Assessor Resource

MSS017003A
Identify and respond to external sustainability factors for an organisation

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


This unit is a vocational Graduate Certificate unit and follows the AQF guidelines for such units in that it assumes an entry qualification, such as:

an Advanced Diploma or Diploma in sustainability or relevant technical field

a Bachelor Degree in a relevant technical field

other relevant higher education qualifications, often with relevant vocational practice

relevant extensive vocational practice, without formal qualifications but which result in appropriate entry level skills.

This unit covers the scanning of factors which influence an organisation and its environment, identifying those which relate to sustainability and require a response or where a response would benefit the organisation and then developing or organising an appropriate response. The organisations environment, for the purpose of this unit, is considered to include the ecology it impacts, the economic impacts on the organisation and the social impacts of the organisation.

This unit will lead to the identification of sustainability responses by the organisation in response to external factors. It does not include the implementation of these responses, (refer to MSS017004A Lead sustainable strategy deployment).

It would typically be undertaken by a manager or senior technologist who has a significant sustainability responsibility work role.

Skills covered by this unit may be applied individually or in a team context.

This unit of competency covers the recognition of external sustainability related factors which are relevant to the organisation and then developing an appropriate response. It may be applied to an entire organisation, part of a large organisation, or part or all of a value chain.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Employability Skills

Not applicable.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to monitor the organisation’s external environment for sustainability related factors that will, or are likely to, impact on the organisation, analyse risks and determine appropriate responses.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:

recognition of an relevant stimulus

development of appropriate responses to the stimulus

determining which response(s) proceeds

communicating the above as appropriate

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.

Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.

This unit of competency may be assessed with other relevant units addressing sustainability at the enterprise level or other units requiring the exercise of the skills and knowledge covered by this unit.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Method of assessment

In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work-like environment.

Guidance information for assessment

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills include:

monitoring of media, government gazettes, sales staff and customer feedback, share market analyses and other sources

interpreting specifications, operating procedures, manuals, regulations and other complex documents

consulting and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders

analysing and problem solving, including root cause analysis

interpretation and manipulation of data

drafting reports and recommendations

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

process and changes which occur at each step in selected value chain

principles of sustainability

current actual and possible sources of external sustainability factors relevant to the organisation

possible responses for improving sustainability

root cause analysis

hierarchy of hazard control and its application to sustainability hazards

relevant legislation, regulation and protocols, government incentives and other initiatives

risk analysis and its application to sustainability risks

Sustainability

Sustainability incorporates the three aspects of:

survival of the ecology/physical environment (to manage the impact of the business to ensure the survival of the physical environment)

economic viability (efficiency, cost and waste reduction and competitiveness to support survival of the business)

social sustainability (to manage the impact of the business to ensure its continued survival within the community and the survival of the community)

Factors

Factors refer to any force external to the organisation relating to sustainability which may encourage it to act in a particular way and include:

government (at any level) legislation or regulation

government (at any level) direct action programs or similar

government (at any level) incentives or similar

customer expectations

community expectations

market trends

competitor actions

other factors

Portion of the value chain

Value chain is the sequence of activities that a firm undertakes to create value/product (good or service). Portion of the value chain includes:

sections internal or external to the organisation

Response

Response may include:

any action which improves the sustainability of an organisation, its product or its value chain and which addresses the issues raised by the stimulus

Sustainability issues of particular relevance

Sustainability issues of particular relevance include:

particular sensitivities of the local ecology, such as:

endangered species

sensitive local flora/fauna

material scarcity

water availability

general ecology issues and regulations, such as:

climate change and carbon footprint

pollution control measures

particular local social issues, such as:

distortions to the housing market

disruption to local lifestyles

general social issues, such as:

corporate citizenship

use or/deterioration to infrastructure

particular local economic issues, such as:

cost of capital

profit margins

competition

general economic issues, such as:

state of the economy

stage of the business cycle

Significance of impact

Significance of impact includes:

permanent loss or degradation

loss or degradation which inhibits use by the following generation

temporary degradation requiring remediation

temporary degradation which is self-remediating

speed of change/degradation/loss

Appropriate response

Appropriate response includes:

application of the hierarchy of hazard control to sustainability hazards

when the impact cannot be prevented application of mitigation and amelioration techniques. such as:

capture and storage (e.g. scrubbing) and similar ‘end of pipe’ solutions

dilution/dispersion and similar techniques which reduce concentration but not amount

other approaches which meet the sustainability requirements

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Monitor relevant government legislation and regulation 
Monitor relevant government initiatives and programs 
Monitor customer expectations 
Monitor market trends and competitor actions 
Monitor expectations of communities impacted by organisation 
Identify factors which are relevant to the organisation 
Rank factors by significance 
Agree which factor or factors should be responded to now 
Determine minimum response required 
Compare impact of factors with organisation’s strategic direction 
Develop alternative responses which fit organisations strategic direction 
Analyse sustainability impacts for each practical response 
Consult relevant stakeholders 
Rank possible responses 
Identify relevant stakeholders 
Determine stakeholder information needs and wants 
Analyse data which may be appropriate to communicate with stakeholders 
Prepare and disseminate information to stakeholders, as appropriate 
Negotiate solutions with stakeholders, as required 
Agree on response to be progressed now 
Prepare business case for response 
Agree possible future action for other factors 
Identify what communications are required and to whom 
Prepare appropriate reports and recommendations 
Pitch reports and recommendations, as appropriate 
Brief appropriate persons as required by determined responses 
Finalise appropriate recording 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSS017003A - Identify and respond to external sustainability factors for an organisation
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

MSS017003A - Identify and respond to external sustainability factors for an organisation

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: