Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2011

Course Code: EASC5040C

Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4223 - Certificate IV in Business Administration

Course Contact : Sylvia Baroutis

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5469

Course Contact Email:sylvia.baroutis@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 40

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes 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.

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.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	BSBSUS301A Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices
Element:	3. Implement performance improvement strategies
Performance Criteria:	Source and use appropriate techniques and tools to assist in achieving efficiency targets Apply continuous improvement strategies to own work area of responsibility, including ideas and possible solutions to communicate to the work group and management Implement and integrate environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans for own work group with other operational activities Supervise and support team members to identify possible areas for improved practices and resource efficiency in work area Seek suggestions and ideas about environmental and resource efficiency management from stakeholders and act upon where appropriate Implement costing strategies to fully value environmental assets
Element:	2. Set targets for improvements
Performance Criteria:	Seek input from stakeholders, key  personnel and specialists Access external sources of information and data as required Evaluate alternative solutions to workplace environmental issues Set efficiency targets
Element:	4. Monitor performance
Performance Criteria:	Use and/or develop evaluation and monitoring, tools and technology Document and communicate outcomes to report on efficiency targets to key personnel and stakeholders Evaluate strategies and improvement plans Set new efficiency targets, and investigate and apply new tools and strategies Promote successful strategies and reward participants where possible
Element:	1. Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage
Performance Criteria:	Identify environmental regulations applying to the enterprise Analyse procedures for assessing compliance with environmental/sustainability regulations Collect information on environmental and resource efficiency systems and procedures, and provide to the work group where appropriate Collect, analyse and organise information from a range of sources to provide information/advice and tools/resources for improvement opportunities Measure and document current resource usage of members of the work group Analyse and document current purchasing strategies Analyse current work processes to access information and data to assist in identifying areas for improvement

Learning Outcomes

Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities for full-time students will include ’hands-on’ participation in a simulated business environment (a Virtual Enterprise - VE).  Flexible-delivery students will use a real workplace on which to base research and analysis of the sustainability of products/services used and produced, as well as business processes used.

On-line activities using self-paced resources on the RMIT online Learning Hub will be used by both groups (full-time and flexible-delivery students) in order to develop the necessary underpinning skills and knowledge for this unit.  These activities may include, for example, responses to case studies, questions in order to assess knowledge of environmental and energy efficiency issues and procedures specific to industry practice and analyses of the way in which advice is sought and suggestions are made about improvement. 

’What is a VE?

A Virtual Enterprise (VE) is a simulated business that participants organise and run as a hands-on way of learning about business practices and procedures, and most importantly, learning about their local businesses and industries.

These virtual businesses trade with each other across Australia, buying and selling virtual goods with virtual money.  This activity replicates the real business economy, and results in a huge range of processes (such as marketing, purchasing, invoicing, organising salary payments, and paying regular electricity and phone bills) becoming second nature to the participants.

The "virtual" focus is important for two reasons. The lack of real money and real products means that participants are testing business procedures, practices and cultures that are based on their planning decisions, and that are not complicated by an undue initial focus on finding missing dollars!

Like most of the Australian workforce, our participants adapt quickly to their "online business" through using internet for promotions, purchase orders and receipts. They have the added advantage of understanding the "paper trail" by learning how to write chques, knowing the difference between invoices payable and receivable, and undertaking bank reconcilations.

VEs are mentored by a local business person who meets regularly with the participants, helping them with business planning, marketing strategies, staff management and other issues that regularly arise in work groups.’ (Downloaded from the Virtual Enterprise Australia website - 13/01/11).

How will the VE relate to this unit?

You will carry out an analysis of the sales and/or purchasing data in the VE, in order to develop, or improve, the sustainability of the simulated workplace environment. You will obtain some ’hard data’ first. After analysing this information, you will develop ideas for improving the way that the VE produces ethically and environmentally sustainable products and services as well as using sustainable products and processes.

NB: This course is co-delivered with BSBWRT401A Write complex documents and BSBADM405B Organise meetings for full time students only.

Teaching Schedule

WEEK	CONTENT	FULL-TIME AND FLEXIBLE DELIVERY STUDENTS	FULL TIME STUDENTS: Face-to-face theory class/VE FLEXIBLE DELIVERY STUDENTS: All classes online via myRMIT Studies	FULL-TIME STUDENTS	FLEXIBLE DELIVERY STUDENTS	ASSESSMENT
		Elements BSBSUS301A	Elements BSBWRT401A	Elements BSBADM405B	BSBSUS301A
1	Overview of courses Assessment Learning activities Mode of delivery	1	1, 2		Face to Face  Class/Induction  8 February 2011
2	Investigate current practices in  relation to resource usage  Environmental regulations	1	1, 2	1.1 - 1.5	Online class	Due: 25/02/11
3	Investigate current practices in  relation to resource usage  Procedures for assessing  compliance	1	1, 2, 3	1.1 - 1.5	Online class	Due: 4/03/11
4	Investigate current practices in  relation to resource usage  Collect relevant information  for the workgroup	1	1 - 4	All	Online class	Due: 11/03/11
5	Investigate current practices in  relation to resource usage  Measuring resource usage  Purchasing strategies	1	1, 2	2.1 - 2.4	Online class	Due: 18/03/11
6	Investigate current practices in  relation to resource usage  Measuring resource usage  Purchasing strategies	1	3, 4	1.1 - 1.5  2.1 - 2.4  3.1 - 3.4	Online class	Due: 25/03/11
7	Set targets for improvement  External sources of information  and data	2	1, 4	3.1 - 3.4	Online class	Due: 1/04/11
8	Set targets for improvement  Evaluate alternative solutions  Set efficiency targets	2	3, 4	1.1 - 1.5  2.1 - 2.4  3.1 - 3.4	Online class	Due: 8/04/11
9	Implement performance  management strategies  Techniques and tools  Continuous improvement  strategies	3	4	All	Online class	Due: 15/04/11
10	Implement performance  management strategies  Environmental and  resource efficiency  improvement plans  Supervise team members	3	4	All	Online class	Due: 29/04/11
11	Implement performance  management strategies  Seek suggestions for  improvements  Costing strategies	3	3, 4	All	Online class	Due: 6/05/11
12	Monitor performance  Tools and technology  for evaluation and  monitoring	4	1 - 4	All	Online class	Due: 13/05/11
13	Monitor performance  Communicating outcomes	4	1 - 4	All	Online class	Due: 20/05/11
14	Monitor performance  Evaluate strategies	4	1 - 4	All	Online class	Due: 27/05/11
15	Monitor performance  New targets, tools and strategies	4	1- 4	All	Online class	Due: 3/06/11
16	Monitor performance  Promote successful strategies	4	1 - 4	All	Online class	Due: 10/06/11

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Software Publications Writing Team, Implement and Monitor Environmentally Sustainable Work Practices, BSBSUS301A, Software Publications, 2009

1-74123-950-8

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

Assessment may incorporate a variety of methods including technical requirements documentation, homework, assignments, group and/or individual projects, in class exercises, written and practical assessments, problem solving exercises, presentations, direct observation of actual and simulated work practice, presentation of a portfolio of evidence which may comprise documents, and/or photographs and/or video and audio files, review of products produced through work-based or course activities.

Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met. Students will be provided with feedback throughout the course to check their progress.

Assessment Tasks

Portfolio of Evidence

Evidence for your portfolio will be created and produced on a regular basis (weekly).  (Please refer to your weekly online classes for detailed information on the evidence you need to produce and collect.)  Your portfolio pieces of evidence will be submitted electronically to your personal online journal on the RMIT online Learning Hub/Blackboard.  Your portfolio of evidence will be marked Competency Achieved or Not Yet Competent (CA/NYC).  Higher grading for the portfolio is not available for this unit.

Virtual Enterprise OR Workplace Assignment

You are required to carry out an analysis of the sales and/or purchasing data in the Virtual Enterprise at RMIT OR at your workplace (or a workplace of your choice) in order to develop, or improve, the sustainability of the workpalce environment.  Firstly, you will investigate the current practices in the simulated or real workplace in relation to the current resource usage.  After analysing the ’hard data’ you will set targets in order to develop, or improve the current practices.  You will then make recommendations on the use of appropriate techniques and tools to assist in achieving the new targets, and, where possible, put in place environmental and improvement plans for your own workgroup. Lastly, you will make recommendations on how to monitor the performance in relation to the new targets and processes.  (Please refer to the Sustainability Project available on the RMIT onLine Learning Hub/Blackboard for further details of this assignment). 

Please note: 

You must achieve competence in all elements before a higher grade can be achieved.
Due to the complex nature of this unit, you may be required to demonstrate competency more than once.

Assessment Matrix

The critical aspects of assessment are a summary of the skills and knowledge you need to demonstrate competency in this learning unit.

They are included here in a matrix so that you can see the relationship between the units of competency and the assessment activities.

Please note that due to the complex nature of this unit of competency, you may be asked to demonstrate competency more than once.

BSBSUS301A Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices	Portfolio of Evidence	VE OR Workplace Assignment
Critical aspects
Knowledge of relevant compliance requirements within work area	Y	Y
Developing plans to make improvements	Y	Y
Planning and organising work group activities in relation to measuring current use and devising strategies to improve usage	Y	Y
Monitoring resource use and improvements for environmental performance relative to work area and supervision	Y	Y
Ensuring appropriate action is taken within work area in relation to environmental/sustainability compliance and potential hazards	Y	Y
Implementing new approaches to work area in an effort to resolve and improve environmental and resource efficiency issues and reporting as required.	Y	Y

 

Grading for VE or Workplace Assignment

CHD	CDI	CC	CA	NYC/DNS
Competency with High Distinction	Competency with Distinction	Competency with Credit	Competency Achieved	Not Yet Competent? Did Not Sit

Course Overview: Access Course Overview