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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

PLANNING & SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

14 NOVEMBER 2012 6

SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD REVIEW Maree Grenfell : 8/27/3-10: #3768304v2

RECOMMENDATION: That Council notes the report and the changes to improve the use of the Sustainability Assessment tool.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Council’s Corporate Sustainability Policy aims to embed sustainability into the operational function of the organisation. It empowers staff to understand the role they play in achieving workplace sustainability and to be encouraged in the application of it. Such considerations have outcomes that include reduced impact on the natural environment, reduced operating costs of Council facilities, improved community wellbeing and improved governance of informed decision making and leading by example. To ensure the policy’s implementation Council developed an award winning Sustainability Scorecard which includes an intranet based Sustainability Assessment tool allowing Officers to assess projects and procurement decisions against a relevant quadruple bottom line. The Sustainability Assessment tool has been used over 1700 times over the past two years and has implemented a consistent language with which to discuss and improve sustainability performance. Coupled with other sustainability initiatives the sustainability performance of Council has improved with a reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. There are four suggestions to improve the use of the Sustainability Assessment tool which would assist in the understanding of the graphic output in Council reports. These are discussed in the Comments section. The purpose of this report is to provide a review of the scorecards functionality and make recommendations as to the improved use of the tool. INTRODUCTION: At the September Ordinary meeting Council requested a report on the Sustainability Scorecard functionality. This report provides the background to the development of the Sustainability Scorecard and the functionality of the Assessment tool.

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BACKGROUND: The Sustainability Scorecard was endorsed for use by Council following a report to Council in July 2010. A report in April 2011 updated Council on its implementation across the organisation. Both reports are attached (Attachment 1 and 2) and provide detail on the Sustainability Scorecard project and the Sustainability Assessment tool. COMMENT: An information sheet was prepared for Councillors in May 2012. See Attachment 3 for Sustainability Scorecard information sheet presented to Councillors in May 2012 which explains its functionality. What works well? Council’s tool is readily accessible on the intranet, can be completed without assistance, is automatically saved to a database, and takes 10 minutes maximum to complete. The tool provides a graphic output on the four themes of sustainability making it easy to see where there is room for improvement and where things are going well. The tool was never developed as a definitive or conclusive tool deciding which projects should proceed and which should not. It has always been acknowledged that it is a mechanism for considering and informing decisions taking into account Council decisions and projects are based on a wide suite of considerations. The overall objectives of the Sustainability Scorecard include: - inform decision making; - demonstrate consideration of sustainability; - communicate with transparency; - Impart consistent sustainability language; - prompt and empower staff to ask the right questions; and - create change in the way we think & do. Procurement Council procurement officers have supported the requirement of a Sustainability Assessment for purchases over $15,000 and have actively been involved in the education of Officers to this end. The use of the tool has prompted discussions and beneficial outcomes in numerous projects about location of new infrastructure to significant ecosystems, the use of recycled materials, spending a little more upfront to achieve significant long term cost savings.

Capital Works Submissions The Capital Works submission template requests a completed Sustainability Assessment on the project being assessed.

Council reports Officers writing a Council report now use a consistent language to demonstrate that the recommendation has included consideration of holistic sustainability consideration. The aim is to provide Councillors with a snapshot to illustrate the balanced sustainability outcome of the recommendation therefore make an informed decision.

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Sometimes officers do not include text explain the graphic output. This makes it confusing for Councillors and the Community and it is recommended that this process be improved moving forward. Understanding of what sustainability means Council officers now understand the meaning of sustainability and what influence Council has to improve it. Sustainability performance Council’s performance has improved with a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption as monitored by Council’s Energy and Emissions System. What could be improved? It is acknowledged that it is important to subscribe to a model of continuous improvement. It is suggested that the four following improvements are supported to improve the use of the Assessment tool across the organisation. Council reports It is suggested that the Council General Report Template is amended to provide four fields for officers to write a short sentence about the graphic output and what it means (see Appendix 4). This will ensure officers provide context to clearly articulate what the assessment means and to assist any questions Councillors and the Community may have. Auditing Assessments Random audits are undertaken of completed Sustainability Assessments. This process has not been formalised and it would be beneficial to create a process to undertake more extensive monthly audits. This would ensure officers have the opportunity to discuss their projects and any questions they may have about the Assessment. It would most likely reduce the number of “neutral” responses which is what is often chosen if in doubt. A trigger system A trigger system (such as if the Assessment received under a certain percentage it would require a flag for discussion) was discussed when the tool was implemented. For resourcing and administrative reasons it was decided that a self-governing approach would be undertaken and assessed over time. Council officers aim for over 50% in their results and have naturally applied this approach to try to improve their results (if possible). A trigger system could be applied whereby if the result on any theme of sustainability is below 50% an explanation of ‘why’ accompanies the output in each of the three mandatory applications. Training Given the time since implementation it would be useful for officers to be updated on the use of the Sustainability Assessment tool and its application. Following these changes, it is recommended another review be undertaken in six months.

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CONSIDERATIONS: Corporate and Operational Plans: The Corporate Plan includes a Vision, three Focus Areas and six Goals. The Vision sets the framework for Council’s sustainability vision: "…a future where the region is thriving and is inspirational in the way it balances economic development, environmental management and social well-being” The Scorecard contributes to meeting the Objectives for each of the goals in the Corporate Plan. The six goals are: 1. Caring for the environment 2. Building vibrant communities 3. Delivering integrated planning 4. Delivering services and infrastructure 5. Creating a prosperous region 6. Striving for organisational excellence The development of the key sustainability criteria in the Sustainability Assessment tool was assisted by a matrix of intents from the Corporate Sustainability Policy and the Goals and Objectives of Council’s Corporate Plan. The Sustainability Scorecard is a key project under Goal 1 of the corporate plan.

Policy: The Sustainability Scorecard project was developed to assist Council integrate the Corporate Sustainability Policy into Council operations. The development and implementation of the Sustainability Scorecard responds to the six intents of the CSP: 1. Respond to the challenge of climate change. 2. Maintain and restore the natural environment. 3. Use our resources more efficiently. 4. Reduce our environmental impact. 5. Display strong leadership to the community. 6. Reduce financial losses associated with inefficient energy and resource

consumption. In addition, the Sustainability Assessment tool creates awareness of opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which is in-line with Council’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Policy. The use of the Sustainability Assessment tool is a measure in Council’s Climate Change Strategy.

Financial and Risk: The Sustainability Assessment tool addresses the following points to consider economic sustainability: - whether the activity being assessed provides local employment benefits - whether the activity being assessed uses locally grown and/or sourced products - whether the activity being assessed contributes to operational cost savings - whether the activity being assessed has been budgeted for in Operational plan.

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There has been significant investment into the development and implementation of the Sustainability Scorecard by Council. The cost of development and automation was $125,000 plus human resources to implement.

CONSULTATION:

A Project Reference Group representing all Council work areas was consulted during the development of the Sustainability Scorecard project. The Manager Governance, Senior Coordinator Procurement and Manager Facilities Management were consulted on this report.

OPTIONS:

1. That Council notes the report and the changes to improve the use of the Sustainability Assessment tool. OR 2. That Council does not note the report and the changes to improve the use of the Sustainability Assessment tool. CONCLUSION: Council’s Sustainability Scorecard which includes use of the Sustainability Assessment tool has improved the understanding of sustainability within the context of a local government across the organisation. It has assisted in Council’s improved sustainability performance and assisted Council’s recognition as a leader in this field. To this regard it has been successful in implementing the Corporate Sustainability Policy. The use of the Sustainability Assessment tool could be improved with a couple of amendments to process and a refresher to staff on its applications. It is recommended Council provide the opportunity to improve its application.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1 – Report to Council 7 July 2012 Sustainability Scorecard – Sustainability Assessment tool & Sustainability Checklists Attachment 2 – Report to Council 13 April 2011 Sustainability Scorecard – Sustainability Assessment tool Implementation

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Attachment 3 - Sustainability Scorecard information sheet presented to Councillors May 2012 Attachment 4 - Suggested amendment to Council template Maree Grenfell Coordinator Sustainability & Climate Change Peter Boyd Manager Planning Strategies

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Attachment 1

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

7 JULY 2010

12 SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD – SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT TOOL & SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLISTS Maree Grenfell: 8/27/3-07: #2637128

RECOMMENDATION:

That Council endorse the Sustainability Scorecard - Sustainability Assessment tool and Sustainability Checklists and endorse their future use by Council Officers.

INTRODUCTION: In February 2009 Council adopted a Corporate Sustainability Policy which established the aim of embedding sustainability into the operational functioning of the organisation. The policy provides a strategic framework for the Vision articulated in the Corporate Plan which is..."a future where the region is thriving and is inspirational in the way it balances economic development, environmental management and social well-being”. A project called the Sustainability Scorecard was developed to ensure the Corporate Sustainability Policy (CSP) was acted upon and integrated into Council’s key business. The intent of the Scorecard project is to: - provide resources to assist the integration of Council’s CSP across its operations;

and - deliver a process for measuring and communicating Council’s activities against the

CSP. The development phase of the Sustainability Scorecard project is complete and this report seeks to communicate the outputs plus recommend the adoption of the Sustainability Assessment tool and Sustainability Checklists across the organisation.

BACKGROUND:

In the 2009-2010 Budget, Council allocated funds to develop a Sustainability Scorecard and process changes to improve and report on quadruple bottom line sustainability outcomes across Council. Key outcomes for the Scorecard included: 1. Tangible demonstration of Council’s commitment to quadruple bottom line

sustainability;

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2. Identification and demonstration of the relevant key intents underlying the CSP to each department/branch;

3. Financial savings resulting from resource efficiencies; 4. Improved awareness of the cause and effect of decisions in terms of Council’s

sustainability objectives; 5. Improved understanding of the concept and application of sustainability amongst

Councillors and staff; 6. Informed decision making taking into account sustainability considerations; and 7. Transparency/ justification of Council decision making in relation to sustainability

considerations. The Sustainability Scorecard framework is structured around four themes which reflect the intents of the CSP and are based on a quadruple bottom line approach. - Improving Resource Efficiency - Conserving Bio-Diversity - Enhancing Community Health and Wellbeing - Delivering Sound Governance and Economic Management The Sustainability Scorecard framework The proposed structure of the Sustainability Scorecard, associated indicators and reporting outputs is shown in Appendix 1. There are three key components that form the Scorecard - public reporting, internal reporting and project review. These are listed below. Annual Sustainability Scorecard The public reporting element of the project comprises lead and lag indicators of Council’s performance across the four themes. The lag indicators have been developed in a series of Council workshops and are currently being finalised. The annual scorecard will be presented in a separate Council report. The Annual Sustainability Scorecard is presented as a visual representation of poor, neutral or good outcomes for each of the principles and aggregated numerical scores for the four themes. It is recommended the annual Sustainability Scorecard be included in Council’s Annual Report, sending a clear message that sustainability is a core business of Council. Monthly Sustainability Snapshot This will provide Council with a ‘point in time’ report on the sustainability of project outcomes for each Department. The data for the monthly Sustainability Snapshot will be generated by the Sustainability Assessment Tool. This will also be represented with a graphic indicator for each principle and an aggregated numerical score for each of the four themes. These are designed to be exported to the existing monthly report format. Sustainability Assessment Tool Balanced reporting on the sustainability merits of individual projects, decisions or activities will be produced by the Sustainability Assessment Tool. The outputs of the assessment will also contribute to lead indicators for the Annual Scorecard and Monthly Snapshots, as well as providing a project specific reporting output to Council.

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This structure was developed in response to a number of needs that became apparent during the project. For example, the Sustainability Assessment tool is a practical means to get Council officers to consider sustainability across all activities and supports the need to build a greater understanding of sustainability based decision making amongst officers. The Assessment also meets the need for a standardised means to report on sustainability outcomes at a project level. Similarly, the Monthly Snapshot provides a standard reporting framework for all Departments and will be compatible with any changes that occur to the monthly reporting format. In the meantime it can be utilised in the current reporting format. Both of these outcomes will improve inconsistent reporting by providing clear direction. In addition to the above three components are change management processes which include: - Departmental Sustainability Checklists - Changes to existing forms, templates and policies - Staff training

COMMENT:

This report specifically recommends the adoption of the Sustainability Assessment tool and Sustainability Checklists and their implementation. Sustainability Assessments The core building block of the reporting outputs is the Sustainability Assessment tool which will be used to evaluate all works projects, major purchase decisions, event/program planning, plan development and policy development processes against the CSP with regular indication of sustainability performance. The Assessment provides transparency of decisions across the four themes of sustainability and is not intended to provide the user with a definitive answer. The Sustainability Assessments have been designed to: - provide data for lead indicators for monthly and annual reporting; - assist in driving cultural change and building wider corporate awareness of

sustainability considerations; - provide a sustainability assessment of projects, purchases etc to support informed

decision making; and - achieve consistency in reporting on sustainability outcomes to Council. How does it work? The Sustainability Assessment has been developed as a simple questionnaire that can be completed by staff electronically. Time required to complete the questionnaire is 15 minutes. Currently the assessment is an Excel workbook while scoping is being undertaken to automate the tool. Three Project Reference Group workshops contributed to the development of the questions and the useability of the tool including the piloting of ten Council projects.

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There are a total of 23 questions across the four themes of: - Improving Resource Efficiency - Conserving Biodiversity - Enhancing Community Health and Well-being - Delivering Sound Governance and Economic Management.

Under each theme is a set of values and objectives.

For example the theme Improving Resource Efficiency, includes the headings of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced waste to landfill, sustainable use of resources and water conservation. The objective for greenhouse gas emission is to achieve Council’s adopted emissions reduction goal. The questions ask whether the activity will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions), not effect GHG emissions or increase GHG emissions.

An example of the questionnaire for GHG emissions appears below. The respondent has answered c) for question 1, b) for question 2 and a) for question 3.

All questions must be answered for all projects, with questions that are not applicable to that specific activity being given a neutral score. The Assessment can be undertaken in the project planning stages when a preferred option has been identified, but there is still scope to influence decision making if the result is unacceptably low, or to undertake a high level comparison of two options. The tool is not designed for detailed technical options analysis. The Assessment has been structured to measure the sustainability of both the project outcomes and the delivery method.

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The outputs are based on a ’balanced scorecard’ methodology therefore it does not provide Council or project staff with a single comparative score for projects, but a set of four scores against the assessment themes and an indication of the balance of poor, neutral and good outcomes. It is recognised that sustainability criteria are only one of numerous considerations for any project, including program, budget and performance against project objectives. The purpose of the assessment output is to provide a consistent means of understanding the sustainability impacts and achievements of a project. The outputs will be useful to demonstrate sustainability considerations in decision making, project formulation and operational activities. The outputs will also be useful to observe quadruple bottom line sustainability considerations in Council reports and recommendations. Overall it will assist with informed decision making. Training Staff training has been identified as a critical component of this project. The success of the framework is dependent on the support of Council and through the development of a deeper understanding across the organisation of sustainability in Council’s operations. Involvement of Council officers and Management in the Project Reference Group has assisted the development of this understanding. Integral to the correct and consistent use of the Sustainability Assessment tool is the training and engagement of staff in the use and context of the tool. The Sustainability Officer will undertake the planning and rollout of training Council staff. A training package has been prepared for this purpose. This includes: - Knowledge of Council’s CSP; - Context of quadruple bottom line decision making; - The scorecard framework; - Sustainability Checklists; and - Instructions for use (An Administrative Instruction is being drafted for this purpose) Sustainability checklists Draft Sustainability Checklists (see Appendix 4) have been developed as a change management tool for staff to use. The aim of the checklists is to reinforce the Sustainability Scorecard framework of the four sustainability themes and ask questions specific to area of business. The checklists are designed to be an evolving tool which individual departments can take ownership of.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Corporate and Operational Plans: The Corporate Plan includes a Vision, three Focus Areas and six Goals. The Vision sets the framework for Council’s sustainability vision: "…a future where the region is thriving and is inspirational in the way it balances economic development, environmental management and social well-being”.

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The Sustainability Scorecard will assist Council achieve it’s the vision of being Australia’s greenest region. In addition the Scorecard will contribute to meeting the Objectives for each of the following goals in the corporate plan. The six goals are: 1. Caring for the environment 2. Building vibrant communities 3. Delivering integrated planning 4. Delivering services and infrastructure 5. Creating a prosperous region 6. Striving for organisational excellence The Sustainability Scorecard is a key project under Goal 1 of the corporate plan. Statutory: There are no statutory obligations relating to this report. Policy: The Sustainability Scorecard project was developed as a mechanism to assist Council integrate the Corporate Sustainability Policy into Council operations. The development and implementation of the Sustainability Scorecard responds to the six intents of the CSP: The CSP identifies the following six intents: 1. Respond to the challenge of climate change. 2. Maintain and restore the natural environment. 3. Use our resources more efficiently. 4. Reduce our environmental impact. 5. Display strong leadership to the community. 6. Reduce financial losses associated with inefficient energy and resource

consumption. In addition, the Sustainability Assessment tool will create awareness of opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which is inline with Council’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Policy. Financial and Risk: One of the four themes of sustainability in the scorecard is “Delivering Sound Governance and Economic Management”. The consideration of economic management is important in order to see a balanced approach to sustainability. The adoption of the Sustainability Assessment tool requires no financial outlay by Council and the training will be conducted internally.

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Sustainability: The Sustainability Scorecard has been developed with quadruple bottom line sustainability in mind. The four themes of sustainability were developed by considering the Corporate Plan and cross checking against the intent of the CSP. The foundation of the Sustainability Scorecard is the four themes: - Improving Resource Efficiency - Conserving Bio-Diversity - Enhancing Community Health and Wellbeing - Delivering Sound Governance and Economic Management The use of the Sustainability Scorecard, specifically the Sustainability Assessment will provide the following beneficial outcomes to Council: - Tangible demonstration of Council’s commitment to quadruple bottom line

sustainability; - Identification and demonstration of the relevant key intents underlying the CSP to

each department/branch; - Financial savings resulting from resource efficiencies; - Improved awareness of the cause and effect of decisions in terms of Council’s

sustainability objectives; - Improved understanding of the concept and application of sustainability amongst

Councillors and staff; - Informed decision making taking into account sustainability considerations; and - Transparency/ justification of Council decision making in relation to sustainability

considerations.

CONSULTATION:

The following staff have contributed to the development of the Sustainability Scorecard and specifically the Sustainability Assessment tool: Manager Planning Strategies Manager Corporate performance Team Leader Corporate performance GM Planning & Environment GM Community, Sport & Cultural Services GM Water & Waste Manager Cairns Fleet Manager AMDP Sustainability Coordinator W & W GM Infrastructure Management Manager Waste & Environment FNQROC Coordinator Team Leader Planning Strategies Manager Libraries Manager Human Resources Manager Project Services Snr Coordinator Management Accounting

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Manager Infrastructure Management Team Leader EPU Manager Infrastructure W & W Environment Officer Team Leader Application Services IS Manager Business Support Executive Engineer – Planning W & W

OPTIONS: That Council endorse the Sustainability Scorecard - Sustainability Assessment tool and Sustainability Checklists and endorse their future use by Council Officers. Or That Council do not endorse the Sustainability Scorecard - Sustainability Assessment tool and Sustainability Checklists and endorse their future use by Council Officers.

CONCLUSION:

The proposed scorecard framework, comprising annual and monthly reporting, Sustainability Assessments and checklists satisfies Council’s objectives for the project. The simple graphical outputs will provide a tangible demonstration internally and externally of Council’s commitment to quadruple bottom line sustainability. - The consultative nature of this project has raised awareness of the key intents

underlying the CSP to representative staff from all departments. This will be further demonstrated through staff training, the Sustainability checklists and the Sustainability Assessment tool.

- The project embeds considerations of energy and water efficiency in decision making which should deliver financial savings to Council.

- The instant outputs from the Sustainability Assessment tool will build awareness across the organisation of the cause and effect of decisions relating to Council’s sustainability objectives and contribute to an improved understanding of the concept and application of sustainability amongst Councillors and staff.

- The assessment outputs will provide a framework to support informed decision making taking into account sustainability considerations and provide a platform for justification of Council decision making relating to Council’s sustainability.

Throughout this project Council and staff have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving, measuring and reporting on sustainability. The continued success of this initiative will require ongoing commitment and skill building across Council.

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ATTACHMENTS: 1. Proposed Sustainability Scorecard framework 2. Sustainability Scorecard Indicators 3. Sustainability Assessment output 4. Sustainability Checklist (sample) Maree Grenfell Sustainability Officer Peter Boyd Manager Planning Strategies

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Attachment 2

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

13 APRIL 2011

8 SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD – SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT TOOL IMPLEMENTATION Maree Grenfell: 8/27/3-07: #3094753

RECOMMENDATION:

That Council notes the progress of the Sustainability Scorecard project.

INTRODUCTION:

Council has developed a Sustainability Scorecard which is a framework to measure and report on Council’s sustainability performance. The aim of the Scorecard project is to implement Council’s Corporate Sustainability Policy whose intent is to embed sustainability into all of its activities. The integral part of this framework is a Sustainability Assessment tool which enables Officers to assess projects, operations and decisions against holistic sustainability criteria. Council will have noted the recent inclusion of a Sustainability Assessment as part of every Council report which is the result of an Administration Instruction formalising its use. Essentially the tool functions as a questionnaire and provides a graphic output of the responses provided against four key areas within Council’s sphere of influence: Improving Resource Efficiency, Conserving Biodiversity, Enhancing Community Health and Wellbeing and Sound Governance and Economic Sustainability. The aim is to prompt the questions that should be asked every day to improve Council’s sustainability performance and to empower Officers to build sustainability considerations into every project. In addition to the Assessment tool the Scorecard framework includes a monthly snapshot report and an annual scorecard report. The Sustainability Scorecard – Sustainability Assessment tool has been relaunched as Version 2. Version 2 has been developed as an innovative and automated, intranet based tool which provides advanced functionality and interactive features such as ‘more information’ and ‘hover over’ fields. The new Sustainability Assessment tool is a first for local government in Australia and has been backed by an Administration Instruction for use which has been adopted by Council’s Executive Team. This report concludes parts one and two of this project which included Sustainability Assessments development and implementation, plus Monthly reporting.

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BACKGROUND: Version 1 Council endorsed the use of the Sustainability Scorecard – Sustainability Assessment tool by all staff in July 2010. The original tool was developed as an excel workbook. The Sustainability Scorecard – Sustainability Assessment tool was developed in consultation with a large and representative Project Reference Group from all areas of Council. Arup worked with Council in identifying the sustainability criteria and lead indicators that shape the tool specifically to Council’s business. The questions that comprise the tool were chosen due to their suitability to all areas of Council. Participatory workshops were facilitated to determine the areas of Council’s influence with regard to holistic sustainability. The tool was developed to be high level enough to apply to all areas of Council while providing the opportunity for specific areas of business to drill down into more detail.

Sample of V1 Assessment tool layout

Sample of V1 Assessment result graphic output

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COMMENT: Progress to date Following the endorsement of the Sustainability Assessment tool by Council in July 2010 the following work has been undertaken: 1. Tool Automation – version 2

For efficiency and functionality the Sustainability Assessment has been developed as an on-line and interactive tool. The design of the new tool has taken into account Officer feedback and provides many user benefits.

These include:

1. Automation of Sustainability Assessment results for monthly and annual

reporting; 2. ‘Hover over’ and ‘more information’ features for interactive usability; 3. Intuitive functionality and ease of use; 4. Advanced technical system for benchmarking data with other Councils; 5. Ease of auditing Sustainability Assessments for accuracy; 6. Consistency in interpretation of assessment questions and results; and 7. Potential to interact future Energy and Emissions Data Management System

and State of the Environment report (development phase).

The automated tool is easy to use and understand. It enables data from the completed assessments to be automatically aggregated for Council data sets and reported on. It also enables the Scorecard outputs to be generated whenever a point in time report is required. It dramatically decreases the staff hours associated with completing the assessment (an assessment can be completed and a report generated in approx 10 minutes).

Arup were contracted to automate the tool with assistance of Council’s Information Services and the Sustainability Officer. The automated tool was completed and ‘soft launched’ in December 2010. It was launched formally with the adoption of the Administration Instruction, user manual and final deployment in March 2011. For screenshots please see attachments.

2. Training

A training package was developed and delivered to approximately 250 Council staff during September and October 2010.

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The training sessions were one hour and included activities and learning outcomes including a definition of sustainability, the application of sustainability principles across Council, a timeline of global sustainability, Council’s policy framework, an outline of the Sustainability Scorecard and instructions on how to use the Sustainability Assessment tool. Participants provided positive feedback on the presentation and content of the training sessions.

3. Integration with Council systems

To ensure the Sustainability Scorecard is successful in implementing the Corporate Sustainability Policy, existing Council policies and templates are being updated to provide consistency in terminology and intent. Part of the Scorecard’s effectiveness is in teaching and reinforcing the questions that should be asked on a daily basis relating to sustainability.

The following templates have been updated and the following have been identified as opportunities:

Updated • Updated Purchasing Policy (to be adopted before the 2011/12 financial year) • Updated Capital Works submissions template • Updated Water and Waste CW budget submissions process • Updated General Council Report template For consideration

• Updated Project Management templates • Updated Grants application template • Updated Procurement templates Where we are now Administration Instruction Council’s Executive team have shown leadership by adopting an Administration Instruction for use of the Sustainability Assessment tool. From 7 March the Sustainability Assessment tool is being used in the following scenarios:

1. When procuring goods or services above the value/cost of $15,000; 2. When writing a report to Council where a course of action is recommended; 3. When planning a project/activity/service over the value/cost of $15,000; 4. When implementing a project/activity/service over the value/cost of $15,000;

and 5. When completing a project over the value cost of $15,000

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Any Council officer can use and is encouraged to use the Sustainability Assessment tool for relevant projects/activities/services outside of these situations. Additional training Given the changes to Sustainability Assessment tool and the launch of the Admin Instruction additional training will be delivered on the assessment tool and its use. Specialised training will be provided to areas of Council requesting additional support. Monthly Snapshot Reporting The automated tool allows for all completed Sustainability Assessments to be reported on in a simple graphic per department for a specified date range. This will provide information on Council’s ongoing sustainability performance which will fit into the existing internal Monthly Reporting process. The information reported on is lead indicators and the model suggests that as lead indicators improve, lag indicators (annual indicators such as total greenhouse gas emissions) will also improve. Where to from here Council undertakes voluntary annual reporting including a State of the Environment Report and a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. A review is underway to assess the reporting currently undertaken to ensure it is relevant to Council’s business. As part of the Sustainability Scorecard Project, sustainability lag indicators have been developed to collate on an annual basis. This data will be used in conjunction with the lead indicators collated from the Sustainability Assessments to provide a new data set. This will provide an annual scorecard to the external community providing transparency on Council’s sustainability performance. This work will be underway until the end of the financial year.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Corporate and Operational Plans: The Corporate Plan includes a Vision, three Focus Areas and six Goals. The Vision sets the framework for Council’s sustainability vision: "…a future where the region is thriving and is inspirational in the way it balances economic development, environmental management and social well-being” The Sustainability Scorecard will assist Council achieve it’s the vision of being Australia’s greenest region. In addition the Scorecard will contribute to meeting the Objectives for each of the following goals in the corporate plan.

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The six goals are: 1. Caring for the environment 2. Building vibrant communities 3. Delivering integrated planning 4. Delivering services and infrastructure 5. Creating a prosperous region 6. Striving for organisational excellence The development of the key sustainability criteria in the Sustainability Assessment tool was assisted by a matrix of intents from the Corporate Sustainability Policy and the goals and objectives of Council’s Corporate Plan. The Sustainability Scorecard is a key project under Goal 1 of the corporate plan. Statutory: There are no statutory obligations relating to this report. Policy: The Sustainability Scorecard project was developed as to assist Council integrate the Corporate Sustainability Policy into Council operations. The development and implementation of the Sustainability Scorecard responds to the six intents of the CSP: The CSP identifies the following six intents: 1. Respond to the challenge of climate change. 2. Maintain and restore the natural environment. 3. Use our resources more efficiently. 4. Reduce our environmental impact. 5. Display strong leadership to the community. 6. Reduce financial losses associated with inefficient energy and resource

consumption. In addition, the Sustainability Assessment tool will create awareness of opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which is inline with Council’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Policy. The use of the Sustainability Assessment tool is also a measure included in the implementation of Council’s Climate Change Strategy. Financial and Risk: This project has been budgeted as part of the Operational Plan for years 2009/10 and 2010/11. One of the four themes of sustainability in the scorecard is “Delivering Sound Governance and Economic Management”. The Sustainability Assessment tool addresses the following points to consider economic sustainability: - whether the activity being assessed provides local employment benefits - whether the activity being assessed uses locally grown and/or sourced products - whether the activity being assessed contributes to operational cost savings - whether the activity being assessed has been budgeted for in Operational plan.

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The Sustainability Scorecard is a change management process assisting Council in communicating sustainability in a consistent and meaningful way. Implementing the Scorecard has involved a shift in organisational culture plus significant financial commitment. Council has demonstrated strong leadership to the community, particularly the business community, by making this firm commitment to improve operational sustainability. The Sustainability Scorecard demonstrates a dedicated long term commitment to implementing Council’s Corporate Sustainability Policy and creating an organisational culture of sustainability.

ATTACHMENTS: Screenshots of V2 Sustainability Assessment tool Maree Grenfell Sustainability Officer Peter Boyd Manager Planning Strategies

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Attachment 1 – Screenshots of the Sustainability Assessment tool

CRC Intranet page on Sustainability Scorecard

Sustainability Assessment tool homepage

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Sustainability Assessment tool navigation page

Project Information page

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Sustainability Assessment tool layout of questions

Sustainability Assessment tool – select answers which highlights correct choice – answer is colour coded and corresponds to Sustainability report

Hover over text for definitions

More information Clicking on this icon will display a dialog box with more detailed information specific to that topic. It also contains ideas to optimise results.

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Sustainability Assessment tool Search function – allows searching by field or allows user to build search using filter

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Attachment 3 Sustainability Scorecard information sheet presented to Councillors May 2012 Sustainability Scorecard The Sustainability Scorecard is an award winning framework which was developed to embed the consideration of sustainability into everything we do at Council. The Sustainability Scorecard framework is structured around four themes which reflect the intents of the Corporate Sustainability Policy and the Corporate Plan. - Improving resource efficiency - Conserving biodiversity - Enhancing community health and wellbeing - Delivering sound governance and economic management

More specifically the Sustainability Scorecard: - Prompts the consideration of balanced decision making; - Facilitates the understanding of what sustainability means to Council and teaches

a consistent language; - Improves sustainability performance by the daily consideration of lead indicators;

and - Measures and communicates Council’s sustainability performance.

A Sustainability Assessment is essentially an electronic, interactive questionnaire which is housed on council’s intranet. It is used in project planning, procurement decisions and Council reports. Since last April over 1200 assessments have been completed. After answering the questionnaire (Sustainability Assessment), a report is generated; this is visual and aims to provide a snapshot of sustainability performance over the four themes. The assessment is high level and for specific details more information should be requested from the project manager or responsible officer. Council’s General Report template contains a “Sustainability” header and officers are prompted to include a Sustainability Assessment output on their Council recommendation plus a brief narrative on how the assessment should be interpreted. See over the page for an ideal example.

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How to read a Sustainability Assessment

Four themes of

sustainability

Score is a percentage out of 100 – the higher the

score the better the sustainability output.

We are aiming to achieve higher scores (over 50%) and greater balance over

each theme.

There is one for square for each question answered in the Sustainability

Assessment and the colour represents the response compared with Council’s

objectives –green (positive), blue (neutral) or red (negative).

Colours are transferrable

to black & white

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Appendix 4 – Suggested amendment to Council template Existing Council template

Suggested change

A Sustainability Assessment is not required for Reports for noting. Provide a brief explanation of the Sustainability Assessment under the following headings to give context to your assessment based on the project/recommendation being assessed: Resources: <how the score shows reduced, no change or improved resource efficiency> Environment: <how the score shows reduced, no change or improved biodiversity> Community: <how the score shows reduced, no change or improved community wellbeing> Governance and economic management: <how the score shows reduced, no change or improved governance and economic management>

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