Design, develop, and evaluate a digitally enabled ESG measurement tool and real‑time analytics platform for infrastructure projects
Mohammad Gorjizadeh (PhD Candidate)
Project description/thesis abstract
Australia’s progression toward mandatory sustainability disclosure has intensified the need for transparent, interoperable, and technologically advanced environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data systems, particularly within the infrastructure sector. The implementation of the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS), together with phased assurance requirements, has elevated expectations around data accuracy, digital interoperability, and audit preparedness. However, many organisations continue to experience fragmented ESG indicators, inconsistent reporting methodologies, and a shortage of digital tools designed for project‑based and data‑intensive environments. These limitations constrain the capacity to generate real‑time, consistent, and assurance‑ready ESG disclosures aligned with emerging frameworks.
This research investigates how a digitally enabled ESG measurement tool and real‑time analytics platform can be designed to address these persistent reporting challenges. Employing a Design Science Action Research methodology, the study integrates theoretical perspectives with practitioner insights to develop a prototype on the Microsoft Power Platform. The resulting architecture incorporates structured ESG data capture, automated workflows, hierarchical mapping to ESG dimensions and Sustainable Development Goals, and analytical capabilities facilitated through Power Apps, Dataverse, and Power BI. This integrated design enables systematic aggregation of project‑level information into organisational insights, enhancing transparency, standardisation, and readiness for external assurance.
Guiding this inquiry is the central research aim: to determine how a digitally enabled ESG measurement tool and real‑time analytics platform can be designed, developed, and evaluated to support transparent, interoperable, and decision‑relevant sustainability reporting for infrastructure projects. Research questions explore critical dimensions of this aim, including data requirements, system architecture, AI‑enabled analytics, stakeholder usability and trust, and frameworks for evaluating effectiveness and transferability.
Meet the researcher
Mohammad Gorjizadeh is a project management professional with 20 years of experience in delivering multidisciplinary project controls, assurance, and data analytics solutions, across largescale programs. His expertise centres on business process automation to enhance project controls integrity, streamline governance processes, and enable real-time decision support. He has developed dynamic reporting ecosystems that provide granular visibility into project scheduling metrics, dependencies, resource utilisation, critical path performance, earned value management, operational change management, and broader governance indicators.-scale programs. His expertise centres on -time decision support. He has developed dynamic reporting ecosystems that provide granular visibility into
Mohammad’s career spans the construction, technology, health, energy, and mining sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics and Cyber Security. He is currently undertaking research at UTS, focusing on leveraging cloud computing technologies in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure for infrastructure projects.
Contact:
Supervisor(s):
- Dr Leila Moslemi Naeni
- Dr Roksana Jahan Tumpa (CQUniversity)
- Professor Shankar Sankaran