Basic structure

PROSA (Product Sustainability Assessment) is a method for the strategic analysis and evaluation of product portfolios, products and services.

The goal is to identify system innovations and options for action towards sustainable development. PROSA structures the decision-making processes that this requires, reducing complexity to key elements.

PROSA is an open-ended methodology that does not pre-define outcomes. It places a particular focus on the evaluation process and on interpretation frameworks. Prevailing normative disparities and conflicts among individual stakeholders, cultures and (world) regions as well as changing social values are identified clearly – as are potential approaches towards common innovation. PROSA moderates, in a targeted manner, opposing interests and decision-making situations that arise in corporate product development or in public product policy and dialogue processes.

The following elements are essential to PROSA:

• focus on system innovation,
• clear process management (Pathfinder),
• analysis of benefit and utility,
• inclusion of complete product life cycles and value chains,
• integrated analysis of the environmental, economic and social dimensions, giving equal standing to each dimension.

This manual explains how to use PROSA in the strategic planning of large companies, and illustrates the method with case studies. A simplified method suited for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is also available.