Opinion Article: Application of the PMBOK Principles and Domains to the EcoAceite Project
Roberto Narvaez
(2025)
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI), has evolved beyond a process-based model to a principle- and performance-domain-driven framework, as outlined in its Seventh Edition. This shift provides a more adaptive and flexible lens through which to understand and manage projects. When applied to EcoAceite, an environmental education initiative aimed at improving the management of used cooking oil (UCO) in Montería, Colombia, the PMBOK’s principles and performance domains offer a valuable roadmap for ensuring success and sustainability.
Alignment with PMBOK Principles
1. Stewardship
EcoAceite embodies this principle by promoting environmental responsibility and public health. The project is not merely operational it is ethical. It involves community leaders, educators, and households in fostering a culture of accountability regarding the disposal of UCO. This aligns directly with the stewardship mandate: act as a guardian of the environment and the community.
2. Team
The collaborative nature of EcoAceite is evident in its engagement with diverse stakeholders: households, commercial kitchens, and local community leaders. The project
relies on participatory workshops and focus groups, which reinforces PMBOK’s emphasis on trust, respect, and collaboration as the foundation for successful project teams.
3. Stakeholders
EcoAceite recognizes that stakeholder engagement must be proactive and continuous. By incorporating interviews and focus groups early in the process, the team ensures that the needs and perceptions of both residents and business owners are acknowledged. This directly reflects the principle of understanding and managing stakeholders to maintain alignment and buy-in.
4. Value
The initiative delivers tangible value through education, waste reduction, and health protection. More importantly, it also delivers intangible benefits such as increased environmental awareness and community empowerment. By focusing on long-term behavioral change, EcoAceite adheres to the PMBOK principle of delivering value consistently and sustainably.
5. Systems Thinking
The project's methodological structure reflects systems thinking. It accounts not only for the disposal behavior of individuals but also the infrastructure gaps and cultural patterns that influence environmental habits. It seeks systemic change, not isolated solutions.
6. Leadership
The project team demonstrates servant leadership by prioritizing the needs of the community. It leads through education, engagement, and support, not enforcement. This approach aligns with PMBOK’s encouragement of leadership that empowers and motivates others toward a shared vision.
7. Tailoring
EcoAceite is tailored to the specific social, cultural, and infrastructural context of Montería. The tools used surveys, interviews, workshops are selected and adjusted to match the unique characteristics of the local population. This responsiveness is key to maintaining the relevance and effectiveness of the intervention.
8. Quality
From data validation to pilot testing of survey instruments, the project incorporates mechanisms to ensure data accuracy and methodological rigor. These efforts reflect the commitment to delivering quality outcomes supported by reliable evidence.
9. Complexity
EcoAceite navigates the complexity of behavior change, environmental education, and cross-sectoral coordination. The project's success hinges on its ability to manage these complexities while remaining adaptable and people-centered.
10. Risk
The design includes risk-mitigation measures such as ethical protocols, pilot testing, and stakeholder feedback loops. By anticipating cultural resistance or information gaps, the project prepares to adapt its methods when necessary.
11. Adaptability and Resilience
Given that cultural change is gradual, the project integrates feedback mechanisms to adjust its strategies in real-time. This ensures resilience against unpredictable variables, such as resistance from stakeholders or unforeseen logistical barriers.
12. Change
EcoAceite is, by nature, a change-driven project. It seeks to transform habits, systems, and perceptions. PMBOK’s emphasis on embracing change is exemplified in the way EcoAceite uses data not just to report outcomes, but to refine and re-energize its strategies throughout implementation.
Performance Domains in Practice
1. Stakeholder Engagement
The project engages community members through interviews and participatory workshops, ensuring their voices are embedded in both design and delivery. This fosters trust and local ownership of the solution.
2. Team Performance
Cross-functional collaboration among educators, environmental specialists, and data analysts is essential. By clearly defining roles and promoting open communication, EcoAceite aligns with PMBOK’s domain of enhancing team performance.
3. Development Approach and Life Cycle
EcoAceite follows a hybrid life cycle: it integrates predictive elements (surveys, sample size determination) with adaptive components (focus groups and pilot testing). This balance ensures structure while allowing for evolution in strategy based on findings.
4. Planning
The planning phase of EcoAceite is robust. It includes a well-defined sampling strategy, matrixes of variables, and clear alignment between objectives and instruments. It anticipates and structures around the data needed to measure impact, a hallmark of sound planning.
5. Project Work
Execution is structured and methodologically grounded. Tasks such as instrument design, data collection, and stakeholder coordination are tightly managed, with timelines and ethical considerations clearly outlined.
6. Delivery
The project delivers through educational campaigns, printed materials, and community sessions. These are not isolated activities they are measured, evaluated, and improved through both qualitative and quantitative lenses.
7. Measurement
EcoAceite stands out in its attention to evidence. It applies statistical methods and thematic analysis, allowing it to translate data into actionable insights. This domain is critical for tracking performance and validating results.
8. Uncertainty
Through its pilot tests, expert reviews, and iterative feedback loops, the project accommodates uncertainty. It uses early results to refine tools and expectations, which reflects PMBOK’s emphasis on managing uncertainty actively rather than reactively.
Final Reflections
EcoAceite is not just a local intervention; it is a testbed for sustainable, participatory, and scalable change. Applying the PMBOK principles and performance domains provides a clear structure without stifling innovation or contextual adaptation. The project honors the professional rigor of project management while remaining deeply human in its approach.
As sustainability challenges grow more complex and intertwined with behavior, governance, and infrastructure, projects like EcoAceite demonstrate that effective project management must go beyond deadlines and deliverables. It must be rooted in purpose, participation, and adaptability values that the PMBOK now champions more explicitly than ever.