Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to develop and support team members to build their understanding of and commitment to the principles and practices associated with sustainability. The ability to lead and motivate a team and to develop and use coaching, mentoring and learning strategies that bring about organisational and cultural change are required.
The unit supports businesses in adopting sustainable practices and policies that go beyond meeting mandated requirements, to harnessing opportunities. It applies to individuals responsible for leading team members in a business committed to economic, social and environmental sustainability.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit of competency at the time of endorsement.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Support the building of skills to reflect sustainability principles. | 1.1. | Purpose, benefits and practices of sustainability are researched and analysed. |
1.2. | Government policies and incentives regarding the implementation of sustainable business practices are accessed and reviewed. | ||
1.3. | Current organisational strategies, policies and procedures regarding the implementation of sustainable practices are accessed and reviewed. | ||
1.4. | Information is gathered on existing staff skills, knowledge and behaviours in relation to sustainability, and gaps are identified. | ||
1.5. | Contribution is made to developing and documenting a strategy to build required staff skills, and their understanding of the purpose, benefits and practices of sustainability. | ||
2. | Support the implementation of sustainable practices. | 2.1. | Organisational goals and objectives relating to sustainability are communicated to staff. |
2.2. | Individuals and teams are provided with guidance to establish goals, responsibilities and performance indicators relating to sustainability. | ||
2.3. | Individuals and teams are supported in enhancing performance and achievement of organisation’s goals, including effective implementation of sustainability processes, policies and procedures. | ||
2.4. | Own performance is managed in line with organisational and legal requirements. | ||
3. | Lead the team effectively. | 3.1. | Updates on the organisation’s plans and approach to implementing sustainability processes are communicated to staff using effective and open communication channels. |
3.2. | Staff are coached and mentored to develop understanding of sustainability issues and improve the implementation and performance of workplace processes. | ||
3.3. | Effective strategies to facilitate team growth and increase motivation are developed, trialled and implemented. | ||
3.4. | Outcomes of sustainability initiatives in the workplace are communicated and effective performance is acknowledged and supported in line with organisational policies and guidelines. | ||
4. | Contribute to staff development needs. | 4.1. | Current and future staff development needs relating to sustainability are identified and documented. |
4.2. | Staff members are provided with opportunities to develop skills and knowledge relating to sustainability. | ||
4.3. | Training and development needs of staff are accounted for in relevant budgets and operational plans. |
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements, performance criteria, foundation skills and range of conditions of this unit.
The person must also lead a team involved in implementing and monitoring a sustainable business practice in an organisation. The sustainable business practice must focus on at least one of the following:
economic sustainability
social sustainability
environmental sustainability
integrated economic, social and environmental sustainability.
In doing the above, the person must:
research and identify good sustainability business practices
support the implementation of sustainability practices, including leading and motivating a team involved in implementing sustainability practices
develop and use coaching, mentoring and learning strategies that bring about organisational and cultural change in relation to the sustainability focus.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
concepts and models of sustainability
concepts and models of team leadership
organisational policies and procedures relating to sustainable practices
strategies, tools and products to support sustainable practices in the organisation
adult learning and development principles and processes
legislative and regulatory requirements relating to sustainability
techniques for identifying training needs
theories of work team motivation.
Assessment Conditions
The following must be present and available to learners during assessment activities:
equipment:
computer system with internet, email and printing facilities
specifications:
organisational sustainability policies
resources explaining and providing examples of sustainable business practices
reports from other parties involved in the process of identifying and implementing sustainability practices
relationship with team members:
leading a work team in a property industry context.
Assessor requirements
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | maintain current knowledge of sustainability policies and practices used in business. |
Numeracy skills to: | use graphs and statistics to report on business attainment of performance indicators relating to sustainability. |
Oral communication skills to: | respond to complex questions from team members about sustainability policies and practices of the business and performance against sustainability performance indicators. |
Reading skills to: | read and assess reports and papers on building support among team members for organisational sustainability policies. |
Writing skills to: | prepare reports on existing staff skills, knowledge and behaviours in relation to sustainability. |
Technology skills to: | use business technologies to communicate with team members on the outcomes of sustainability initiatives in the workplace. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Sustainability must include: | economic sustainability, demonstrated by: cost-effective use of resources ensuring costs of ‘green’ solutions are properly accounted for and recovered growing market share by appealing to socially aware customers purchasing locally to reduce transport costs seeking to participate in government schemes that reward or fund sustainable operations social sustainability, demonstrated by: building community involvement communicating benefits of sustainable products and services to customers purchasing locally and using local and community-based products and services using ‘fair trade’ products environmental sustainability, demonstrated by: efficient use of resources eliminating hazardous and toxic materials identifying strategies to offset or mitigate environmental impacts, such as purchasing carbon credits making more efficient use of energy maximising opportunities to re-use and recycle materials preventing and minimising risks and maximising opportunities, such as use of solar or other alternative forms of energy where appropriate purchasing renewable energy reducing emissions of greenhouse gases reducing use of non-renewable resources reducing waste. |
Performance indicators must include at least two of the following: | benchmarks achieved against external certification process requirements costs measured against performance targets level of recycling achieved and reduction of waste response to marketing and communication strategies sales achieved measured against performance targets. |
Sectors
Property services
Competency Field
Common