Unit of competency details

1

Determine sustainability interactions with the community

1.1

Process map operation for the chosen portion of value chain

1.2

Determine sustainability related impacts on the community for each process step

1.3

Determine overall impacts on the community from the portion of the value chain as a whole

1.4

Determine overall impacts on the community from the complete value chain

2

Engage with the community

2.1

Determine any known community issues and actions which may be relevant to value chain

2.2

Determine impact of community issues and actions on the sustainability of the organisation and its value chain

2.3

Identify key community groups, representatives and opinion influencers

2.4

Determine best strategy for engagement with the community on sustainability issues

2.5

Implement strategy to define community sustainability issues with the organisation and value chain

2.6

Rank issues by importance to the community and organisation

2.7

Report issues and rankings back to appropriate internal stakeholders

3

Compare issues raised with impacts determined

3.1

Select issues for action based on rankings and internal stakeholder feedback

3.2

Determine root cause of selected issues

3.3

Determine regulatory impact of issues and possible responses

3.4

Develop an appropriate response for selected issues Explore alternative methods of addressing selected issues

3.5

Categorise alternative methods

4

Negotiate acceptable solutions

4.1

Negotiate solutions acceptable to the community, the organisation and value chain members

4.2

Agree a timeline for action and indicators of progress

4.3

Identify issues where no short-term resolution is achievable

4.4

Establish agreed mechanism for ongoing monitoring of progress by the community

4.5

Record this in appropriate manner and promulgate to relevant stakeholders

5

Monitor and report progress of agreed solutions

5.1

Ensure projects are initiated as agreed

5.2

Collect agreed metrics or other indicators

5.3

Take appropriate action if solutions are not delivering as anticipated

5.4

Maintain dialogue with community as agreed

5.5

Complete appropriate recording and reporting

Required skills

Required skills include:

• process mapping
• interpreting specifications, operating procedures, manuals, regulations and other complex documents
• communicating, consulting and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders
• analysing and problem solving, including root cause analysis
• interpreting and manipulating data, including establishing series, means, correlations and rates of change
• drafting reports
• establishing and maintaining effective dialogue with stakeholders

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

• process and changes which occur at each step in selected value chain
• principles of sustainability
• causes of adverse ecological impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them
• causes of adverse social impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them
• causes of adverse economic impacts and methods of controlling/reducing them
• root cause analysis
• hierarchy of hazard control and its application to sustainability hazards
• sustainability hierarchy
• relevant legislation, regulation and protocols, government incentives and other initiatives
• risk analysis and its application to sustainability risks
• community benefits offered by the organisation/its value chain

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to analyse and negotiate the sustainability related impacts of an organisation on the community and the impact back on the organisation and its value chain of sustainability related actions of the community.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:

• identifying interactions with the community that are sustainability related
• defining and analysing impact of the interactions on the organisation and all or part of the value chain
• developing and following through on ways of reducing adverse impacts/improving positive impacts
• communicating the above as appropriate

Context of and specific resources for assessment

• This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
• Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
• This unit of competency may be assessed with other relevant units addressing sustainability at the enterprise level or other units requiring the exercise of the skills and knowledge covered by this unit.
• The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Method of assessment

• In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
• Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
• The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work-like environment.

Guidance information for assessment

Sustainability 

Sustainability incorporates the three aspects of:

• Survival of the ecology/physical environment (to manage the impact of the business to ensure the survival of the physical environment)
• Economic viability (efficiency, cost and waste reduction and competitiveness to support survival of the business)
• Social sustainability (to manage the impact of the business to ensure its continued survival within the community and the survival of the community)

Process Mapping 

Process mapping is a technique for visualising/drawing a set of interrelated work activities characterised by a set of inputs and value-added tasks that produce a set of outputs. It applies to any process producing a good or a service

Portion of the value chain 

Value chain is the sequence of activities that a firm undertakes to create value/product (good or service). Portion of the value chain includes sections internal or external to the organisation

Community 

Community may include:

• residents living in the area of the value chain
• people who use amenities in the area of the value chain
• people who work near the value chain
• employees of the value chain or the organisation
• other organisations in the area of the value chain
• general community

Amenities  

Amenities may include:

• roads and public transport
• waterways
• parks and gardens
• public facilities, such as halls, libraries, shopping centres and other facilities open to the public

Interactions  

Interactions on or from the community may include:

• any sustainability related interaction external to the value chain. It may include a perceived impact

Importance to the community 

Importance to the community may be based on:

• significance of impact
• importance perceived by a community member or organisation

Sustainability issues of particular relevance 

Sustainability issues of particular relevance include:

• particular sensitivities of the local ecology, such as:
• endangered species
• sensitive local flora/fauna
• material scarcity
• water availability
• general ecology issues and regulations, such as:
• climate change and carbon footprint
• pollution control measures
• particular local social issues, such as:
• distortions to the housing market
• disruption to local lifestyles
• perceived or actual negative impact on the health of individuals in the community
• general social issues, such as:
• corporate citizenship
• use or/deterioration to infrastructure
• particular local economic issues, such as:
• cost of capital
• profit margins
• competition
• general economic issues, such as:
• state of the economy
• stage of the business cycle

Significance of impact 

Significance of impact includes:

• permanent loss or degradation
• loss or degradation which inhibits use by the following generation
• temporary degradation requiring remediation
• temporary degradation which is self remediating
• speed of change/degradation/loss

Appropriate response 

Appropriate response includes:

• application of the hierarchy of hazard control to sustainability hazards
• when the impact cannot be prevented application of mitigation and amelioration techniques, such as:
• capture and storage (e.g. scrubbing) and similar ‘end of pipe’ solutions
• dilution/dispersion and similar techniques which reduce concentration but not amount
• other approaches which meet the sustainability requirements