Home : Reports and Publications : Audit & Evaluation : Evaluation of WD's Sustainable Development Strategy 2000-2004
4.2 Success of the Strategy
This section addresses the questions:
The purpose of this is to understand what elements of SDS 2000 should be continued in the next strategy, as well as what challenges WD faced during the implementation of SDS 2000. |
During the period of implementation of WD's SDS 2000, WD completed many actions with relatively little staff time formally dedicated to the file and virtually no operations and management (O & M) resources formally allocated (though O & M dollars were spent on sustainable development activities). One SDIT member noted there is usually more of "me" per department. In a number of counterpart (federal) departments... their lead group can consist of 5 to 10 people, and all of those individuals have the same job that I do. WD is smaller than most federal departments, and obviously will have less staff time to contribute. Despite this constraint, progress was made toward goals, and this section highlights the successes and challenges associated with the implementation of the Strategy.
Progress toward major commitments
WD made three major commitments in SDS 2000 in accordance with CESD requirements. These were:
- Implementation of SDS using an ISO 14001-based EMS;
- Development of a performance measurement framework; and
- Participation of WD senior management.
WD did attempt to meet these commitments, although there were various challenges associated with each, as outlined below.
Implementation using an Environmental Management System
An EMS was developed in tandem with the WD SDS 2000, and is now being operationalized. The content of the EMS closely follows what is to be done during WD's SDS 2000, but implementing an EMS in the organization may have been too ambitious given the learning curve associated with this process.
According to industry experts, a government EMS should address three major activities (Thompson & Kirkland, 2000): "Greening" internal operations, development of policy that has a positive effect on the environment (including the removal of policies that have a negative effect), and exerting a positive influence over the businesses or agencies that are being governed. Based on a review of WD's EMS, it appears as though "greening" internal operations and exerting a positive influence over external organizations has been addressed. WD's SDS 2000 was instrumental in making progress toward meeting these goals: First, the Green Team has spent considerable effort reducing the impacts of internal operations through the promotion of recycling and green procurement. Second, as has been mentioned, two goals of the WD SDS 2000 were centered on promoting sustainability to external stakeholders, and a key activity has been the development of an on-line learning tool to improve awareness of opportunities for sustainable development.
The second activity that should be addressed by a government EMS – identifying and developing policy that benefits the environment – has been partially completed. A full issue scan has not been done specifically for potential departmental impacts, although a basic list of issues common to most organizations was identified in WD's SDS 2000 and in the EMS. Specifically, the list of environmental aspects and impacts noted in WD's issue scan addresses areas such as procurement and waste management. The findings of this issue scan are reflected in the activities planned for Goal 3, namely recycling, green procurement, and energy conservation at WD. These activities are representative of today's status quo and do not reflect a strategic direction by WD to advance sustainable development. In contrast, the activities around increasing employee awareness of WD's sustainable development strategy do represent commitments to change the sustainable development culture at WD, and are thus, strategic in nature.
In order to gain a full understanding of how WD can have an impact on sustainability and develop related policy, a more complete identification of potential impacts must be conducted. This should include a review of how WD policy impacts economic, environmental and social sustainability. The Global Reporting Initiative is an organization dedicated to developing standards for sustainability reporting. They suggest that organizations describe how their policies impact economic, environmental and social sustainability to look for opportunities to develop policies that have a positive impact (Global Reporting Initiative, 2002). For example, a policy could be developed that encourages all new partners to have an EMS in place. This would be an incentive for organizations that want to work with WD to develop an EMS, and would be a mechanism to promote responsible practices to its partner organizations.
It should be noted that other federal departments have also struggled with meeting EMS requirements; a report from the CESD noted that only four out of 16 federal departments with an EMS are functional and able to meet their EMS commitments (Thompson & Kirkland, 2000).
Performance Measurement Framework
The Performance Measurement Framework was the action plan associated with WD's SDS 2000. As has been discussed in the present report, WD made considerable effort to measure progress toward actions, but there were few measurements for the outcomes of those actions. Specifically, the WD SDS 2000 specifies few impacts (i.e., outcomes) that WD expects as a result of engaging in sustainable development activities. Ongoing measurement of outputs and periodic measurement of outcomes would enable WD to gauge which activities are worthwhile. To enable the performance monitoring of a program, it is often helpful to develop a logic model or results chain that schematically describes how the activities undertaken will produce outputs, and how these outputs in turn, will contribute toward the occurrence of the hoped for outcomes.
Outcomes can be difficult to measure, especially for a complex concept like sustainable development. Furthermore, links between outputs and various levels of outcomes can be difficult to establish, and being accountable for specific numerical outcomes is often not realistic or useful (Mayne, 2003). In the Action Plan Details of the WD SDS 2000, quantitative measures were established for outputs and outcomes, and many turned out to be inappropriate or infeasible. In the absence of effective quantitative measures, it has been suggested earlier in the present report that information be gathered through informal conversations with network partners and employees about the visibility and impact of activities as one measure of their success. These alternative approaches may help to address the constraints faced by WD in allocating very limited resources to the ongoing performance monitoring of the Strategy.
Management's Role in Sustainable Development
In Moving Up the Learning Curve, the Commissioner emphasized the need for federal departments to address the limited involvement of senior management in their 2000 strategies. In response to this, WD noted that senior management would commit to review the SDS on a regular basis, to recognize achievements and to initiate corrective action as required (WD SDS 2000).
Evidence and Visibility of Management's Role in Sustainable Development
| I am cautious about having another priority that we have to incorporate into our activities, but I think sustainable development is a permanent long-term structure for our decision-making that we have already embraced (Manager). |
Senior managers that were interviewed were generally supportive of the sustainable development file. They indicated that sustainable development was one of many priorities for the department. Sustainable development was being discussed during executive meetings, and managers were also thinking about the long-term outcomes when making decisions for WD.
In terms of financial support, senior managers that were interviewed mentioned there would be little resistance to spending money on initiatives or looking for initiatives that support sustainable development, as it is a government priority. Green Team and SDIT members confirmed that money has always been made available for initiatives relating to sustainable development. Furthermore, project officers had been encouraged to support projects that relate to sustainable development. While it is positive that money is generally available to fund sustainable development initiatives (both internal and external), there was no committed budget.
While senior executives have expressed that they are supportive of sustainable development initiatives, this was not necessarily being conveyed to other employees: At the very top level, senior executives are promoting things to upper management... but they are not part of day-to-day operations (SDIT member). Green Team and SDIT members reported that their activities often went unnoticed, and that they were frustrated by a lack of feedback on their progress: We are given the responsibility for the SDS, but we never get the feedback to say that this is what the Department wants (Green Team member).
Based on interview responses from officers, managers and the senior executive, it appears that at the managerial level, support for sustainable development activities varies among individuals. During interviews with Green Team and SDIT members, it was conveyed that individual managers had different levels of enthusiasm for sustainable development: Generally, there is not a lot of visibility or even discussion about sustainable development as a top priority for WD. There are reports, and managers verbally support it, but they are not very active (Green Team member).
One support mechanism that was identified was whether managers encouraged employees to spend time working on the sustainable development file. Green Team and SDIT members reported some evidence of support in this regard, but few were given dedicated time or felt that they could approach their managers about sustainable development issues. In some cases, team members noted that their managers were not willing to give them time to work on the file (i.e., by relieving them of other responsibilities).
| We tried to discourage colored brochures, but we are not in a position to make that a policy. We need someone in a higher level to say this is actually going to be put in place (Green Team member). |
Another issue was that managers were sometimes unwilling to support Green Team members when they attempted to initiate change in office operations. Green Team members, in particular, reported several examples of "greening" activities they wanted to implement in their offices but could not. One specific example was changing the default on printers from single-sided printing to double-sided printing. In some regions, this was done, but other regions reported that they were unable to make this change due to their lack of authority within the department. This is a learning opportunity for WD; recognition of this issue means that WD can seek out policy options for ensuring that green procedures can be put in place. This might be as simple as implementing a policy that requires managers to implement best practices for green operations.
When asked why they thought managers may not be supporting sustainable development, Green Team, SDIT members and project officers suggested the following reasons:
- Activities relating to the sustainable development file were not always communicated well to the rest of the department. ... activities are not a priority for managers. I think that might be because they are not aware of our activities. We send out information, but we don't want to inundate people (Green Team member).
- Managers are accountable for other priorities. [Managers] are focusing on other activities. Their accountability and business plan does not include sustainable development, so there is no mechanism for support (Green Team member).
- Managers are often solving day-to-day problems and may not have enough time to visibly support new initiatives. Managers are trying to make things run smoothly. They are dealing with crisis (SDIT member).
| If we could get more management people on board, their activities will spill overboard and employees would take part as well (Green Team member). |
Visible support for initiatives is seen as critical to the success of the Strategy. Green Team and SDIT members alike noted that as managers become more visibly supportive of the sustainable development file, the file will gain recognition and, in turn, employees will be more willing to strive for excellence in this area.
Extent of goal achievement
As has been discussed, problems with measurement have limited how well WD can quantify successes; however, this section highlights some of the progress that has been made toward specific goals.
Goal 1: To facilitate the integration of sustainable development into business practices of SMEs in Western Canada through our network partners
The main activity undertaken for this goal was to develop and distribute an on-line learning tool for staff, network partners, and Western SMEs. While the tool was successfully disseminated to WD staff and network partners, the extent to which the sustainable development message has been put into practice as intended has not been measured. The tool specific to SMEs is planned for Fall 2003.
In addition to activities specified in the WD SDS 2000 Action Plan Details, WD has also contributed to integrating sustainable development into the practices of Western SMEs through dissemination of best practices. The Green Team also reported that they helped to develop a website with a Community Futures group that outlined best "green" practices for SMEs.
Goal 2: To integrate sustainable development into programs, services and activities WD delivers
Objective 2.1 was to support projects that promote sustainable development principles, practices and technologies, directly or in partnership with others (WD SDS 2000), and there is evidence that this is being done. In the interviews, project officers noted that they tried to improve the long-term benefits of every project that they fund. When we first look at a proposal, we see if it addresses any level of sustainable development, particularly at the community economic level. Then we look at whether it has any environmental or social impacts. Through discussions... we try to determine if other options are viable or will deliver better environmental or social benefits (SDIT member). This case-by-case approach seems to have a positive impact, as each project can be assessed for what it can contribute to sustainability.
However, it is unclear whether the progress toward integrating sustainable development in projects can be attributed to the Strategy. Project officers who noted that they were actively seeking to fund projects that had a sustainable development component were sometimes unaware of the Strategy. It is fair to say that the Strategy is not a major part of our decision-making. We have moved beyond that into our corporate culture, in our own activities and daily operations. I suspect that a lot of people who may say that they are not aware of the Strategy are still operating in a way that supports sustainable development (Manager). This speaks to the need for WD to account for their current practices that already incorporate sustainable development in future strategies, and find opportunities to capitalize on the way projects are currently funded.
| For me sustainability means long term. A project should have long-term benefits. (Project Officer ) I have seen projects classified differently. People will look at a project that helps the economics of a community and that is as far as they would define a project as sustainable, but they fail to look at the environmental nature of the project even though it might have a negative impact. Right now, they are not looking at the whole picture ( SDIT member) . Not only do I think it fits, I think it should become the WD mandate. I think it should be promoting environmental technologies, climate change related projects, promoting the development of environmental industries and it could be doing more along the lines of greening government operations. (Project Officer). As I understand SD, it is development that doesn't compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It is taking into account social, environmental and economic factors, as well as how our individual impacts affect the larger picture. We can't be all things to all people; there is a concern that we should only be focusing on economic. (Project Officer). |
One way that WD could make a greater contribution to sustainable development is to ensure that there is a common understanding among project officers of what a sustainable development project looks like. In the interviews, varying definitions of sustainable development for WD were presented. Some mentioned that very little of what WD funds is related to sustainable development while others claimed that all projects have some sustainable development implications. Further, some project officers stated that WD's projects could have no benefit for the environment yet could have a big impact on social sustainability while other project officers said that WD was making inroads for partnerships and projects relating to environmental sustainability. Having a common vision and understanding for sustainable development among project officers would ensure that all projects are viewed through a sustainable development lens.
In addition, there remains a challenge in finding suitable indicators and measurements to quantify the gains that have been made toward funding projects with a sustainable development component. While steps have been made to identify those projects that contribute to sustainable development, such as the categorization system found in the GX database, there may be more appropriate indicators and associated measures that could be used other than simply counting (activity/output measurement) the number of projects or dollars that have been dedicated to sustainable development.
| I am a believer in changing the corporate culture by celebrating success, educating our employees and demonstrating some logic behind the way we want to make decisions. I am not a believer in a system where we have to fill out a form to assess what a sustainable development project is. We have to move beyond a paper exercise and allow our employees to be able to assess what sustainable development is and it will color how they make their decisions (Manager). |
The difficulty in identifying suitable indicators and measurements to quantify any gains that may have been made is because sustainable development is a complex concept and difficult to quantify in this context. For example, dollar figures do not have a direct relation to the sustainable outcomes of a project. One possible solution here would be to supplement the quantitative information being collected with qualitative information gathered from case studies. These case studies would highlight examples of some of the long-term outcomes associated with the various projects in question.
Goal 3: To foster a sustainable development culture within WD
This goal had the greatest number of actions and objectives associated with it, and a substantial effort was made to ensure that WD was following best practices for "greening" internal operations. Green Team and SDIT members noted that Green Team activities for this goal (such as the WEDNA poster) were the most important because they helped raise the profile of sustainable development within the department and encouraged employees to think about sustainable development issues.
One of the major thrusts for this goal was to examine ways to reduce energy consumption and waste production in WD offices. Although recycling was encouraged to reduce waste, Green Team members found that they often had little control over building operations. For example, in one office, a Green Team member reported that they were unable to control their light switches, as the building that they were in had automatic timers.
| We are right on track, but I don't think we have really tackled culture. We have done the mechanical things like buying efficient equipment, but we haven't really generated a sustainable development culture (Green Team member). |
While "greening" activities are an important aspect of fostering a sustainable development culture, more needs to be done. The steps taken within WD towards computer-based training (e.g., the on-line sustainable development tool) are a promising start; however, for future efforts, it may be effective to emphasize how individuals can incorporate sustainable development into their daily job activities. Specifically, the development of a common understanding of sustainable development among project officers would help to ensure that the categorization of projects as sustainable development in the GX database is uniform, and opportunities to improve the sustainability of a project are maximized.