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In a Systematic Way
So
the challenge is to become a more sustainable organisation. You
know the issues and your impacts, so how do you make change for
the better and improve performance? One way would be to highlight
an issue and concentrate on improving that. But how do you keep
that going when other impacts need to be addressed too, and how
do you keep the momentum of improvement going once you’ve reached
a milestone?
Using a management system is all about the continual improvement
of your performance over time, carried out in a systematic, cyclical
way. Most management systems follow a ‘plan - do - check - act’
cycle. Management systems exist in many different areas including,
health and safety, information security, complaints, quality (both
generic and sector specific), environment and sustainability.
Systematic management doesn’t have to be complex, it can be tailored
to fit, whether your organisation is small or large, IT savvy or
paper-based. Usually systems work best when they are simple, easy
to use and lead to performance improvement and this latter point
is vital there is no point in developing a system if it doesn’t
help you do things better. So, before you embark on a major systems
binge, stop and think what you really need: what methods work best
in your organisation, is the workforce familiar with using systems
and will a simple solution work just as well as (or better than)
the all singing, all dancing option.
Below we outline two systems you might like to think about: ISO14001
(Environmental Management System) and The SIGMA Guidelines for Sustainability
Management - they also help explain how management systems usually
work.
Environmental management is the best-known management process relating
to sustainability, but it only promotes improvements in environmental
sustainability. Environmental management systems offer the opportunity
for organisations to integrate environmental considerations into
all their activities and decisions. ISO14001 is the main international
standard for environmental management systems and it outlines the
process of achieving continual improvement and compliance with legislation.
To get ‘accredited’ to ISO 14001 your organisation must show its
commitment to continual improvement and evidence that actions are
being taken to make this happen.
With ISO 14001, once you have determined
your environmental policy (your objectives), a systematic management
cycle is followed which involves:
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planning
and prioritising what improvements are needed |
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implementing
programmes or initiatives to achieve these improvements |
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checking
that the improvements have been made |
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and finally
reviewing the process so that the improvement cycle can start
again at the planning stage. |
Sustainability, however, involves a more
complex set of linked issues, of which environment is only one part.
So how does your organisation manage the complex mix of issues and
impacts associated with environmental protection, social responsibility
and economic performance?
A new approach has been developed by Project Sigma. The Sigma guidelines have been designed to bring
together the jigsaw of environmental, social and economic sustainability
standards, tools and systems; and combine them with new elements
of research and practice-based learning. The guidelines explain
clearly what is required to integrate sustainability into organisational
management and what outcomes can be expected. They also have the
benefit of helping organisations understand how to build on what
they already have in place.
The main output of the guidelines is the Sigma Management Framework
which, through a typical management cycle, integrates sustainable
development issues into core processes and mainstream decision-making.
Four systematic phases allow your organisation to develop, plan,
deliver, monitor and report on its sustainable development strategy
and performance. Organisations may enter the cycle at different
points and work through the phases at different speeds according
to their particular circumstances and existing systems.
The phases are:
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Leadership and Vision - define the vision for sustainability and ensure leadership support for it |
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Planning - decide what needs to be done to improve performance |
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Delivery - Improve performance |
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Monitor, Review, Report - check that performance is improving and communicate the results. |
For more information on Project Sigma and the Sigma guidelines visit their website.
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