Element EC21.1 | Element EC21.2 | Element EC21.3
About this unit
This unit is about the skills you need to organise and carry out a wide range of environmental projects – it’s about being well organised, being concerned about quality and how to improve it. ‘Environmental projects’ include any type of project work that you may be involved with in the course of your work or that of your organisation, e.g. organising a drystone walling project, the construction of a schools nature area, a reserve open day, or the introduction and use of a new telephone system. This unit, therefore, looks at the specific skills required in planning for and maintaining the quality of work, sustaining a good working environment and evaluating the project against your initial objectives.
You must be able to negotiate and agree the specifications for your work. This requires you to consult with others and ensure that the specification takes account of environmental pressures and good practice- the different uses which a site can have may give rise to conflicts, and the project specification will need to take account of this. There may be a need to balance the recreational needs of the public with the conservation requirements of the site, for example. Likewise, there may be a need to consider the different requirements of natural and built heritage e.g. a site providing a good habitat may cause problems for buildings, monuments or archaeological features. You must maintain project activities through the provision of resources such as equipment, staff and finance, maintain productive working conditions and deal with any contingencies such as accidents. You must also evaluate the effectiveness of your project work – ensuring that they meet the requirements of the project specification - and reporting on this process.
» Element EC21.1 Plan environmental projects
» Element EC21.2 Deliver environmental projects
» Element EC21.3 Evaluate environmental projects
Element EC21.1 Plan environmental projects
What you must be able to do:
- negotiate project specifications to meet agreed organisational requirements and appropriate management plans
- negotiate project specifications to conform to current statutory and legal requirements, and to principles of environmental good practice
- take into account the views and opinions of those with relevant technical expertise when negotiating project specifications
- take account of any potential or actual pressures on the environment when negotiating project specifications
- include systems and criteria for project evaluation within the project specifications
- present final project specifications in a style which is accurate, complete and in a style suitable for the user
- give clear and accurate briefings to those people involved with the project specifications
- ensure that, where relevant, contracts for project work are issued
- take into account risks
This standard covers:
A. Project specifications:
- schedule
- location
- methods and procedures
- physical resources
- human resources
- relevant legal requirements
- standard of outcome required
- financial requirements
B. criteria:
- environmental impact
- quality
- value for money
C. people:
- internal to the organisation
- external to the organisations
D risks:
- Health and safety
- Financial
- Reputation
- Environmental impact
What you must know and understand:
- relevant aspects of organisational requirements and management plans
- current principles of environmental good practice, and statutory and legal requirement, and their impact on project specifications
- Health and safety and risks
- identification of relevant people and ways in which their views and opinions can be taken into account
- awareness of actual and potential pressures on the environment, of any conflict between these pressures, and the effect these may have on the project specification
- the process of identifying and selecting appropriate evaluation systems and criteria
- the importance of accurate and complete specification, and reason for choice of presentation style
- the importance of giving clear and accurate briefings to those involved with the project
- specification, and reasons for the choice of briefing method
- the process of agreeing and issuing contracts for project work
Element EC21.2 Deliver environmental projects
What you must be able to do:
- make resources available to allow project activities to be carried out in a safe, and effective way
- inform the appropriate person without delay where these resources are not available
- consistently meet project specifications for projects within your area of responsibility
- note any factors which may cause disruption to project activities, and take the appropriate action to minimise their effects
- take corrective action without delay, and inform the relevant people of any changes which may affect them
- establish and maintain systems to monitor the quality, quantity and time specifications for service delivery
- make any recommendations for improving project activities and working conditions promptly to the appropriate people
- ensure that the use and maintenance of equipment conforms to recommended schedules and procedures
- promptly report all accidents and incidents to the appropriate people, and record them accurately and fully
- conduct communications with the project team and other interested parties in a way which promotes understanding and goodwill
- make sure that records of project activities are complete, accurate and comply with organisational procedures
This standard covers:
A. resources:
- natural
- physical
- human
- financial
B. project specifications:
- schedule
- location
- methods and procedures
- physical resources
- human resources
- relevant legal requirements
- standard of outcome required
What you must know and understand:
- the required type and quantity of resources needed for project activities; appropriate action in the case of inadequate resources
- individual responsibilities within project specifications including health and safety
- how to identify and minimise the effect of disruptions; reasons for selecting corrective actions
- how to establish and maintain systems to monitor service delivery; how to identify improvements to project activities and working conditions
- methods of communication likely to promote understanding and goodwill
- the importance of complete and accurate records which comply with organisational procedures
Element EC21.3 Evaluate environmental projects
What you must be able to do:
- carry out evaluation efficiently and effectively against criteria set out in the project
- specification
- ensure that evaluation is thorough, complete and objective
- ensure that evaluation reports are clear, accurate and in a form suitable for the intended recipients
- justify your conclusions and recommendations on the basis of the information available, methods of evaluation and clearly stated assumptions
This standard covers:
A. criteria:
- environmental impact
- quality
- use of resources
B. methods of evaluation:
- qualitative
- quantitative
What you must know and understand:
- the importance of evaluating project outcomes
- techniques of evaluation; requirements of the original project specification
- the process of evaluation; the importance of thorough, complete and impartial evaluation
- the importance of clear and accurate reports; reasons for style of report
- means of drawing conclusion and making recommendations
