Application
This unit of competency covers researching current and emerging issues and approaches to social sustainability to determine strategic opportunities for the business and how they can be implemented.
This unit applies to managers who are in a position to drive the direction of social sustainability to support an organisation’s long-term sustainability. It assumes that the organisation has some awareness of and commitment to social sustainability.
This unit applies to organisations in all sectors of the manufacturing industry and the associated value chains.
This unit does not cover implementation of the social sustainability strategy which may include strategic opportunities at various levels and in various parts of the organisation.
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 purpose of social sustainability strategy | 1.1 | Review existing business values, vision, strategies and goals for social sustainability implications. |
1.2 | Research proactive approaches to social sustainability and how they might be relevant to the organisation. | ||
1.3 | Identify stakeholders at all levels of the organisation and how they will contribute to the strategy. | ||
1.4 | Identify relevant legislative/regulatory requirements. | ||
1.5 | Consult with internal stakeholders to determine the purpose of the social sustainability strategy. | ||
2 | Define strategic direction | 2.1 | Identify external stakeholders and how they will contribute to the strategy. |
2.2 | Facilitate processes to determine strategic opportunities that support the purpose of the strategy. | ||
2.3 | Facilitate processes to evaluate the strategic opportunities. | ||
2.4 | Select strategic opportunities that will define the strategic direction. | ||
2.5 | Facilitate processes to amend purpose of the strategy based on the strategic opportunities, if needed. | ||
3 | Facilitate development of the strategy | 3.1 | Facilitate processes to identify activities to support the strategic direction. |
3.2 | Facilitate processes to determine key operational requirements for implementing the activities. | ||
3.3 | Facilitate processes to evaluate the impact on resources and systems of implementing the activities. | ||
3.4 | Analyse risks to successful implementation of the activities and prepare risk management strategies. | ||
3.5 | Develop protocols and/or other mechanisms to ensure that implementation of activities aligns to social sustainability purpose. | ||
3.6 | Determine next steps for progressing the strategy. | ||
4 | Document the strategy | 4.1 | Document the purpose of the strategy, the proposed activities and implications for the organisation. |
4.2 | Use suitable format, structure and supporting information for the strategy to meet stakeholder and organisational requirements. | ||
4.3 | Confirm with stakeholders that the strategy reflects the outcomes of strategic planning processes. | ||
4.4 | Develop recommendations for progressing the strategy. | ||
5 | Evaluate and improve the strategy | 5.1 | Determine evaluation criteria relevant to the social sustainability strategy. |
5.2 | Determine processes and/or activities for evaluating the strategy and identifying improvements. | ||
5.3 | Determine documentation and reporting requirements. | ||
5.4 | Engage stakeholders in the evaluation. | ||
5.5 | Provide information and resources to facilitate the evaluation. | ||
5.6 | Facilitate the evaluation. | ||
5.7 | Review the outcomes of the evaluation to identify opportunities for improvement. | ||
5.8 | Document and report on recommendations for improvement. | ||
6 | Facilitate stakeholder engagement | 6.1 | Facilitate equitable participation from all stakeholders. |
6.2 | Determine the information needed to enable stakeholders to contribute to the development of the strategy. | ||
6.3 | Prepare communications that target stakeholder information needs. | ||
6.4 | Identify any barriers to communication and/or participation. | ||
6.5 | Apply strategies to address barriers to communication and/or participation. | ||
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 section/department, to:
research approaches to social sustainability that are proactive
facilitate processes to develop a social sustainability strategy
evaluate the implications of the social sustainability strategy for the organisation
document the strategy and recommend the next steps
evaluate the strategy against criteria and identify opportunities for improvement.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates sufficient knowledge to interact with relevant personnel and be able to research, develop and document strategic opportunities, including knowledge of:
social sustainability issues, practices and approaches in the organisation and its value chain that may provide strategic opportunities for the business
stakeholders and their roles in the organisation
strategic planning processes
managing risk
managing change
legislative/regulatory requirements that have social sustainability implications
voluntary codes and standards that have social sustainability implications.
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 the research of current and emerging issues and approaches to social sustainability are used to determine strategic opportunities 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. | |
Purpose of a social sustainability strategy includes one or more of | enacting core values identifying and/or enacting a social purpose becoming a leader in social sustainability and related areas, such as corporate citizenship establishing long-term business sustainability by creating shared value identifying business opportunities improving financial returns applying voluntary standards or codes, e.g. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting and ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on social responsibility. |
Facilitate processes includes one or more of | planning activities running activities briefing and/or managing external consultants, facilitators and similar guiding, managing or coaching other personnel arranging budget. |
Strategic analysis and planning techniques include one or more of | political, economic, social and technological (PEST) analysis strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis (SWOT) scenario planning envisioning balanced scorecard value chain mapping current state-future state brainstorming strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results (SOAR) appreciative enquiry. |
Impact on resources and systems includes one or more of | changes to job roles and responsibilities additional staff budget for new initiatives processes for planning and managing change processes to support innovations changes to organisational vision, goals, structures, policies and procedures workplace health and safety. |
Progressing the strategy includes one or more of | improvement projects new programs amended policies and procedures product/service innovations review of organisational values and structures the organisation revising its values and goals to accommodate new perspectives of social sustainability. |
Evaluation criteria relates to issues including one or more of | the purpose of the social sustainability strategy the strategic planning process stakeholder engagement in the strategy development and/or implementation implementation processes outcomes of the implementation social sustainability metrics other business metrics. |
Equitable participation includes one or more of | developing protocols for communication and providing feedback managing communications and group dynamics activities that encourage critical thinking, new ideas and innovations activities that recognise different ways of communicating and/or thinking, e.g. verbal, written and visual encouraging respect for cultural diversity encouraging understanding of and respect for diverse interests and differing opinions providing information and/or activities that acknowledge the range of drivers for and barriers to social sustainability providing information that targets different levels of awareness and commitment among stakeholders using interpreters or translated information addressing barriers to communication. |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Sustainable operations