Assessment description
You have been hired as the new environment officer at Tiny Opera Company. You will need to review the Tiny Opera Company case study including their sustainability policy. You need to determine the shortfalls between the sustainability approach and the practices required of Tiny Opera Company and develop the sustainability policy to reflect those requirements.
You will need to present draft policy documents to the Business Manager (your assessor) to agree on the final policy document.
For Part B, you will review corporate information available from the Sydney Opera House and use the targets provided to develop an implementation plan and monitoring strategy to meet those targets.
Part A
Assessment Instruction
STRATHFIELD COLLEGE
Strathfield College Pty Ltd
CRICOS Code: 02736K National Code: 91223 ABN: 85 168 435 667
1. Review the case study information provided and determine all legislative and regulatory documents that describe compliance requirements for this company.
2. Research best practice models used by theatres and performance spaces.
3. Draft a sustainability policy for Tiny Opera Company based on your research, the company information provided and your consultation session. Ensure that you:
a. specify the scope of the policy (who it applies to, relevant standards and legislation)
b. outline Tiny Opera Company's commitment to the policy
c. address areas of sustainability that Tiny Opera Company specifically wants to focus on.
4. Meet with Business Manager (your assessor) to discuss:
a. typical barriers to sustainability policy implementation and possible strategies to address barriers
b. the process you are taking to develop the policy
c. the draft policy and gain approval for your draft.
5. Update your draft policy according to agreements that you made in consultation with the Business Manager.
6. Collate your research into legislation and best practice models and the sustainability policy you have developed into an interim report that includes:
a. an outline of the environmental and sustainability legislation that applies to Tiny Opera Company
b. an explanation of how you developed a sustainability policy that reflects Tiny Opera Company's commitment to sustainability
c. strategies for promoting awareness of the sustainability policy
d. strategies for maximising the impact of the policy (training, marketing, stakeholder engagement).
7. Submit the report, and the final version of the sustainability policy, to your assessor. Ensure you keep copies for your records.
Part B
You will develop an implementation plan and monitoring strategy to meet Sydney Opera House targets provided.
1. Review the Sydney Opera House vision, mission, goals and policies, especially the Environmental Sustainability Policy.
These documents are available from the Corporate Information page at:
.
2. Complete a sustainability implementation plan (using the template provided in Appendix 2) to implement the Sydney Opera House sustainability policy and meet the sustainability targets set out in Appendix 1. In the implementation plan, include:
a. two or more actions for each target (listed in Appendix 1)
b. at least one action that involves staff training
c. at least one action that involves communication to staff through a presentation.
3. Develop a monitoring strategy (using the template provided in Appendix 3) for meeting the targets that includes:
a. key outcomes expected for each action and person
b. metrics/key performance indicators for each action
c. a method of gathering and recording data on sustainability performance.
4. Using your implementation plan, you will develop a training session for Sydney Opera House employees. Your aim is to use the training to improve resource efficiency at the Sydney Opera House.
5. Develop a training session in accordance with your implementation plan. Design the presentation or training to improve resource efficiency in some area (e.g. how to use new waste systems in the cafe)
6. Review the organisational structure (see Appendix 4) to determine the appropriate audience for the training session.
7. During either your presentation or training you will need to include:
a. a brief description of the Sydney Opera House Environmental Sustainability Policy and its expected outcomes for stakeholder groups (you can access the Environmental Sustainability Policy from
)
b. an outline of Sydney Opera House systems and procedures that relate to sustainability
c. information for staff as to what their responsibilities are, what activities they are to carry out and what outcomes are expected
d. additional time for questions and comments from staff.
Key Requirements
You must provide: Part A
- draft sustainability policy
- an interim report that includes:
- an outline of the environmental and sustainability legislation that applies to Tiny Opera Company
- an explanation of how you developed a sustainability policy that reflects Tiny Opera Company's commitment to sustainability
- strategies for promoting awareness of the sustainability policy
- strategies for maximising the impact of the policy (training, marketing, stakeholder engagement)
- final version of the sustainability policy.
Your assessor will be looking for:
- reading skills to interpret documents to determine legislative requirements
- writing skills to prepare documents appropriate to the context and audience
- oral communication skills to:
- present information and seek advice using questioning and listening skills
- use appropriate conventions when communicating with stakeholders
- numeracy skills related to timeframe and costs of policy options
- work skills to:
- modify policies and procedures
- lead consultation with stakeholders
- plan work activities of yourself and others
- systematically gather information, set goals and evaluate options
- knowledge of applicable environmental or sustainability legislation
- knowledge of sources of information that can be used to plan and develop the organisation's sustainability policy
- knowledge of policy development processes and practices.
Part B
- submit an implementation plan
- submit a monitoring strategy
- deliver a training session to employees (other learners acting as employees)
- address comments and questions from employees (other learners acting as employees) Your assessor will be looking for:
- reading skills to interpret and evaluate Sydney Opera House organisational documents
- writing skills to prepare documentation appropriate to context and audience
- oral communication skills to present information and seek advice using questioning and listening skills
- work skills to:
- monitor organisational policies and procedures
- use appropriate conventions and protocols when communicating with stakeholders
- sequence and schedule activities, monitor implementation and manage communication
- knowledge of Sydney Opera House sustainability systems and procedures
- knowledge of typical barriers to implementing policies and procedures and possible strategies to address them
Case study - Tiny opera Company
The history of the Tiny Opera Company
Tiny Opera Company operates in a rural NSW town. Colleen Starr started the company after moving to the small town from Sydney in the late 1970s. Colleen wanted to bring the wonder and entertainment of theatre-based performances to rural NSW. Her vision was to create a regional theatre that emulated the Sydney Opera House; making theatre both accessible and valued in her town and the surrounding community. Stella's idea and passion was shared by a wealthy landowner in the area who donated $2.3 million to support the purchase of a venue and the ongoing operation of the theatre. $1.3 million of this was invested in a trust which has been added to over the years that Tiny Opera Company has generated a profit.
Colleen Starr bought an old town hall that had been built in the early 1900s. The hall is listed on the State Heritage Register in NSW. Basic interior renovations were carried out to the stage, three dressing rooms, kitchen, break room, meeting room, food counter and ticketing booth including:
- painting internal walls
- installing wall-mounted radiators throughout the theatres, dressing rooms and break room
- installing a dishwasher and oven in the kitchen
- installing a wood heater in the meeting room.
Tiny Opera Company has staged regular performances in the theatre from the 1970s onwards.
Ten years ago, the Tiny Opera Company built a small office building to serve the growing number full time staff.
Tiny Opera Company today
The staff at Tiny Opera company currently include:
- Stage Manager (part-time)
- Director of Programming
- Resident Designer (funded by a grant for three years)
- Business Manager
- Marketing Communications Manager (part-time)
- Project Officers x 3 (part-time)
- Customer Service Representatives x 2 (part-time).
This year, the Tiny Opera Company has added a position for a new environment officer. You have been hired as the new environment officer at Tiny Opera Company after responding to the following job advertisement.
You are inducted by Nic Tan, the Business Manager of Tiny Opera Company, who gives you an overview of how the company wants to approach sustainability.
In the last six months, Tiny Opera Company has been focusing on becoming a more sustainable operation. Nic Tan has reviewed some of the organisation's operations and has observed that resource use in the theatre is not aligned with sustainable work practices being promoted at Tiny Opera Company.
Nic realises that this is at least partly due to the policy and procedure documents not reflecting industry requirements or reflecting Tiny Opera Company's aim to increase sustainability across its operations. Nic wants you to update the sustainability policy to specifically reflect the sustainability aims of the business. Nic wants to focus on the following areas:
- minimising resource use
- using resources more efficiently
- reducing toxic material and hazardous chemical use
- employing life cycle management approaches
- implementing a sustainability continuous improvement strategy.
Nic Tan also mentions that they need something in the policy that talks about measuring resource use and reviewing resource records periodically because that's the main way that Tiny Opera Company will be monitoring their progress towards minimising resource use.
Tiny Opera Company has made an effort to improve sustainability by pursuing some new sustainability initiatives:
- programming of all reverse-cycle air conditioners in the office to automatically switch off at
4.45 pm every day:
- currently air-conditioners are manually switched off
- it is the responsibility of the last staff member leaving each day to turn them all off - this is rarely done, and most commonly all air-conditioners are left running 24 hours per day.
- better sorting of recyclable paper from general rubbish
- using low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint when painting sets for performances to protect the health and safety of workers.