ensure water companies keep our waters clean, invest in infrastructure, and take action to prevent pollution. Highlighting the importance of safe, high-quality water and diverse ways we all love to enjoy blue spaces. What a massive achievement!
We Specialise in the Craft of Change
If you feel like you’re drifting aimlessly in a boat without a rudder or direction, Marbral Advisory can help steer you safely to shore. At Marbral, we have a highly skilled and experienced team of project professionals ready to deploy and pride ourselves in the ability to swiftly adapt to the project environment, understand the challenges and objectives to drive growth, and achieve long-term sustainable success. Not only do we work with discipline in a timely manner, but we also focus on upskilling your team to a level where they feel confident and empowered to manage change moving forward. Don’t take our word for it, this is what one of our private sector clients had to say: “Marbral were entirely client-focused throughout, and made sure that staff had real opportunities to develop and influence the change work that they were doing.”
You have the power to create change.
Contact Marbral Advisory today at hello@marbraladvisory.com to discuss how Marbral can assist you and your organisation to drive, manage and deliver projects successfully and sustainably within your organisation.
