What do you mean by context?

Our world’s non-renewable resources are being depleted and we are using our renewable resources at unsustainable rates and for a business this creates uncertainty, constraints to growth and exposure to risks/opportunities. No business operates in isolation of socio-ecological systems and leading global businesses are acknowledging that their operations have a direct impact on these systems and need to be contributing to building resilience within these systems. These businesses are using their “context” to define how they manage and report their performance with respect to their most strategic socio-ecological issues. This approach is often referred to as being contextual or context-based and uses science (natural or social) and/or ethics-based approaches to define defensible limits for how a business responds to their most strategic socio-ecological issues. 

Water Stewardship

Water stewardship goes beyond a focus on efficiency and recognises that water is a shared resource. The status of freshwater related issues is directly informed by the local basin context and as such strategies aimed at managing the impacts or risks associated with water should be informed by the local water context. I have worked with clients to assess their water-related risks, develop contextual water strategies, align water programs with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6 in particular) and craft contextual and context-based water performance goals and targets.

Sustainability Strategy

Content within corporate sustainability strategies is often developed using a materiality-based approach, by prioritising issues that are important to the business and its key stakeholders. This approach neglects to sufficiently consider how relevant socio-economic issues impact a business model or how the business contributes (positively or negatively) towards these issues. I have worked with clients to develop and implement contextual corporate strategies that enable them to manage disruptive risks, shifting social expectations and set defensible limits for their responses to their most strategic socio-ecological issues.  

Project Management

Projects are, by their nature, transient and unique and managing them as a business-as-usual activity restricts a business’ ability to realise the intended benefits and can result in inefficient use of scarce resources. Projects also impose unique risks and present opportunities to a business and if a project is not designed and managed in a structured way, these risks and opportunities can’t be managed effectively. As a professional project manager, I have worked with clients to build project programmes, identify risks and opportunities, define and manage scope changes and managed project teams in ways that improved the client’s probability in delivering a successful project.