BSBSUS501-Develop Workplace Policy and Procedures for Sustainability

Tasks

You are to scope and develop college policies and procedures that comply with legislative requirements and support the college’s sustainability goals. Throughout the project, you will assume the role of owner and CEO of the college. (Use your knowledge and experience of vocational colleges to add any necessary details for the purposes of completing the assessment, if required).

Part A: Develop workplace policies and procedures for sustainability

1. You need to start by defining the scope of your sustainability policy.

(a) Describe the college. Include:

• name of the college

• a description of the type of activities it conducts

• the college’s overall business objectives/goals (in a few sentences or bullet points)

(b) Identify the areas that you think your policy should address. For example, include:

• minimising resource use

• resource efficiency

• energy efficiency

• reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use

2. Gather information from a range of sources to plan and develop your policy. You should conduct an internet research. Include, for example:

• Identification of key legislation that applies to the areas you plan to address

• Case studies and examples of other businesses and how they have managed e.g. - read the 3 case studies in the Appendix

• Any relevant government and council policies and initiatives

• Sample policies from other businesses

3. Identify the key stakeholders as a key component of the policy development process. These might be employees, suppliers, other businesses, students.

4. Now make recommendations for policy options based on likely effectiveness, timeframes and cost. You will need to do a cost benefit analysis and a risk assessment for each policy.

5. Develop the policy addressing the planned scope and including appropriate strategies in the policy at all stages of work for:

a. minimising resource use

b. reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use

c. employing life cycle management approaches Include in your policy:

d. agreed outcomes

e. performance indicators

f. activities to be undertaken (procedures)

g. assigned responsibilities

6.Ensure the policy reflects the organisation’s commitment to sustainability as an integral part of business planning and as a business opportunity, and cover at a minimum:

• minimising resource use

• resource efficiency

• reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use

• employing life cycle management approaches

• continuous improvement 

6. Discuss the policy and procedures with your team and agree to appropriate methods of implementation, outcomes and performance indicators. Take minutes of this meeting and record the agreement as to the implementation. 

Part B – Communicate workplace policies and procedures for sustainability

1. Develop a plan to promote your workplace sustainability policy, including its expected outcome, to key stakeholders including your employees.

2. Inform those involved in implementing the policy about expected outcomes, activities to be undertaken and assigned responsibilities. Do this in the form of a presentation to the team. 

Part C – Implement workplace policies and procedures for sustainability

1. Develop procedures to help implement the workplace sustainability policy and communicate it to your stakeholder team. Do this via a document which you will develop and circulate.

2. You also need to implement strategies for continuous improvement in resource efficiency. Write up your continuous improvement procedures and a continuous improvement register including sources of information and request for action, responsibilities and actions taken

3. Establish and assign responsibility for recording systems to track continuous improvements in sustainability approaches.

4. Write up your procedures for implementation of your sustainability policy and procedures in the form of an Action Plan.