Sustainability Project Portfolio Selection Framework : Developing decision criteria with a TBL approach

Abstract: Sustainability is one of the main drivers today for change in the world, many organisations are trying to be sustainable in their own way. One of the ways to do this is to integrate sustainability, or the triple bottom line (TBL), in their decision-making. This study concerns developing decision criteria for an NPO operating within the recycling- and waste management sector, to be applied in a project portfolio selection framework. Thus, the purpose of the study is to support decision-making that will promote sustainability by developing decision criteria. Consequently, the main research question for the study is: which criteria assure project selection aligned with TBL? The decision criteria were developed by following the five-step approach for developing criteria by Tillman and Cassone (2012). The research is designed as a qualitative single case study and the research questions are answered by conducting semi-structured interviews. The study has shown that by combining TBL and the five-step approach, criteria were able to be developed promoting all three dimensions of TBL. However, combining TBL and the five-step approach did imply some changes and adjustments to the original five-step approach. Hence, the discussion provides an outline of a suggested framework that integrates the TBL approachinto the development of decision criteria and metrics.