Developing Organisational Competence in

Environment & Sustainability

Rail Industry Environment Forum

12th December 2013

Josh Fothergill MIEMA CEnv

Acting Head of Professional StandardsResponsible for:– Associate, Full, CEnv, Fellow – Specialist Registers – Auditor, EMS Auditor, EIA– Corporate – EIA Quality Mark, EMAS, Acorn

Substantive = Policy & Practice Lead:– Impact Assessment– Resources– Environmental Management (Co-lead)

Main Policy Responsibilities 2013: Influence: EIA Directive ProposalsResearch: Env professionals & ResourceShape: Revision of ISO14001

Agenda

• A bit about IEMA

• Comprehensive Environmental Sustainability Standards

• Leading Environmental Professionals (MIEMA & CEnv)

• Making All Jobs Greener

• Discussion / Q&A

About IEMA

Transforming a world to sustainability

Mission:

To add value to our members - supporting individuals and

organisations to set, recognise and achieve global

sustainability standards and good practice

Objectives:• Engage, empower and connect members and partners to lead and

deliver sustainability• Lead and drive the development and uptake of sustainability skills

and standards• Build an influential organisation and recognised brand

Our core work is with business

•More than 80 per cent of IEMA Members are in industry & large consultancies

•60 per cent of FTSE 100 companies have an IEMA member.

•Strong footprint in Construction, Aerospace, Defence, Security, Infrastructure, Chemicals, Retail, Consultancy and Regulation

•Largest global consultancies significant employers of IEMA members

•Members in all the main elements of the economy

IEMA & Business

BusinessUniversities

Consultancy

IEMA & Business in practice

•Specified in job roles across world•Strategic view of skills needs in organisations•Embed the skills map & IEMA qualifications in Organisations•Establish development plans inc training•Improving skills of suppliers•Supporting Boards/SMTs to understand the ‘strategic’ environment•Workforce development for non-environmental professionals•Accrediting graduate programmes•Accrediting training programmes•Building reputation/case studies

Providing Foresight & Support

Skills and the Sustainable Economy

Tools TopicsEnvironmental Governance (Leadership, Governance, Assurance,

Accountability & Disclosure)

Resource Management (Materials, Waste & Water)

Environmental Management(Management, Auditing, Regulation &

Compliance)

Climate Change & Energy

Impact Assessment (EIA, SEA, HDA, WFD, Planning)

Biodiversity & Ecosystems

Pollution (Air, Water, Soil, Nuisance)

Comprehensive Standards in: Environmental Sustainability

A Comprehensive Approach

Env & Sustainability Professionals

Achieve credible structured standards of competence

Associate

Full & Chartered

Fellow

All other Professionals in Organisations

Develop environmental sustainability understanding

Working with E&S

Managing with E&S

Leading with E&S

IEMA Skills Map for environmental & sustainability

professionals

What is it?Why have we done it?

Who is using it?How to get started.

•Practical, high level framework of environmental skills

•Specifies the capabilities expected of environmental professionals at different seniority levels in an organisation/role

•Broadly mapped to national Qualification and Credit Framework descriptors

•Applicable to all sectors of the economy – business and industry, public sector, academia, consultancy

•Can be applied internationally

•Developed in partnership with business & academia

What is the Skills Map?

What does it cover?The knowledge a practitioner needs

Broad role types

The specific competencies

Knowledge Competency Role Application

Why? Structured & comprehensive to avoid fragmented (in)action

The awarding of professional qualifications through assessment and development of competencies

for environmental professionals

A clear development pathway for environmental professionals

Service delivery and the deployment of resources to fill competency gaps

Supporting Organisations in understanding their current and future

environmental skills capability

Who is using it & how?

Differing stakeholder needs for professional development

Any environmental professional who wants to plan their Professional Development

Universities

Organisations

Training Providers

Consultants

Recruitment Agencies

Students using ESM to plan professional

development

Universities incorporating ESM in careers/skills

workshops

Programme leads mapping ESM to course material to identify

knowledge gaps and align learning outcomes

Employees assessing their own competency gaps

Senior management identifying competency gaps and training/recruitment needs

Mapping training courses to ESM Opportunities to create new syllabi in line with skills gaps both individually and in organisations

Use ESM as a tool for competency analysis

Liaise with organisations to recruit suitable individuals once competency gaps have been

defined , or to fulfil future needs

Partnering with HR departments to embed ESM framework to satisfy training, recruitment and

development needs

Identifying future needs in the external environment that link to

skills

Award professional qualifications alongside

academic

Ability to specify job specifications matched to

skills

Assess area of expertise to tailor consultancy services to organisational

need

Use as a tool to conduct training needs analysis within organisations

Skills Map & My Business

“We have adopted the skills map to align it more to our 2020 Sustainability Vision and roadmap and have conducted a detailed assessment of the knowledge and skill sets required for different job roles within the group. We are now in the final stages of preparing the framework which will then form an important element on our skills and leadership development frameworks.”

Following engagement with IEMA we developed the framework so that it is aligned to and reflects our Group Sustainability Strategy and supports our business priorities. We have also undertaken a wide range of consultation with key stakeholders across the Group to promote broader commitment to and ownership of the Framework in our business

Bekir AndrewsGroup Sustainability Manager

Developing Professionalsvia Membership & Skills Map

•Consider short, medium and long term goals for existing job role & career

•Build / develop your ‘career plan’

Career Profile & Goals

•IEMA’s Policy and Horizon scanning activity

•Use of skills map to identify existing competencies that are key to achieving career goals and focus on keeping these up-to-date

Maintaining Knowledge &

Skills

•Identify goals and learning needs•Prioritise resources & tools for developing competencies related to career plan

Building Knowledge &

Skills

Members come from all

backgrounds, in recent years 1/3rd

of new AIEMA have been career

changes

MIEMA & CEnv:The Standard for Environmental & Sustainability Professionals

Current Position

•Popular standard showing consistent growth

•Dual application (combining CEnv) @ 75%

However,

• Some clarity issues with the competencies

• Multiple routes can make application combersome

•Lots of travelling, organising for interviews

Current Competencies MIEMA

Three areas:• Knowledge and Understanding (6)• Application of knowledge and understanding (4)• Communication skills – Internal & External (5)

Within which there are 15 competencies

Issues - lack of clarity on:- Detail of criteria within these competencies- Scope of specific terms used in standard

Current Eligibility - MIEMAAIEMA 3 (/4) yrs full time experienceApplication, 1000 word paper, 40-60min face to face interview.ORAffiliate / Non-member 7yrs full time experienceApplication, 2000 word paper, 60-90min face to face interview, evidence of 80hrs of training required

PLUSRelevant Masters or a 500 word report demonstrating equivalent level of knowledge

The Revised Full Membership Standard

Revised competencies

Eight Competencies

• Expectations clarified through a number of assessment

criteria

• Key terms specified to avoid confusion

Clear need to demonstrate comprehension of implications of

strategic sustainability issues to their context and how they

have demonstrated leadership through their career.

Clarified Eligibility

• IEMA Membership (min. Affiliate)

• Relevant Masters degree / demonstration of masters level

knowledge

• Sufficient knowledge & experience to expect to

demonstrate how they meet the standard’s competencies

Streamlined Application

•Paper demonstrating how their experience meets the

standard

• A short current CV

• Copy of Masters certificate / short paper

demonstrating equivalent level of knowledge

• Plus: Application Form, Photo ID and Fee

Sustainable Assessment

• Online face-to-face interview

• Interview assesses MIEMA & CEnv competencies

• Two trained & standardised assessors

• 45 – 75 minutes

Saving at least 25,000 miles of travel and >200 working

days per year.

Timeline for changes

• Current Std & application process until 30th March 2014

• New Std & application process from 31st March 2014

• Initial Member communications in Dec Environmentalist

• Limited set on number of applications accepted Jan-

March under current standard to ensure high quality

service is maintained (Normal Qtr1 demand +50%)

Support Provision

• Details of revised competencies, eligibility, application and

assessment online January 2014

• Supporting materials and guidance (written) February 2014

• Webcasts advice on revised competencies March 2014

• Webinar Q&A with Assessors March onwards

• Mentoring

Mentoring

• A service that allows a member to be is supported through

a specific part of their development.

• A one-to-one relationship, usually for a set period

• Voluntary, two-way process

• Led by mentee – define goals, commit to agreed tasks,

maintaining impetus

Key Messages

• The competencies have been revised to make it easier

for applicants to understand the required standard.

• The eligibility requirements will focus on meeting the

standard.

• Application documentation refined to maximise

opportunity to demonstrate competencies.

• 45-75min online interview to achieve MIEMA & CEnv

All Jobs Greener:Creating the workforce for a sustainable economy

Integration at all levels

1. Working with environment and sustainability - Up-skill

operational staff to understand why they need awareness of this key area.

2. Managing with environment & sustainability - Allowing

managers to take ownership of their team’s environmental performance

3. Leading with environment & sustainability - Establishing the

strategic mindset needed to drive action from within all areas of a business

City & Guilds Partnership

1. Working with environment and sustainability

• 1 day level 2 qualification applicable to all non-environmentally

focussed operational roles.

2. Managing with environment & sustainability

• 2 day level 4 qualification applicable to managers designed to build

understanding of environmental issues and improving sustainability

performance

Improve performance through understanding & ownership

A Leadership Approach

Leading with environment & sustainability

• IEMA’s own qualification.

• ½ day briefing session for executive teams building understanding of

how environmental and sustainability issues can influence

organisational strategy and performance.

A Comprehensive Approach

Env & Sustainability Professionals

Achieve credible structured standards of competence

Associate

Full & Chartered

Fellow

All other Professionals in Organisations

Develop environmental sustainability understanding

Working with E&S

Managing with E&S

Leading with E&S

Foundation Course

Future success depends on our collective ability to work both as organisations and individuals at all levels to deliver positive change for business and the environment.

Environmental Practitioners will act as change agents leading a more strategic approach to the environment.

Effective environmental and sustainability knowledge & skills must be integrated into all roles – top to bottom in organisations.

In summary…..

Discussion....

IEMA Mentoring Workshop 2012

Questions?

Contact:

j.fothergill@iema.net

Gaining Associate

• Online Entry Exam – 2.5 hours

• Based on the Associate Specification

• 10 Learning Outcomes with linked Assessment Criteria

and Prescribed Content

• Two main routes – self-study and training

• IEMA Support – Weblinks and Exam Guidance

• Cost £146.40 (plus Affiliate fee if non-member)