GREENLINES: Guidelines for sustainable project management

"<< Background >>We applied for this project after observing a significant lack of environmental sustainability in European youth work. Even projects focused on green topics often relied on unsustainable practices. Our initial needs assessment confirmed that many project managers and youth workers felt they lacked the necessary knowledge, practical tools, or adequate funding to implement sustainable projects effectively. Furthermore, we identified a need to bridge the gap between youth project organisers and local sustainable businesses, initiatives, and suppliers, fostering beneficial networks for all partners and improving access to eco-friendly resources. Therefore, this project addressed the crucial need to equip these key multipliers with accessible, practical guidance and to foster connections that support sustainable project management, aiming to reduce the sector's environmental footprint and promote greener practices widely.<< Objectives >>The primary objective of GREENLINES was to empower individuals and organisations involved in youth project management to significantly increase the environmental sustainability of their activities. We aimed to achieve this by thoroughly researching the challenges, needs, and existing knowledge levels related to sustainable practices within the youth sector. Key goals included discovering and sharing effective sustainable best practices across partner countries, creating valuable networks between partners and local eco-friendly suppliers and initiatives, and learning from real-life examples during a dedicated study visit. The central aim was the creation of an attractive, comprehensive, and easily applicable Guide on sustainable project implementation, disseminated in multiple formats (document, videos, podcast) and languages to ensure maximum reach, inclusivity, and practical uptake across the European youth work field.<< Implementation >>We successfully completed five interconnected activity packages as planned. The Research phase involved focus groups with 56 participants and targeted online research across partner countries; the collected data on needs, challenges, and best practices directly informed the Guide's content and structure. The Study Visit in Portugal provided hands-on experience with sustainable practices, including testing the Greendex CO2 calculator which yielded practical insights into emission scenarios, and visits to local sustainable partners. The Guide Creation phase saw collaborative writing based on research findings, finalised with professional graphic design and translation, alongside the production of accessible video and podcast series by experts. The Training Course in Hungary equipped 20 participants with skills in sustainable budgeting and resource use, incorporating research findings and developing new green project ideas. Challenges like lower focus group numbers were successfully compensated via online surveys. Dissemination Activities, including local workshops, webinars, and a high-impact international bike trip, effectively shared project outcomes.<< Results >>The project successfully delivered all planned concrete outputs, directly contributing to our objectives. The main result is the comprehensive ""GREENLINES: Guidelines for sustainable project management"" Guide, professionally designed, translated into partner languages, and readily available. Complementing the Guide as a pdf and Flipbook, we produced an engaging video series (on YouTube) and podcast series (on SoundCloud) summarising key chapters, enhancing accessibility. The foundational research phase yielded a detailed report and database of insights and best practices. Practical knowledge was gained through the Study Visit, including effective CO2 calculation methods via the Greendex tool and documented sustainable management examples. The Training Course resulted in skilled participants and tangible sustainable project concepts. Completed dissemination activities, including impactful local workshops, webinars, and the widely followed Greenlines bike trip across Europe, significantly raised awareness, effectively shared all results, strengthened networks between project managers and sustainable entities, and demonstrably fostered the adoption of greener practices at local, regional, and European levels."