SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1

Question 1.

Managers should be able to outline the environmental or sustainability legislation,

regulations and codes of practice applicable to the organisation for which they work.
This will be dependent on the type of organisation and the industry sector.

From what internal and external sources might information be gathered and why is it
necessary for managers to be informed about sustainability legislation, regulations and
codes of practice? 480-500 words,

A sustainable policy is in place to have a company to have and follow environmental

legislation. In the policy of sustainable there should be the purpose of the policy, the scope,
legislation and the responsibilities. A good policy should include some policy underpinnings
option to be successful. Here I will discuss three different options of policy underpin. With
the support of these factors, the policies can be implemented by manager and everyone in the
organisation will commit to it.

1)      Consultation

To have your policy accepted by others and understand well by other, the management
should collect information and input from others. The consultation should be value and
should approach to all internal and external people in a business. You need to communicate
with all people that are affected to have their input and acceptance

2)      Compliance

The sustainable policy should be created with the knowledge of relevant legislation that is
related to sustainability. Relevant policy legislation and acts for example to be following are
environmental protection act, clean energy legislation and also environment protection and
biodiversity conservation act. This legislation can help the business to draft the sustainable
policy with more knowledge on the best practice of the industry to be sustainable.

3)      Capacity

An overview of the requirements, terms and resources for the policy should be conducted.
The policy should have shown the responsibilities, elements and resources required. The
outline of description on employee training should also outline if possible, for a clear
overview.

An effective sustainability policy must be understood, agreed to and adhered to at all levels of
the organisation. Therefore, the policy must be communicated clearly to all stakeholders, and
opportunities must be provided for feedback and clarification. Methods of achieving this
include:

 Staff training on the policy and its set objectives, held as part of an induction, or on
specified training days.
 Checklists, such as resource usage audits and purchasing checklists
 Signs around workplace (e.g. ‘Switch off before you leave’)
  Using email to send sustainability messages from relevant people in the organisation,
such as the manager or Sustainability Officer.

Examples of external information sources are: Government, trade groupings, commercially

provided information, database and research. If a company uses external sources of
information then they must be sure of the reliability of the data sources. Here are some
examples of how the company could use information supplies by external sources.

Government: Information supplied by the government is definitely coming from a reliable

source as this is the governing body that they business operates within. Companies need to
use important legal information from the Government to help run the business successfully
and legally. For example, if a company had over 1,000 employees that were being paid the
minimum hourly rate as outlined by the Government and the rate changes then the company
needs to take this information on board and increase the wages for the staff on this wage
range. Another example would be if the Government offered businesses grants for opening
manufacturing plants in areas of high unemployment a company might use this information
to their advantage to set up a new plant at a lower cost than in another area.

Databases & Research: Companies can research information that might help them increase
the sales and level of interest in their business. The key thing to researching information that
helps run your business to ensure it is accurate and reliable. Some companies will pay to
access commercially available databases that offer a range of information directly based on
their business sector. Many companies can make money creating this information by
analysing currently available sales stats in particular business sectors. When using any
external information source, it is absolutely essential to be sure about the reliability of the
data sources and sometimes it is worth paying to access relevant information.

Question 2.
Write 500 words to explain what a sustainability policy is and how policies, processes
and practices are developed. What might be covered included in an organisation’s
environmental policies and procedures?
• Sustainability focuses on the concept of interdependence, meaning that life on earth
exists due to a delicate balance of ecosystems. If part of the system is disrupted, all life on
earth experiences repercussions. In recent decades it has become clear that human beings are
living beyond this natural balance, using up the planet’s resources at a rate that cannot be
maintained. Sustainability in an organisational context is therefore about reducing water and
energy use, reducing waste and pollution, and switching to renewable sources of energy, raw
materials and products. A holistic approach requires that actions be considered on individual,
organisational, national and global levels. The fundamental premise of sustainable thinking is
that the future is not somewhere we are going, but something we are creating through our
choices today

• It is important to develop policy that reflects the organisation’s commitment to

sustainability as an integral part of business planning and as a business opportunity. Use the
information gathered as the basis for developing and writing a policy on sustainable practices
for your organisation or section. Your policy should include a Sustainability Statement,
which will state the target, how this will be achieved, who is accountable, commitment by
upper management.

An explanation on how you developed a sustainable policy

1) Understanding the trend and best practice

Research on the sustainability trends, impacts and Concerns. With the information, tiny opera
can develop issues and opportunities to tackle on.
2) Consult
The company consults with members both internal and external to understand and determine
the sustainable issue.
3) Develop sustainable vision
Definition and principles of sustainable policy help to focus future issues for the company.
4) Develop industry plan of practice
Keep ahead of government regulation and relevant legislation to develop mandatory
environmental and social practice.
5) Analyse and draft policy
After consultation and collect all information needed, a policy can be draft out.
6) Progressive policy
The company will reach out to government to support the development of effective policy
that advances sustainability.

Description of best practice models

The plan does check act cycle is a four-step model. The circle has no end and the cycle
should be repeat again and again for better output of improvement.
Plan:
Established the objectives necessary to be deliver with expected output or goals. By knowing
the goal of output, it can be a targeted improvement.
Do:
Implement the plan, collection of data and analysing.
Check:
Study the actual results and compare to the expectation of the output goals. To see if
everything goes according to plan.
Act:
If everything is according to plan then the company can continue and act moving forward but
if not, the company should think of a way on how to improve for a better plan and the cycle
repeat all over again.
This model can help the company to establish their policy well and review the policy results
and always find a way to improvise it while the policy is still implemented.

Question 3.
You will need to understand the organisational systems and practices that relate to and
support sustainability in the organisation for which you work. What does this mean and
why is a necessary? 200-300 words

 There are a number of best practices that foster business sustainability, and help
organisations move along the path from being behind to being leaders. These
practices include:
 Stakeholder engagement - Organisations can learn from customers, employees and
their surrounding community. Engagement is not only about pushing out messages,
but understanding opposition, finding common ground and involving stakeholders in
joint decision-making.
 Environmental management systems - These systems provide the structures and
processes that help embed environmental efficiency into a firm’s culture and mitigate
risks. The most widely recognised standard worldwide is ISO 14001, but numerous
other industry-specific and country-specific standards exist.
 Reporting and disclosure - Measurement and control are at the heart of instituting
sustainable practices. Not only can organisations collect and collate the information,
they can also be entirely transparent with outsiders. The Global Reporting Initiative is
one of many examples of well-recognised reporting standards;
 Life cycle analysis - Those organisations wanting to take a large leap forward should
systematically analyse the environmental and social impact of the products they use
and produce through life cycle analysis, which measure more accurately impacts.
 Businesses that are sustainable have been shown to attract and retain employees more
easily and experience less financial and reputation risk. These businesses are also
more innovative and adaptive to their environments.
Question 4.
What barriers might affect the implementation of sustainability policies and procedures
in an organisation? List at least 12. What strategies might be used to address them? List
at least 10.
1. Lack of Organisational Support
 A mismatch between what is espoused and what is practiced. Policies not being
carried through to implementation.
Strategies: Integrate sustainability into councils management plans, job descriptions and
induction training. Build momentum by doing the little things right. It is better to excel in a
few targeted areas rather than have average performance across a wide range of areas.

2. General manager and senior management support

 The level of personal commitment, knowledge and leadership provided by senior
management, in particular the General Manager of the council.
Strategies: Recognise staff achievements in the area of sustainability. The intranet and staff
newsletters are possible tools. Reward staff achievements in the area of sustainability e.g.
Staff Awards Program

3. Mayor and councillor leadership

 Strong leadership from the elected council. Simply having one or two new councillors
who are open to, and positive about, sustainability can be a key driver
Strategies: Harness councillor support by inviting them to pilot and champion council
sustainability initiatives. Use your mayor as a speaker for council events. Encourage
councillors to become representatives on sustainability committees.

4. Gap between Theory & Practice

 A mismatch between what is espoused and what is practiced. Policies not being
carried through to implementation
Strategies: Integrate sustainability into councils management plans, job descriptions and
induction training. Build momentum by doing the little things right. It is better to excel in a
few targeted areas rather than have average performance across a wide range of areas.

5. Sympathetic organisational structure

 The level of openness of staff to change can affect how sympathetic they are to the
sustainability agenda. A council motivated to come up with new and improved ways
 of doing things. A history of strong leadership and a policy of recruiting people with
these values and skills can contribute to a sympathetic organisational culture.
Strategies: Make the most of a positive organisational culture by involving staff from across
the organisation in sustainability planning and actions. Create opportunities for staff to
exchange ideas about sustainability. Start an internal sustainability committee or host lunch
time sustainability discussions.

6. Lack of staff capacity and high staff turn over

 Staff with responsibilities for engaging their organisation or community in
sustainability, feel the pressures of their wide-ranging responsibilities and the types of
skills required of them. There is a need for increasing skills of staff more generally.
High staff turnover and loss of corporate knowledge
Strategies: Improve staff capacity to work on sustainability issues by developing an internal
sustainability committee made up of staff from different divisions. Support professional
development opportunities around sustainability. Consider implementing a mentoring
program to give staff additional support.

7. Dedicated sustainability staff

 Having a sustainability position or a sustainability team was identified as a major
enabler. However regardless of a person’s job title or position within council, staff
who are highly motivated and possess skills in motivating others are extremely
important.
Strategies: Recognise dedicated staff by offering incentives such as staff bonuses and awards.
Encourage sustainability staff to speak at conferences.

8. Competing priorities
 A lower priority for environmental or social equity issues was often a reflection of
prevailing community attitudes, or lobbying by particular interest groups.
Strategies: Host sustainability workshops to raise community awareness and build
community support. Use community expectations and concerns to highlight the importance of
sustainability issues.

9. Media coverage of global and local issues

 Increased media coverage of sustainability issues can increase the level of
understanding and support for issues such as climate change and other environmental
issues.
Strategies: Use an interesting angle and eye-catching pictures. Link local sustainability
programs and events to current and dominant issues in the media.

10. Active and engaged community

 Active communities can have a major influence on the policies and priorities of the
elected council. For example, the influence of letters advocating action on particular
issues.
Strategies: Involve community champions in workshops; e.g. to give a short presentation on a
topic of their interest. Popular social media tools such as Facebook and YouTube can be used
to harness community support.

11. Inadequate systems for managing information

 For many councils, data management and IT systems present real challenges. The
problems of complex and incompatible systems, or lack of automation, can add to the
time involved in planning, coordination and reporting.
Strategies: Use internal financial management systems to track sustainable procurement.
Investigate the use of external companies to monitor your water and energy consumption.

12. Effective management systems

 Internal management systems that break down silos and ensure easy access to
information can help achieve sustainability outcomes.
Strategies: If you are using good systems for sustainability outcomes promote their use both
internally and externally.