BSBSUS501 Student Assessment Tool

BSBSUS501 Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability

Assessment Overview

• This Student Assessment Booklet includes all your tasks for assessment of BSBSUS501 Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability.

About your assessments

• This unit requires that you complete 3 assessment tasks. You must complete all tasks to achieve competency for this unit.

How to submit your assessments

• When you have completed each assessment task you will need to submit it to your assessor.
• Instructions about submission can be found at the beginning of each assessment task.
• Make sure you photocopy your written activities before you submit them – your assessor will put the documents you submit into your student file. These will not be returned to you.

Assessment Task Cover Sheet

At the beginning of each task in this booklet, you will find an Assessment Task Cover Sheet. Please fill it in for each task, making sure you sign the student declaration.

After assessing your tasks, your assessor will provide you feedback.

Assessment appeals

• You can make an appeal about an assessment decision by putting it in writing and sending it to us. Refer to your Student Handbook for more information about our appeals process.

Assessment plans

• The following outlines the requirements of your final assessment for this unit. You are required to complete all tasks to demonstrate competency for the unit/s in this topic.
• Your assessor will provide you with the due dates for each assessment task. Write them in the table below.

ASSESSMENT TASK COVER SHEET – ASSESSMENT TASK 1

• Please fill out this cover sheet clearly and accurately. Make sure you have kept a copy of your work.

Assessment Task 1: Written questions

Task summary

• You are to answer all written questions.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Access to textbooks and other learning materials.
• Access to a computer, printer, Internet and email software (if required).

When and where do I need to complete this task?

• This task may be done in your own time as homework or you may be given time to do this task in class (where applicable).
• Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What do I need to submit?

• Your answers to each question in this task.

Instructions

• This is an open book test – you can use your learning materials as reference.
• You must answer all questions in this task correctly.
• You must answer the questions by typing your answers in Microsoft Word or a similar program – your assessor will advise as to whether you must email them your completed assessment, submit the file on a USB drive or hand in a hard copy

Question 1

• Name the Australian Government’s central piece of environmental legislation and discuss its purpose (Maximum word is 100).

Question 2

1. Explain the appropriate process for developing a policy and procedure.
2. Who are the types of people that should be consulted with during policy development?
3. What strategies can you implement for monitoring and reviewing policies?

(Maximum word is 50 to each response).

Question 3

• Explain how you would approach each of the following barriers and challenges when implementing policies and procedures.
• An employee does not believe the new policy will be a benefit to the workplace. They are too stuck in their old ways and are resistant to change.
• The new policy and procedure are too complex to follow so employees avoid using it.
• Most of the policies and procedures have not been updated for some time because management do not want to allocate resources for the updates. (Maximum word is 70 to each response).

Question 4

The managers of The Best Bite Café have just replaced the existing lights to energy saving bulbs. They decided to implement the change in order to save on energy use and do their part within the community in promoting sustainable practices and helping the environment.

(Maximum word is 100 to each response).

1. Over the next quarter they would like to see how the change in light bulbs impacts their usage and overall costs on the business. Explain how they could monitor costs and encourage staff usage over the next quarter.
2. Before implementing a new energy saving policy, the managers must identify the responsibilities of everyone involved. This will help keep people accountable. Outline the roles and responsibilities for management and employees involved in the policy:

• Management
• Employees

1. Over the next quarter the café received their bill. Review the usage against the same quarter in the previous year and calculate the total usage.

1. The cafe managers are so proud of the strong results they have attained on their energy use and staff engagement after the last quarter and would like to share their achievements with the wider community. What are some ways the centre could promote their sustainable practices?

ASSESSMENT TASK COVER SHEET – ASSESSMENT TASK 2

• Please fill out this cover sheet clearly and accurately. Make sure you have kept a copy of your work.

Assessment Task 2: Case study

Task summary

• For this task you are required to answer the case study questions to demonstrate your knowledge of:
• Sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
• Workplace policies and review processes.
• Effective monitoring of the implementation of workplace policies and processes.
• Policy consultation and evaluation methods.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Access to textbooks and other learning materials.
• Access to a computer, printer, Internet and email software (if required).
• Pompoms Hotel Waste Management Policy
• Access to the following websites:

https://www.environment.gov.au

http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-us/legislation/acts-administered-by-epa

www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/publications/publication/2013/december/1558

When and where should the task be completed?

• This task may be done in your own time as homework or you may be given time to do this task in class (where applicable).
• Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What needs to be submitted?

• Your answers to all questions formatted in a word-processed document (at least 1.5 spacing with Arial 12).

Instructions

• Read the case study below and answer all questions correctly.

Pompoms Hotel

You work as the manager of Pompoms Hotel, a 200-room hotel located in Melbourne.

You have been instructed to review the hotel’s waste management policy and investigate the current use of resources at the hotel.

Sustainable awareness in the workplace is not one of your strengths, leading you to undertake some research on relevant regulatory requirements before moving forward. 

As a consultative manager, you thought it beneficial for your work group to participate in the review and arranged an information session to discuss the topic further.

During the information session, you discovered some passion amongst workers for sustainability and gathered some useful ideas enabling you to set targets and commence work on developing a plan of action.

Question 1

1. List one piece of legislation, one regulation and one code of practice that relate to environmental issues in this workplace. Explain the compliance requirements of each (Maximum word is 120).
2. Explain how this information can be used to develop a sustainability policy (Maximum word is 80).

Question 2

1. Read the Pompoms Hotel Waste management policy. Review the policy identifying areas where Pompoms Hotel can improve their practices
2. Describe the general procedure for seeking approval to change current policies.
3. List five stakeholders you could seek input from when setting objectives and targets. For each example provide the type of input they may provide.

(Maximum word is 100 to each response).

Question 3

List three approaches you could apply in the workplace to assess compliance with sustainability practices.

(Maximum word is 100).

Question 4

• Describe how you could measure and document current resource usage for the following at Pompoms Hotel.
• Paper
• Energy such as electricity
• Transportation
• A minimum of one example for each item is required.
• (Maximum word is 100).

Pompoms Hotel continued

After conducting research and consulting with relevant people you have developed a plan of action. You are now ready to implement your changes although, cautious of your actions and how they may impact on others. Having seen a number of systems fail due to the way they were introduced and implemented in the past you decided to evaluate this process.

As part of your implementation plan, you have decided to provide an ongoing monitoring program and evaluation process.

Question 5

• Describe the approach you would take as manager to communicate the changes, including assigned responsibilities, proposed outcomes and activities to both your team and senior management (Maximum word is 100).

Question 6

• Describe how you would support your team during this project (No more than 70 words).

Question 7

1. Describe how you would monitor the new waste management procedures?
2. Describe how you would report the progress to management and staff.
3. List at least five pieces of key information you would include in your evaluation tool.

(No more than 70 words to each response).

Question 8

• List three strategies you could implement to evaluate the overall project.
• (No more than 50 words).

ASSESSMENT TASK COVER SHEET – ASSESSMENT TASK 3

• Please fill out this cover sheet clearly and accurately. Make sure you have kept a copy of your work.

Assessment Task 3: Project

Task summary

• The task is divided into three parts:
• Part A: Review sustainable practices
• Part B: Develop a policy
• Part C: Policy review and consultation.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Computer and Microsoft Office.
• Access to the Internet for research.
• Access to a classroom as a simulated environment.
• Access to classmates for group task work.
• Access to a business/operational environment (any workplace).
• Access to an employee of a business/operational environment for consultative purposes.

When and where do I need to complete this task?

• Part A – Part of this task involves visiting a business/operational environment. Students can do the written part of this task in their own time as homework or in class (where applicable).
• Part B – Students can do these tasks in their own time as homework. Policy review will be completed in pairs in class.
• Part C – Part of this task involves visiting a business/operational environment to consult with an employee. Students can do the written part of this task in their own time as homework or in class (where applicable)
• Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What do I need to submit?

• Part A – A completed sustainability assessment report.
• Part B – A completed policy on sustainable practice.
• Part C – Three completed survey/questionnaires and a completed outcome report.

Part A – Conduct a sustainability assessment

• For this task, you are required to assess sustainable practices in one business/operational environment of your choice.
• For this task, you are required to choose one business/operational environment and investigate their current sustainability practices. This may be your workplace or any other workplace of your choice.
• 1. Obtain permission from the manager to conduct a sustainability audit. Explain this is for your assessment purposes only.

2. Walk around your chosen business to analyse and safely assess the physical environment. You may be required to have a discussion with the manager or an employee to obtain relevant information.

• Areas for review include water, waste, energy and chemical use.
• For each area, describe the area of sustainability including any implemented practices, the type of resources in place to support sustainable practices, the impacts/outcomes of current practices etc. Sample questions have been provided for you to consider when completing your assessment.

3. Use the template provided to complete your assessment (word limits are 1000-1200). Space has been provided for you to provide your response. Add more space where required.

4. Submit your sustainability assessment to your assessor. Your assessor will advise as to whether you must email them your completed assessment, submit the file on a USB drive or hand in a hard copy.

 

• Sustainability assessment report

Part B – Develop a sustainability policy

For this task, you are required to develop a sustainability policy. Complete this task after you have completed Part A.

1. Select one area of sustainable practice in the workplace that you have assessed in Part A that could be improved. Based on that gap identified, develop a sustainability policy that could be used to address that problem.

• Use the template included in this document your policy.
• Ensure that your policy reflects the organisation’s commitment to sustainability.
• Include appropriate strategies to minimise resource use, reduce toxic/hazardous materials and chemicals.
• Develop the policy in consideration of effectiveness, timeframes and cost.
  2. Swap policies with one of your classmates.
• Review each other’s policies and give each other constructive feedback on the structure, content, outcomes and practicality of each policy.
• Discuss feedback and negotiate on agreed changes.

Note: Your assessor will observe your discussion to ensure that you are using appropriate communication techniques, including active listening and questioning skills to confirm understanding.

• Take notes of feedback, including agreed on improvements to be made.
• Make required changes to your policy based on the feedback you have received and agreed with.
  3. Submit your sustainability policy and feedback notes (word limits are 600-700). Your assessor will advise as to whether you must email them your completed assessment, submit the file on a USB drive or hand in a hard copy.

 

• Sustainability policy

Policy scope

Policy goals and objectives

Strategies to achieve goals

Employees

Review period:

Part C – Policy review and consultation

• For this task, you are required to conduct a review of one existing policy and procedure on sustainable practices in a business/operational environment.
  1. Research and access one business/operational environment and organise a time to speak with three staff members employed at the workplace.

Your assessor may be able to guide you in finding a workplace to approach. You may be working yourself (in this case you can have a discussion with a colleague) or you may know someone (friend/family member) who currently works who could help you with this task.

• Explain the purpose of your assessment and organise a suitable time to discuss one of their workplace’s existing sustainability policies and procedures.
• Prior to your discussion, you will need to review the sustainability policy that you plan to discuss. You may need to obtain permission from management to access and read the policy and procedure.

2. Develop a short questionnaire to guide you to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy.

• Suggestions of areas to assess could include: the benefits and challenges of each practice, whether they believe they are effective/ could be followed correctly in the workplace, the expected outcomes of the policy and what aspects of the practice and policy could be improved. Refer to the outcome report template as a guide to developing your own questionnaire.

3. Participate in the discussion/feedback session. Ask the employee the questions that you have developed in your questionnaire.

• Once you have gathered the information and feedback, report on the outcome using the template provided in this document.

4. Submit your completed questionnaire and report to your assessor. Your assessor will advise as to whether you must email them your completed assessment, submit the file on a USB drive or hand in a hard copy.

• NOTE: You will also be reviewing the policies developed by fellow classmates and providing feedback on their policies.