Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.


Scope of sustainability policy may include:
integrated approach to sustainability that includes environmental, economic and social aspects, or a narrower one to focus on each aspect individually
parts of the enterprise to which it is to apply, including whether it is for the whole enterprise, one site, one work area or a combination of these
investigation of particular business and market context of the industry and enterprise
addressing sustainability initiatives through reference to standards, guidelines and approaches, such as:
ISO 14001 Environment Management System
life cycle analyses
global reporting initiative
ecological footprint assessment
triple bottom line reporting
product stewardship.


Stakeholders may include:
individuals and groups inside and outside the organisation that have some direct interest in the enterprise's conduct, actions, products and services, including:
employees at all levels of the organisation
customers
suppliers
regulators
other organisations.


Strategies may include:
awareness raising among stakeholders
training staff in principles and techniques of sustainability
promotional and educational activities
conducting audits of energy and waste within initial development of policy and procedures and their subsequent review
minimising environmental impacts through:
technological solutions
education
restricting and minimising use of particular resources
reducing use of energy through energy-saving devices
reducing waste
involving clients, stakeholders and other persons in contributing to sustainable practices.

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

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
project or work activities that show the candidate's ability to develop, implement and review strategic and integrated sustainability policies and procedures according to regulatory requirements for a given service industry operation
knowledge of specific and relevant legislative and industry regulatory requirements
knowledge of environmental, economic, social or cultural impacts and issues associated with the candidate's industry sector and the particular environments of operation
project or work activities conducted over a commercially realistic period of time so that the implementation and evaluation aspects of this unit can be assessed; for example, a sustainability policy can be established, evaluated and reviewed.


Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
access to a service industry operation for which sustainability policies and procedures can be developed, implemented, monitored and reviewed or
access to comprehensive and sufficient information about that operation to allow the candidate to participate fully and actively in developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing sustainability policies and procedures
access to current regulatory documents distributed by key federal, state or territory, and local government agencies, such as plain English legislative publications
access to industry codes, standards and accreditation scheme documentation that outline environmental, economic and social sustainability compliance issues
involvement of key people so that consultative actions can be implemented.


Methods of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of a portfolio that incorporates an entire written sustainability system for an organisation, including such things as policies, procedures, information fact sheets for workers, training plans and a communication strategy
evaluation of reports prepared by the candidate detailing how sustainability policies, systems and procedures were established for a given project or work activity
evaluation of project or work activities conducted in conjunction with an industry operator to allow the candidate to develop policies and procedures for a particular workplace
evaluation of implementation and review processes through interviews with key stakeholders or review of reports

case studies and problem-solving exercises to establish systems, policies and procedures for different workplace sizes and types

direct observation of the candidate reviewing workplace operations with a view to improving contribution to sustainable work practices direct observation of the candidate modelling minimal impact procedures within an environmentally sensitive area
project or case study to analyse appropriate strategies for minimising operational impacts and improving the sustainability of the workplace and local environment
written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of legislative and industry compliance requirements, environmental and social impacts of the operation, and local and regional environmental issues
review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
SITTPPD004A Plan and implement minimal impact operations
SITTPPD006B Plan and develop ecologically sustainable tourism operations.


Assessing employability skills
Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.