|
LEADERSHIP AND VISION - business case and top-level commitment - LV1
|
|
Key Questions
|
‘What is our business case for sustainable development?’
‘How sustainable are we?’
‘What are we talking about here?’
‘What do our stakeholders think?’
|
|
Alignment with principles
|
Organisations should ensure that:
| Top-level management are aware of the strategic and tactical implications of adopting a more sustainable business model and alignment with the SIGMA Guiding Principles. |
|
|
When
|
Prior to establishing the implementation programme and throughout the implementation process.
|
|
Who
|
Project Champions, Board Members and Senior Management Team.
|
|
Buinsess Case development
|
|
Key activities
|
| Formulating a business case for sustainability, which includes considering the organisation's capacity and capability to contribute and defining the boundaries of the organisation's responsibility. |
|
|
Suggested resources
|
|
|
Outcomes & outputs
|
 |
Internal business case for sustainability |
|
|
Initial stakeholder dialogue
|
|
Key activities
|
| Identifying stakeholders who are key to sustainable business success. |
| Opening an initial dialogue with stakeholders to understand their perspectives and priorities on sustainability and how their views and level of influence are likely to affect the organisation's future direction. |
|
|
Suggested resources
|
|
|
Outcomes & outputs
|
|
Initial stakeholder dialogue plan |
| Initial stakeholder dialogue exercise, including records and key issues raised |
|
|
Awareness-raising and senior management commitment
|
|
Key activities
|
| Awareness-raising workshops, meetings, and events with senior management and key personnel on sustainability issues and how they may affect the organisation's license to operate and future direction |
Note: this requires a reasonable understanding of the organisation's sustainability impacts and outcomes. Therefore, it may be prudent to conduct this exercise in parallel with the Performance Review in Phase 2 Planning of the Management Framework.
|
|
Suggested resources
|
| 'Value, Growth, Success - how sustainable is your business?' (Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment (ACBE) (2000) www.defra.gov.uk |
| 'Exploring Sustainable Development - WBCSD Global Scenarios 2000 - 2050' WBCSD (1997) www.wbcsd.org |
| SIGMA Business Case tool |
|
|
Outcomes & outputs
|
| Objective evidence that awareness of sustainability issues has been raised within the organisation (e.g. workshop attendance records, reference to sustainability issues in company documents, staff interviews, etc.) |
| Board level/senior management champion secured. Leadership is demonstrated internally and externally. |
| Adequate resources secured to proceed with the implementation process |
|
|
Key Issues
|
|
|
Real world tips:
| Organisations should ensure that adequate commitment is secured from senior management at the beginning of the implementation process. Implementation managers should not 'skip' this phase on the assumption that it has already been addressed. |
| When securing Board/senior management commitment it is important that the structure of the implementing organisation both upwards (internationally) and downwards (national/business units) is considered, to ensure commitment has come from a high enough level to resolve issues that may arise during implementation. |
| Leadership vision is not always a prerequisite for action. Understanding, commitment and action at other levels in an organisation can be drawn together to help to build the case for an organisation-wide approach to sustainability. Leadership can be exercised at different levels within the organisation. |
| Successful pilot initiatives can demonstrate the benefits of sustainability, thereby building enthusiasm and commitment. |
| It is important that leaders demonstrate their commitment, for example by involvement in internal and external events. |
| At the beginning of the process the initial business case may be quite general. As the organisation progresses it will be able to develop a more detailed business case. |
|
