Developing a Sustainability Indicator Monitoring System for an Enterprise

Literature review of monitoring systems and indicators

SLO1 Understand and critically evaluate sustainability and sustainable development concepts and issues exam.

 

SLO2 Understand relationships linking sustainability, government policies and strategies used by enterprises  monitoring assignment, exam and in class presentation.

 

SLO3 Understand and apply contemporary approaches to measuring and reporting sustainability  monitoring system assignment and exam.

 

SL 04 Apply their emerging understanding to both specific cases and emerging new literature in the topic area  monitoring system assignment, exam and in class presentation.

 

CLO 1  Evaluate contexts within which differing sustainable business performance methods should be integrated and applied

 

CLO 2    Evaluate sustainable economic, social and environmental practices and value systems from different disciplinary practices.  

    
CLO 3   Research and apply established concepts to solve business and professional practice problems.

 
Students will be required to choose a specific enterprise (it should be one with which they are somewhat personally familiar) and develop a sustainability indicator monitoring system for that enterprise. Examples of the enterprises you might consider include a plant nursery, a pet shop, a day care centre, a primary school, a carpet manufacturing business, a small zoo, an insurance office, a bank, an auto repair shop, a restaurant, a veterinary surgery, a home services business, a bookshop and many other possibilities.  To provide a realistic account of the enterprise you might need to access a web site or undertake a site visit.

 

You should not use a place where you work or have worked because it becomes difficult to separate the creative and learning purpose of the assignment from the issue of students simply reporting the monitoring systems of the known workplace. Nevertheless, you may choose a place similar to your own workplace if that is how you feel you will get the most benefit from doing the assignment. 

 

Structure of the Report The report should be 8 to 12 pages in length, A4, 1.5 spacing, 12-point Times New Roman The length specified does not include references and appendices. The report should have the following sections.

 Introduction to monitoring systems and the development of indicators in general. In this section students should review the literature on the characteristics of good monitoring systems and the features that contribute to effective indicators. This part of the report should be in essay form but it may be useful to use a Table or tables to summarise indicator characteristics. (2-4 pages)  Description of the enterprise. This part of the report should be in essay form (1-2 pages). Illustration optional.  Consider the 3 sustainability dimensions as they apply to this enterprise. In this section students should identify and describe the range of socio-cultural, economic and environmental dimensions that apply to the operation of the chosen enterprise and explain how each is relevant. Some dimensions may apply more to specific enterprises but some treatment of all three dimensions for all enterprises is required. This part of the report should be in essay form. (2-3 pages).  

 

Next select one (1) of the three areas (economic, environmental or socio-cultural) (needs only to be stated at the top of the next section -no pages required)  Develop and present a list of indicators to monitor this one specific dimension. The description of each indicator must include what the indicator is, how it will be measured and reported, and any limitations or challenges associated with it. It is likely to be an effective use of space to incorporate the required information in an initial one-page summary Table using the columns: Indicator name, its definition, its measurement, key challenges/limitations and then base the essay discussion around the points in this Table (2-3 further pages).

Conclusion

Note: Students should not copy KPI s (key performance indicators) or ISO series targets from an organisation where they work or which they know well.  If you feel you cannot avoid doing this with places you know well, please undertake your report on an organisation quite unfamiliar to you. The aim of the task is to make students think through the process of constructing indicators.

Marking Criteria  General

a) Quality and thoroughness of the literature review of monitoring systems and indicators (20%)

b) Sections. The presentation of the enterprise and the detail reported about and the applicability of impacts and outcomes in applying the 3 dimensions to the enterprise (30%)

c) Consistency /appropriateness of the indicators for the dimension 

d)  Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the indicators proposed (20%)

e) Presentation and writing style including correct referencing (10%)