Testing for Sustainability
(Section Summary)

Prevailing decision-making on undertakings of almost all kinds, public and private, typically considered only economic, technical, and perhaps political factors. But society is increasingly demanding preventative approaches to environmentally and socially regrettable undertakings as well. Sustainable development is seen as a means of expanding the emphasis of considerations in decision-making that provides a more comprehensive assessment of the many multi-dimensional problems society faces today toward achieving more sound solutions. The absence of a strategic process to evaluate the sustainability implications of current decisions or the implementation of projects has rendered the term sustainable development meaningless from an operational perspective.

What is truly required is an evaluation framework for categorizing programs, projects, policies, and/or decisions as having sustainability potential. The objective of the possible approach to an assessment protocol described here is to assist practitioners and decision-makers in developing more informed choices for taking action by evaluating the large-scale impacts that might result from a defined project or program, while also demonstrating the desire to promote accountability for sustainable action-taking. In order to assist and guide stakeholder/organizational assessment of activities intended to promote effective sustainable development, tools and methodologies for project/program appraisal must be designed that document an integrated approach, using a comprehensive “sustainability test” or “filter” through which projects, actions, campaigns, and compromises or trade-offs can be evaluated to determine their potential for achieving sustainability goals. This testing process must cross the boundaries of environment, economics, and society to truly address issues that are not only sustainable but that will also provide positive programmatic outcomes, moving stakeholders and benefactors closer to the multi-sector character of sustainability.

So how do we test for the sustainability of a project, program, or campaign? How to apply the full scope of sustainability criteria is a recognized present challenge. Application of an iterative sustainability assessment protocol, as described here, can help to build a transparent, justifiable basis for decisions. The testing for sustainability must be done in the context of what has been described by this manuscript with regards to processes of citizen science and adaptive management, to complement the evaluative picture. .......... read more!

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