Application
This unit of competency covers developing plans to transition an organisation to sustainability and also to improve the sustainability of an organisation. This would typically be done before the development of a business case. An implementation plan would typically follow sanction of the business case.
This unit covers the strategic planning skills needed for sustainability related improvements. The sustainability related improvements often affect all or major parts of an organisation and its value chain and as a result detailed strategic planning is usually required to ensure the support of all stakeholders to minimise disruption to the organisation’s business.
The need for a strategic approach to sustainability may be in response to regulatory, Board, employee, shareholder or community requests or pressure, International agreements, reporting requirements, codes of practice, business efficiency, energy cost reduction, waste reduction goals and consumer demand and expectations.
A manager or technical specialist who has a major responsibility for sustainability as part of a broader work role would typically undertake this, or sustainability may be their primary work responsibility. The manager or technical specialist may undertake this alone or as part of a team.
The technical measurement of operational performance or measurement of emissions or other environmental impact is not covered by this unit.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine current sustainability status of the organisation | 1.1 | Determine main organisational motivations and drivers for improved sustainability. |
1.2 | Determine current regulatory environment. | ||
1.3 | Determine current availability of data required for sustainability indicators. | ||
1.4 | Arrange for sustainability related audits if required. | ||
2 | Identify priority areas for improvement | 2.1 | Identify strategic goals of the organisation and how these are impacted by sustainability. |
2.2 | Determine suggestions for major improvement. | ||
2.3 | Rank suggestions. | ||
2.4 | Short-list improvements to be progressed. | ||
3 | Establish an appropriate project team | 3.1 | Arrange for a team leader to be allocated for each short-listed suggestion. |
3.2 | Ensure an appropriate project team is established for each suggestion. | ||
3.3 | Define expected outcomes and performance indicators for each suggestion. | ||
3.4 | Ensure appropriate project plans are developed. | ||
4 | Design potential improvement | 4.1 | Arrange for project designs to be developed. |
4.2 | Ensure appropriate evaluation is undertaken of each project. | ||
4.3 | Select suggestions to be implemented. | ||
5 | Develop strategic plan | 5.1 | Identify implications of strategic sustainability plan for the organisation. |
5.2 | Estimate implementation timelines. | ||
5.3 | Identify strategic approvals for implementation. | ||
5.4 | Identify required documentation. | ||
5.5 | Draft plan to guide proposal to sanction. | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include the ability, across an organisation or department/section, to:
determine sustainability drivers of an organisation and its value chain
determine sustainability improvement options and rank by benefit/cost
develop sustainability project plans, including key performance indicators and timelines
integrate sustainability improvement plans with other goals and strategic directions of the organisation.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates sufficient knowledge to interact with relevant personnel and be able to take a strategic approach to sustainability including knowledge of:
strategic directions of the organisation
common strategic planning tools, such as SWOT analysis
methods of identifying possible sustainability improvements
cost-benefit determination processes
project planning and monitoring methods and principles
project, product and process design principles
evaluation methods
planning principles
AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standards (or its authorised replacement or other relevant standard)
relevant codes, schemes and legislation/regulation.
Assessment Conditions
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence shall be based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
The collection of performance evidence is best done from a report and/or folio of evidence drawn from:
a single project which provides sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria
multiple smaller projects which together provide sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria.
A third party report, or similar, may be needed to testify to the work done by the individual, particularly when the project has been done as part of a project team.
Assessment should use a real project where plans to transition an organisation to sustainability and/or to improve the sustainability of an organisation are developed for an operational workplace.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence or through an independent process such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
The assessor must demonstrate both technical competency and currency.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment AND/OR
relevant workplace experience
Currency can be demonstrated through:
performing the competency being assessed as part of current employment OR
having consulted with an organisation providing relevant environmental monitoring, management or technology services about performing the competency being assessed within the last twelve months.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different 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. | |
Sustainability status includes one or more of | resource footprint (e.g. carbon, water and energy) of product and process current and future availability of raw materials current and future availability of energy waste generation and disposal efficiency of process the extent to which the production process and product affects the environment (e.g. effects on climate, quality of local air and water, ecology, noise) relationship with the local and broader community (e.g. effect of operations on aesthetic appearance, preservation of heritage, and proximity to schools and religious facilities) extent of regulatory oversight and cost of compliance. |
Sustainability indicators include one or more of | water usage energy usage emissions indicators for ethical/sustainable supply chain community relationships/complaints staff turnover safety record compliance with regulations and codes of practice reduced waste increased recycling product improvement meeting consumer expectations for sustainable use of resources other indicators appropriate to the organisation, its value chain, processes and operations. |
Suggestions for major improvements include one or more of | non-compliances/near misses/incident reports kaizen and other improvement processes benchmarking activities regulatory and non-regulatory related audits community pressure Board directions changes in market suppliers customers. |
Suggestions include improvements to one or more of | products processes employee, health, safety and environment (HSE) or amenity impact on the community impact on the environment efficiency and profit waste management emergency/incident response facility/building design and management. |
Suggestions can be ranked by all of | need benefit/cost strategic impact. |
Strategic approvals for implementation include one or more of | regulatory approvals financial approvals internal approval processes senior management/shareholder approvals human resource implications, such as career paths and position descriptions operational management approvals supplier/client/contractor approvals. |
Required documentation includes one or more of | formal report or plan business case environmental impact statement. |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Sustainable operations