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Greenhouse Sources

The Process

Transitioning to an environmentally responsible organization is an enormous undertaking.

The Task Force at the National Polytechnic University has been assigned to find the answers to all of these questions. But in order to produce a comprehensive, well-researched report with solid recommendations, all the members must:

Research and share some common information – that is, they must know the basics.
Research how their own department will respond to the initiative – that is, what role it will play, what impact it will have on its operations and its staff.

The Basics

Meet with your team to determine what background information all of you must know. Divide the material so that everyone is responsible for knowing the basics and is capable of explaining it clearly to other people, before moving on to your respective role(s).

Background Information

Once all you have read the pertinent information, meet as a team, and determine how you will approach the tasks.
Define what is meant by "going green".
Define the scope (what the report will include and what it will not include).
Identify the objectives of the report.

Review the background information provided in the links below. Keep in mind the 5 Ws and an H (Who, What, When, Why, Where, and How). You will probably find many other links. Share them with other and discuss the information.

Divide the tasks and determine who will do what.

What is the Environmental Assessment Act of Canada?

What is the Kyoto Accord?

What is an Environmental Management policy? Check out these links:

- Transformation Strategies

- National Research Council

What are ISO 14000 standards? Check it out:

- What are the benefits to going green?

- What are some of the best practices for going green?

- What are the basic steps to begin this process?

The following organizations have an environmental policy in place. Can you find others?

- Mountain Equipment Coop

- Motorola

- Weyerhaeuser

- Westport Innovations

Other resources:

- Climate Change Plan for Canada

- Environment Canada

- UN Global Impact

- Environmental Protection Act of Canada

- Design for Environment Guide, National Research Council of
Canada

- Social Investment Organization

- Canadian Businesses for Social Responsibility

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Individual Roles

Now it’s time to tackle the question “What does it take to go green?” You might have a hunch about this because you have some basic information. But now you must tackle the question from a particular point of view. How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff?

Meet with your team to decide what role and area of expertise each of you will assume.
Determine the responsibilities of each role.
Determine a schedule for completing your research and tasks.

By taking on one of the roles outlined below, you will be responsible for that area of expertise. Once you have finished your individual research you can pool all the information for the outcome of this project – the report.

Ensure that all members of your team understand fully the information you contribute. Conversely, ensure you fully understand the information contributed by your colleagues. Any one of you may be called on to present the information, answer questions and clarify points of information at the end of your PowerPoint presentation.

One person in your team should take on at least one role. If there are not enough members if your team, then one person could take on two roles. Below are recommended combinations for taking on more than one role:

Five-person team

One person combines Dean of Academic Studies and Finance Manager

Four-person team

One person combines Dean of Academic Studies and Finance Manager

Another person combines Marketing and Human Resources

Each member of your group will be responsible for becoming an expert in the role you have assumed. The following perspectives are the areas of expertise from NPU.

Which one will you be?

Dean of Academic Studies	Think about the impact this initiative will have. For example: Curriculum The labs Health issues Educational practices Faculty The faculty association Certification Research How will Academic Studies respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff?
Human Resource Director	Human Resource Director oversees the recruitment and hiring of new employees, Occupational Health and Safety issues, training, industrial relations, performance managment, etc. How will this impact: Employee audits Training initiatives Health and Safety training Absenteeism (look at other organizations) Performance management Workplace layouts Attracting and keep talent Industrial relations? What are the jobs that would immediately be influenced by the initiative? How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff? Check these out, too: WCB regulations WHMIS (Workplace Hazard Materials Information System) training JSAs (job safe analysis)
Director of Marketing	The Marketing Director is responsible for public relations and marketing the products and services of the organization, NPU's corporate image, and corporate relations within the community. Consider the following: How can going green be turned into a public relations coup? What would be a good spin? What are some best practices for marketing a green corporate image? What are some approaches used by other green organizations within the local community? National community? Global community? How are these approaches viewed as enhancing the image of an organization? What green products or services can NPU market? What types of activities can be used internally and marketed? Are there any examples from other organizations? How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff?
Facilities Manager	As a Facilities Manager you are responsible for managing all the facilities in the University – this includes the planning and development of lands and properties, maintenance of the buildings and the building systems (think heating ventilation, air condition, waste systems – sewage, water, etc. – utilities systems, landscaping (including use of pesticides), roads, parking, run-off, storm sewers, janitorial services. Your job is a big one! What are some of the problems other organizations have encountered when they have gone green? What milestones have they achieved? What changes or adaptations would you recommend to the buildings and building systems? What maintenance activities are indicated? What landscaping changes will have to be made to be compliant with the initiative? Remember – just because a question isn’t asked, doesn’t mean it can’t be! How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff?
Financial Manager	You are responsible for fiscal accounting, generating budgets, control of the operating budgets costs and capital expenditures. How much is all this going to cost? Estimate an upfront capital required for implementing an environmental management system. What is a ball park figure for maintenance of that system? How would the project impact capital budget? How would it impact the operating budget? What are the long term capital requirements and impacts? What would be the implication of not going green? How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff? Note: Communicating with the other experts on your team will be critical in order to get a true picture of the financial impact of the project.
Director of Ancillary Services (Manager of non-Academic Operations)	What changes would have to be made to food services? Are there some changes that could be done initially, while others are phased in? What are some best practices in recycling initiatives from other organizations? What operations processes would have to be altered, changed, or adopted? What materials would have to be purchased, stored? What impact would this initiative have on the inventory operating systems such as storage, handling and disposal of hazardous materials) What practices would the mailroom, stores, word-processing, audiovisual, the bookstore, printing services have to adopt? How will your department respond to the initiative? What role will it play? What impact will the initiative have on your department’s operations and your staff? Check this out: Benefits

Putting It All Together

Now that all of you know the basics and know what needs to be done in your area of expertise, you can begin to write the report.

The Report

In your team, determine the categories and subcategories for your report.
Organize the report into headings and subheadings.
Write the parts of the report that requires your expertise.
Determine who will write the executive summary.
Write recommendations for action in your area.
As a team, come to a consensus for the recommendations to include in the final report.

The Presentation

Determine the format for the presentation (background, colour, fonts, etc.), using PowerPoint for visual aids.
Come to a consensus of quantity versus quantity.
Ensure that any one of you can give the presentation.
Practice, practice, practice.

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