Assessor Resource

MSS017006A
Identify and improve sustainability interactions with the community

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 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 examination of an organisation’s and its value chain’s interactions with the community, including the identification of key communication channels and people, and an understanding of sustainability issues from their perspective. 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.

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 identification of the impacts on the community of current or future sustainability related actions of the organisation and its value chain and the implementation of measures to make those interactions more positive. It also includes assessing the sustainability impact back on the organisation and its value chain members of actions by the community. The unit 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 analyse and negotiate the sustainability related impacts of an organisation on the community and the impact back on the organisation and its value chain of sustainability related actions of the community.

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:

identifying interactions with the community that are sustainability related

defining and analysing impact of the interactions on the organisation and all or part of the value chain

developing and following through on ways of reducing adverse impacts/improving positive impacts

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

Required skills include:

process mapping

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

communicating, consulting and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders

analysing and problem solving, including root cause analysis

interpreting and manipulating data, including establishing series, means, correlations and rates of change

drafting reports

establishing and maintaining effective dialogue with stakeholders

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

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

principles of sustainability

causes of adverse ecological impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them

causes of adverse social impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them

causes of adverse economic impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them

root cause analysis

hierarchy of hazard control and its application to sustainability hazards

sustainability hierarchy

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

risk analysis and its application to sustainability risks

community benefits offered by the organisation/its value chain

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)

Process Mapping

Process mapping is a technique for visualising/drawing a set of interrelated work activities characterised by a set of inputs and value-added tasks that produce a set of outputs. It applies to any process producing a good or a service

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

Community

Community may include:

residents living in the area of the value chain

people who use amenities in the area of the value chain

people who work near the value chain

employees of the value chain or the organisation

other organisations in the area of the value chain

general community

Amenities

Amenities may include:

roads and public transport

waterways

parks and gardens

public facilities, such as halls, libraries, shopping centres and other facilities open to the public

Interactions

Interactions on or from the community may include:

any sustainability related interaction external to the value chain. It may include a perceived impact

Importance to the community

Importance to the community may be based on:

significance of impact

importance perceived by a community member or organisation

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

perceived or actual negative impact on the health of individuals in the community

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
Process map operation for the chosen portion of value chain 
Determine sustainability related impacts on the community for each process step 
Determine overall impacts on the community from the portion of the value chain as a whole 
Determine overall impacts on the community from the complete value chain 
Determine any known community issues and actions which may be relevant to value chain 
Determine impact of community issues and actions on the sustainability of the organisation and its value chain 
Identify key community groups, representatives and opinion influencers 
Determine best strategy for engagement with the community on sustainability issues 
Implement strategy to define community sustainability issues with the organisation and value chain 
Rank issues by importance to the community and organisation 
Report issues and rankings back to appropriate internal stakeholders 
Select issues for action based on rankings and internal stakeholder feedback 
Determine root cause of selected issues 
Determine regulatory impact of issues and possible responses 
Develop an appropriate response for selected issues Explore alternative methods of addressing selected issues 
Categorise alternative methods 
Negotiate solutions acceptable to the community, the organisation and value chain members 
Agree a timeline for action and indicators of progress 
Identify issues where no short-term resolution is achievable 
Establish agreed mechanism for ongoing monitoring of progress by the community 
Record this in appropriate manner and promulgate to relevant stakeholders 
Ensure projects are initiated as agreed 
Collect agreed metrics or other indicators 
Take appropriate action if solutions are not delivering as anticipated 
Maintain dialogue with community as agreed 
Complete appropriate recording and reporting 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSS017006A - Identify and improve sustainability interactions with the community
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

MSS017006A - Identify and improve sustainability interactions with the community

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: