5.1 Leadership and commitment

Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the event sustainability management system by:

  • ensuring that policies and objectives are established for the event sustainability management system and are compatible with the strategic direction of the organization;
  • ensuring the integration of the event sustainability management system requirements into the organization's business processes;
  • ensuring that the resources needed for the event sustainability management system are available;
  • communicating the importance of effective event sustainability management and conforming to the event sustainability management system requirements;
  • ensuring that the event sustainability management system achieves its intended outcome(s);
  • directing and supporting persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the event sustainability management system;
  • promoting continual improvement;
  • supporting other relevant

REQUIREMENTS:

This clause requires that top management take an active role. You are looking for top management being active and interested, rather than passive, dismissive or not involved.

  • Look for evidence that top management are involved in or support the implementation of a management system. Using the SEMS Tool or other foramalised system is evidence.
  • Evidence that management are involved in ensuring sustainability is addressed in a systematic way
  • Evidence that teams are provided the support for competency to be developed and and resources needed to succeed
  • Evidence that top management request performance results and undertake feedback, review and future goal setting

You are looking for things such as the directive coming from the top to 'go green', challenges or requests being given by top management to the team to improve sustainability performance, training provided, management review undertaken, staff empowered and competent to embrace sustainability and make decisions.

EDUCATION:

By committing to sustainability top management is showing leadership. The next step is for involvement by staff and other essential stakeholders. Top management should ensure processes and programs are in place to engage everyone that has a role in sustainability performance to become involved and to 'buy into' successfully reaching objectives.

Examples of demonstrating commitment could be:

  • having staff undertake sustainable event training
  • engaging XYZ [staff or consultant] to support the sustainability vision of XYZ Organization.
  • role of Sustainability Manager being created
  • the formation of a greening team
  • Policies and objectives included in the Sustainability Policy.
  • The event sustainability management system being integrated into the organization’s business processes through ensuring sustainability is placed on an equal level with creative and financial decisions. This is documented in the Sustainability Policy document and is ensured through establishment of the Greening Committee.
  • Resources provided through time and knowledge, to ensure that sustainability is addressed.
  • Sustainability impacts included in all major operational and procurement decisions as a matter of policy and staff are trained to understand the issues.
  • The importance of including sustainability considerations in decision and the implementation of the management system is communicated to all relevant internal and external parties.
  • The [Executive Director], [Production Manager] direct staff to address sustainability issues and adhere to the Sustainability Policy for the organization.
  • The idea of continual improvement promoted by the [Executive Director], [Production Manager] and [Sustainability Manager] through establishing incremental goals and improvements each year. This is included in the department action plans for sustainability and assessed through the Sustainability Report with new goals set for the following [year].
  • All relevant departments are required to address sustainability and are empowered to do so.
  • A management review is undertaken.

RELEVANT SEMS QUESTION:

COMMITMENT AND RESOURCING/Leadership: Top management demonstrates leadership through motivating staff and stakeholders to be involved in the event sustainability management system.

COMMITMENT AND RESOURCING/Commitment to Sustainability: Top management has demonstrated its commitment through integrating a sustainable event management system into the organization.

NOTE: This question crosses over with COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS, so check the answers given to that question. This cross cuts other areas such as objective setting, provision of resources, management review.    

EXAMPLE OF EVIDENCE TEXT:

See examples above. This should be documented in the evidence box of the SEMS Tool.

AUDITOR INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Review the text box and any uploaded evidence.
  • Look for evidence that the top management are involved in or support the uptake of using the SEMS Tool and the management system model.
  • You are looking for things such as the directive coming from the top to 'go green', challenges or requests being given by top management to the team to improve sustainability performance, training provided, management review undertaken, staff empowered and competent to embrace sustainability and make decisions.
  • Question relevant staff member/s about this to get their opinion on the commitment and leadership by top management.

AUDIT OUTCOMES:

  • The organization's top management demonstrates through their actions and statements, their leadership in influencing uptake of sustainable event management practice.
  • The organization's top management demonstrates their commitment to implementing a sustainable event management system and improved sustainability performance through supporting the implementation