Problem 6: Not embedded in practice
Even when sustainability-related contract content is present, aligned, clearly expressed, realistic, and supported by assigned responsibilities, it may still fail to function in day-to-day operations.
This is not only a question of individual clauses. It also reflects how contracts are understood, resourced, managed, and integrated into organisational practices and workflows across the company.
Contracts may remain disconnected from organisational practices and workflows when:
- they are not actively used in day-to-day decision-making or action
- their content is not integrated into processes and workflows
- responsibility exists on paper, but not in practice
- they are not supported by contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems or other tools that enable access, tracking, and follow-up
- CLM systems or workflows do not support differentiation between aspirations, expectations, and obligations (see Calibration)
- they are not monitored, followed up, or updated over time
As a result, contracts may formally exist, yet fail to guide behaviour, support decision-making, or drive sustainability outcomes.
This often reflects a combination of earlier issues related to relevance, architecture, language and design, feasibility and realism, and ownership and responsibility. When these dimensions are not aligned, contracts struggle to move from words on paper to sustained practice.
Embedding contracts in practice therefore requires more than clear wording or defined responsibilities. It requires that contracts are actively used, supported, monitored, and maintained as part of everyday work.
At this stage, it can be useful to step back and assess your company’s current approach to sustainable contracting. You can use the Compass scorecard to identify where your contracts currently stand and what would be needed to move towards more proactive and transformative approaches to sustainable contracting.
Where does your company’s approach to sustainable contracting currently stand – and what would need to change to support embedded implementation in practice?
Diagnostic exercise: Do your sustainability-related contracts live in practice?
Take one contract or clause and ask:
- Is it actively used in day-to-day decisions?
- Is it connected to processes, workflows, or tools?
- Do relevant people recognise what is expected of them?
- Is it monitored, followed up, or updated over time?
If the answer to these questions is unclear or negative, the contract is unlikely to be embedded in day-to-day operations.
Contracts that are not embedded in organisational practices and workflows cannot reliably deliver their intended sustainability outcomes.