Bsbsus 501 Assignment - Course material and lecture notes PDF

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Course and lecture material with all information covered in class. It is a learner guide consisting information about sustainability...

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BSBSUS501A Develop workpla ce workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Learner Guide

Australian Institute of Technology Transfer© | Version 1.0 | 2017

© Australian Institute of Technology Transfer (AiTT) 2017 No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information or retrieval system, without the prior permission of AiTT. Requests for permission to use material contained in this publication should be directed to the Chief Executive Officer of AiTT. Every effort has been made to ensure that the material presented in this booklet is as accurate and up-to date as possible at the time of publication. Nevertheless, this material is issued by AiTT on the understanding that: 1.

AiTT, their officials, authors, or any other persons or agencies involved in the preparation of this publication expressly disclaim all or any contractual, tortuous, or other form of liability to any person (purchaser of this publication or not) in respect of the publication and any consequences arising from its use, including any omission made, by any person in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication.

2.

No person should act on the basis of the material contained in this publication without obtaining advice relevant to their own particular situation and without considering and taking professional advice as may be necessary.

© AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Co Conte nte ntent nt ntss Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Develop workplace su sustainability stainability policy ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Define scope of sustainability policy ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Gather information to plan and develop policy .............................................................................................................................. 6 Identify and consult stakeholders.............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Include strategies in policy at all stages of work ...........................................................................................................................8 Make recommendations for policy options .......................................................................................................................................9 Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability ................................................. 10 Agree to methods of implementation ................................................................................................................................................. 10 Communicate workplace sustain sustainability ability policy .............................................................................................................................12 Promote workplace sustainability policy ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Inform those involved in implementing the policy .................................................................................................................... 13 Implement workplace susta sustainability inability policy .................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................14 14 Develop and communicate procedures .............................................................................................................................................14 Implement strategies for continuous improvement.................................................................................................................14 Responsibility for tracking continuous improvements ........................................................................................................... 15 Examples of sustainability policies .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Review workplace sustainab sustainability ility policy implementation ...................................................................................................... 18 Document outcomes and provide feedback .................................................................................................................................. 18 Investigate successes or otherwise of policy ................................................................................................................................. 18 Monitor records to identify trends ........................................................................................................................................................... 19 Modify policy and or procedures as required ................................................................................................................................. 19 Sustainability Policies Exemplars ..........................................................................................................................................................21

© AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Introduction In the past the only motive for business was profit but in recent decades the expectations and responsibilities of businesses and corporations have grown. Sustainable practices recognise the impact an organisation has on the environment. Sustainability and environmental responsibility is now seen as a strategic part of business that impacts on public image and branding, compliance with regulations and laws and a means to manage costs and inputs to increase profit. Governments, consumers and the public are more aware of the environmental impact of society and expect organisations to act in the best interests of the community and future generations. The World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainable development as: “Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future.” Our Common Future (1987), WCED, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Sustainability has been defined as: "meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection, social advancement and economic prosperity". Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy, Hope for the Future, 2003

Sustainability issues include: •

climate change

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air quality

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water availability and quality

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biodiversity loss

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finite resources

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heritage loss

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waste generation

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noise

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genetically modified foods

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

To maximise the ongoing success of sustainability practices: •

encourage staff to generate ideas for change

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think strategically and develop a plan with ways to measure results

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research what other similar organisations have done

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estimate savings and benefits to build a strong argument for change

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regularly communicate findings and celebrate progress with your whole organisation.

© AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Develop workplace sustainability policy The quality of a sustainability policy is very important because it impacts throughout a workplace and requires changes to work systems and budgets. A thorough policy development process will ensure that good information has been gathered, stakeholders have been consulted and the policy is effective and aligned to the values of the organisation.

Define scope of sustainability policy Scope is about how far or how much detail you will look for your sustainability policy. It may refer to: • A site or building • A project or job • A department or team • A process eg production, marketing, delivery, sales • The whole workplace The scope is abou about:t: • what will be covered by the policy • who is responsible • what resources may be needed Being clear about the scope is important because it will determine the type of strategies that are needed, the budget, the people involved and how long the policy will take to implement.

Gather information to plan and develop policy Sources of information include: •

Laws and regulations – these will detail mandatory actions and guidelines for the policy

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Regulatory authorities – government agencies can provide advice, information and examples of best practice

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Staff with expertise – you may have employees specialising in environmental management and employees who can use their knowledge and experience to identify how work systems and procedures can be made more sustainable

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External specialists – there are people trained in sustainability that could be hired as consultants

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Secondary research – articles and blogs are published in magazines and online regarding sustainable policies © AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Identify and consult stakeholders Stakeholders are individuals and groups both inside and outside the organisation who have some direct interest in the organisation's actions, products and services. Stakeholders are a great source of information and feedback for policy development. They must also be kept informed about changes that will impact on them. Examples of stakeholders:

The scope for the policy will help you decide who to consult and the methods to use. How you consult with stakeholders is determined by the budget and the timeframe. You may hold stakeholder meetings, produce reports and policy documents or set up a virtual meeting so people in different regions can participate. A policy development team could be formed with a range of stakeholders as members. You may call for suggestions and submissions or focus on asking stakeholders questions to gather the information you need. Stakeholders are a valuable source of feedback. The draft policy and proposed strategies could be distributed to stakeholders for their feedback so they can be refined before implementation. Including the community representatives as stakeholders will ensure that sustainability policies have public support. © AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Include strategies in policy at all stages of work A workplace t is part of a long process that involves obtaining materials, using them to create products and services and delivering them to customers. This refers to the life cycle of products. Sustainability can be incorporated into each stage of the cycle to maximise environmental management. From where the raw materials come from, to how products are made, to how products are packaged and transported, to what happens to packaging and products when they are no longer needed.

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Policy strategies include: •

Run competitions to motivate staff eg rewards for suggestions or actions by work teams to be more sustainable, incentives for staff and teams to reduce their carbon footprint

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Ask for volunteers to join a sustainability group or ‘Green Team’ to develop and monitor sustainability policies

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Promote the idea of car pooling to reduce car use and carbon footprint

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Encourage people to bike or jog to work eg provide showers, bike racks

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Train staff in sustainability eg reducing energy use, increasing recycling, reducing waste

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Include sustainability in goals and values – this makes increasing sustainability mandatory and linked to work performance

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Raising awareness amongst stakeholders eg start a sustainability newsletter, discuss it at team meetings, include a statement in email signatures, display posters and brochures in the workplace, advertise your commitment to the environment

Make recommendations for policy options You will need to research the cost, timeframes and likely effectiveness of the proposed changes. Some changes will be more expensive initially and you will need to be able to justify the spending. Over time costs may decrease or the savings may eventually be greater than the costs of implementation. Assessing policy options in terms of their cost, timeframe and effectiveness is easier if you consult stakeholders. Staff from the finance department can help with likely costs, employees with technical expertise can help with timeframes and internal and external specialists can help with assessing effectiveness. Assessing effectiveness is difficult, as it is with any plan. On paper it may look great but turning a plan into reality involves many things that are out of your control. Conduct a risk assessment in terms of what could go wrong or have a negative impact on effectiveness. You can then decide which option has the lowest risk and is most likely to succeed. Decide of a method and process to assess and rank options and apply it consistently. Assess option optionss in terms of: •

How long it will take to see benefits

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Overall costs

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The value of the benefits

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Level of business risk © AiTT v1 2017 BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability – Learner Guide

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

When setting up this process you may have decided how recommendations and final options are selected. There may be a Green Team deciding, senior management may compare options and choose, department or project managers may decide or it may be based on a staff vote.

Develop policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to sustainability To demonstrate that your organisation is committed to sustainability, you will need to ensure that staff are constantly thinking about ways to improve sustainability. A way to do this is to incorporate sustainability into strategic planning. This means setting goals and KPIs for sustainability at the strategic, tactical and team levels. Achieving sustainability goals will be an area that must be achieved and reported on. Achieving sustainability targets would be linked to performance management. An organisation may focus their policy on areas relevant to their products and services. For example, a mining company may focus on reducing pollution, protecting biodiversity and rehabilitation of sites. A mechanic may focus on the safe disposal of oil and chemicals and recycling spare parts such as tyres. An accountant may focus on ways to reduce energy use in the office and digital documents to reduce paper use. Sustainability also presents a business opportunity. The systems and technologies you may develop for sustainability may be able to be sold to similar organisations. Being more sustainable will help build a positive reputation in the community. Being more efficient and reducing the use of energy and resources will improve your bottom line by reducing costs. A commitment to sustainability can also help build a more innovative culture as employees get in the habit of reflection, looking for improvements and thinking outside the box.

Agree to methods of implementation There must be agreement and commitment from management to implement the sustainability policy. If there has been consultation with stakeholders along the way, agreement will be easier to achieve. Stakeholders have been involved in the development of the policy and are informed about measures and strategies. Stakeholders may have also been involved in the development of KPIs and goals for the policy. A policy document may be signed by stakeholders to establish agreement. A clear plan for implementation may also be distributed for approval.

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Keep stakeholders informed of progress and changes to the policy and implementation plan. They may have agreed at the start but by keeping them involved and informed they will continue to support the policy and provide leadership to their teams.

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BSBSUS501A - Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Communicate workplace sustainability policy As with any plan or policy, it won’t succeed if people don’t know about it. Once a policy has been developed it must be communicated to all stakeholders and promoted to motivate them to commit to its success and achieving sustainability targets.

Promote workplace sustainability policy Promoting your sustainability policy is about educating staff and maintaining support for it. You will also need to promote it to other organisations you work with such as suppliers and contractors. The aim is to educate people about the policy and to motivate them to change the way they work. This can be done by promoting the benefits of sustainability. Here are some possible b benefits enefits to p promote: romote: •

Reduction in costs

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Increased profitability

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Enhancing reputation

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Recognition from government and industry bodies

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Compliance with environmental regulations

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Links to incentives and rewards for staff

You can promote these ben benefits efits in a variety of ways: •

Create a website or add a page to an existing website about your commitment to sustainability and your proposed changes

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Posters an...