Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to effectively analyse the workplace in relation to environmentally sustainable work practices and to implement improvements and monitor their effectiveness.

This unit requires the ability to access industry information, applicable legislative and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

While no licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply holistically to this unit at the time of publication, relevant national, state and territory legislation, regulations and codes of practice impact upon this unit.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to those with responsibility for a specific area of work or who lead a work group or team. It addresses the knowledge, processes and techniques necessary to implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices, including the development of processes and tools, such as: identifying areas for improvement; developing plans to make improvements; implementing and monitoring improvements in environmental performance.

A person who demonstrates competence in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to implement and monitor integrated environmental and resource efficiency management policies and procedures within an organisation. Evidence must be strictly relevant to the particular workplace role.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage

1.1. Identify environmental regulations applying to the enterprise.

1.2. Analyse procedures for assessing compliance with environmental/sustainability regulations.

1.3. Collect information on environmental and resource efficiency systems and procedures, and provide to the work group where appropriate.

1.4. Collect, analyse and organise information from a range of sources to provide information/advice and tools/resources for improvement opportunities.

1.5. Measure and document current resource usage of members of the work group.

1.6. Analyse and document current purchasing strategies.

1.7. Analyse current work processes to access information and data to assist in identifying areas for improvement.

2. Set targets for improvements

2.1. Seek input from stakeholders, key personnel and specialists.

2.2. Access external sources of information and data as required.

2.3. Evaluate alternative solutions to workplace environmental issues.

2.4. Set efficiency targets.

3. Implement performance improvement strategies

3.1. Source and use appropriate techniques and tools to assist in achieving efficiency targets.

3.2. Apply continuous improvement strategies to own work area of responsibility, including ideas and possible solutions to communicate to the work group and management.

3.3. Implement and integrate environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans for own work group with other operational activities.

3.4. Supervise and support team members to identify possible areas for improved practices and resource efficiency in work area.

3.5. Seek suggestions and ideas about environmental and resource efficiency management from stakeholders and act upon where appropriate.

3.6. Implement costing strategies to fully value environmental assets.

4. Monitor performance

4.1. Use and/or develop evaluation and monitoring, tools and technology.

4.2. Document and communicate outcomes to report on efficiency targets to key personnel and stakeholders.

4.3. Evaluate strategies and improvement plans.

4.4. Set new efficiency targets, and investigate and apply new tools and strategies.

4.5. Promote successful strategies and reward participants where possible.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• analytical skills to analyse problems, to devise solutions and to reflect on approaches taken
• change management skills
• communication skills to answer questions, clarify and acknowledge suggestions relating to work requirements and efficiency
• communication/consultation skills to support information flow from stakeholders to the work group
• innovation skills to identify improvements, to apply knowledge about resource use to organisational activities and to develop tools
• literacy skills to comprehend documentation, to interpret environmental and energy efficiency requirements, to create tools to measure and monitor improvements and to report outcomes
• numeracy skills to analyse data on organisational resource consumption and waste product volumes
• planning and organising skills to implement environmental and energy efficiency management polices and procedures relevant to own work area
• problem solving skills to devise approaches to improved environmental sustainability and to develop alternative approaches as required
• technology skills to operate and shut down equipment; where relevant, to use software systems for recording and filing documentation to measure current usage; and to use word processing and other basic software for interpreting charts, flowcharts, graphs and other visual data and information
• supervisory skills to work effectively with a team.

Required knowledge 

• best practice approaches relevant to own area of responsibility and industry
• compliance requirements within work area for all relevant environmental/sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice including resource hazards/risks associated with work area, job specifications and procedures
• environmental and energy efficiency issues, systems and procedures specific to industry practice
• external benchmarks and support for particular benchmarks to be used within organisation, including approaches to improving resource use for work area and expected outcomes
• OHS issues and requirements
• organisational structure and reporting channels and procedures
• quality assurance systems relevant to own work area
• strategies to maximise opportunities and to minimise impact relevant to own work area
• supply chain procedures
• terms and conditions of employment including policies and procedures, such as daily tasks, work area responsibilities, employee, supervisor and employer rights, equal opportunity.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

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

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• knowledge of relevant compliance requirements within work area
• developing plans to make improvements
• planning and organising work group activities in relation to measuring current use and devising strategies to improve usage
• monitoring resource use and improvements for environmental performance relative to work area and supervision
• ensuring appropriate action is taken within work area in relation to environmental/sustainability compliance and potential hazards
• implementing new approaches to work area in an effort to resolve and improve environmental and resource efficiency issues and reporting as required.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Compliance may include:

• meeting relevant laws, by laws and regulations or best practice or codes of practice to support compliance in environmental performance and sustainability at each level as required (such as Environmental Protection or Biodiversity Conservation Act):

• international
• commonwealth
• state/territory
• industry
• organisation.

Sources may include:

• organisation specifications
• regulatory sources
• relevant stakeholders
• resource use.

Purchasing strategies may include:

• influencing suppliers to take up environmental sustainability approaches
• researching and participating in programs such as a supply chain program to purchase sustainable products.

Stakeholders, key personnel and specialists may include:

• individuals and groups both inside and outside the organisation who have direct or indirect interest in the organisation's conduct, actions, products and services, including:

• customers
• employees at all levels of the organisation
• government
• investors
• local community
• other organisations
• suppliers

• key personnel within the organisation, and specialists outside the organisation who may have particular technical expertise.

Techniques and tools may include:

• examination of invoices from suppliers
• examination of relevant information and data
• measurements made under different conditions
• others as appropriate to the specific industry context.

Environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans may include:

• addressing environmental and resource sustainability initiatives such as: environmental management systems, action plans, green office programs, surveys and audits
• applying the waste management hierarchy in the workplace
• determining organisation's most appropriate waste treatment including waste to landfill, recycling, re use, recoverable resources and wastewater treatment
• initiating and/or maintaining appropriate organisational procedures for operational energy consumption, including stationary energy and non stationary (transport)
• preventing and minimising risks, and maximising opportunities such as:
• improving resource/energy efficiency
• reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
• reducing use of non renewable resources
• referencing standards, guidelines and approaches such as:

• ecological foot printing
• Energy Efficiency Opportunities Bill 2005
• Global Reporting Initiative
• green office program - a cultural change program
• green purchasing
• Greenhouse Challenge Plus (Australian government initiative)
• ISO 14001:1996 Environmental management systems life cycle analyses
• product stewardship
• supply chain management
• sustainability covenants/compacts
• triple bottom line reporting.

Suggestions may include ideas that help to:

• prevent and minimise risks and maximise opportunities such as:
• usage of solar or renewable energies where appropriate
• reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
• reducing use of non renewable resources
• making more efficient use of resources, energy and water
• maximising opportunities to re use, recycle and reclaim materials
• identifying strategies to offset or mitigate environmental impacts:
• purchasing carbon credits
• energy conservation
• reducing chemical use
• reducing material consumption
• expressing purchasing power through the selection of suppliers with improved environmental performance e.g. purchasing renewable energy
• eliminating the use of hazardous and toxic materials.

Unit sector 

Work

Co-requisite units 

Competency field