Delivering a SustainableBuilt Environment – A Skills Perspective

EAUC Conference – April 2008

Annie HallDirector – GainPerspective

My brief - to talk about …

Skills for sustainability from avocational perspective

Sustainability Skills Matrix for the Built Environment

Skills identified as being important – Do they differ for different professions?

Whose role is it to deliver these skillsand who needs to be involved?

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3

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The built environment – an opportunity for SD …

Big impact (+/-), big business, big opportunity

Shapes our lives - key role in delivering sustainability

Carbon emissions may lead action … but other potential environmental, social and economic gains too

BRE

Genesis Project

The built environment – an opportunity for SD …

Not just houses/buildings but infrastructure too

Stratford StationUpgrade

Carran Hill WTWN Ireland

M60 Widening (Jnts 5-8)

Pictures courtesy ofCEEQUAL Ltd – all these examples are CEEQUAL ExcellentRated projects

Sustainability Skills Matrix forthe Built Environment

Developed by former Sustainability Forum (for Construction)

Spans 12 ‘functions’ from financiers, planners and clients to designers, constructors and occupiers

Assumes essential generic skills are covered elsewhere (eg communication, team-working, negotiation, evaluation, etc)

Handed over to 3 Sector Skills Councils – ConstructionSkills, SummitSkills, AssetSkills

Used to frame SD skills development – research, training, tools, qualifications, occupational standards etc

Sustainability Skills Matrix forthe Built Environment

COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITYTo achieve sustainability by:

ABILITIESThe ‘Functions’ need to be able to:

1 2 F U N C T I O N S

SOCIAL[4 subsections]

14 ‘abilities’

ENVIRONMENTAL[3 subsections]

15 ‘abilities’

ECONOMIC[2 subsections]

10 ‘abilities’

Ratings on level of functional involvement:

*** = Primary role

** = Involved in

* = Aware and take action as necessary

No * = Aware

Sustainability Skills Matrix forthe Built EnvironmentCOMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITYAchieve sustainability by:

ABILITIES‘Functions’ need to be able to:

Plan-ning

Procure-ment

Ops & Mgnt

SOCIAL [eg second component]‘Promoting sustainable communities through planning and design’

Ensure appropriateness of development to needs of the community including multiple use and adaptability

***

* **

ENVIRONMENTAL[eg first component]‘Taking account of natural capacity’

Respond to projected impacts of climate change

***

** *

ECONOMIC[eg second component]‘Enhancing business opportunities’

Capitalise on funding/grant available for more sustainable development

* *** *

Compare and contrast :Design, Construction, Operation

COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY ABILITIESDsn 

Con 

Ops Mgt 

To achieve Sustainability by: The 'Functions' need to be able to:

SOCIAL        

Optimising opportunities and social benefits  

create useable public and private space to deliver successful communities *** * *

improve health, wellbeing, accessibility and security of community ** ** *

enhance employment and skills development opportunities for the local community

** ** ***

Promoting sustainable communities through planning and design 

meet requirements of local regional and national development and regeneration strategies

***   **

ensure appropriateness of development to needs of the community including multiple use and adaptability

**   **

Engaging Stakeholders  

consult with the public authorities, general public and other stakeholders, including end users and respond accordingly

*** *** **

involve and manage expectations of stakeholders in development process from concept to commissioning

*** ** ***

consult and manage expectations of stakeholders on changes to ongoing use and operation

**   ***

Minimising negative impacts      

plan for effective public and private transport use ** *** **

control nuisance (noise, dust, light etc) ** *** *

ensure a secure site, in construction ** *** *

ensure health and safety of site workers and local community *** *** *

protect, enhance and maintain appropriate social access to environmentally sensitive areas

*** *** **

assess and mitigate flood risk *** ** **

Compare and contrastCOMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY ABILITIES

Dsn 

Con 

Ops Mgt 

To achieve Sustainability by: The 'Functions' need to be able to:

ENVIRONMENT        

Taking account of natural capacity  assess and mitigate wider environmental impacts (eg water

supply, sewerage, transport, waste, etc.) ***   *

respond to projected impacts of climate change *** * *

Optimising environmental benefits     

minimise energy demand and meet it efficiently aiming to achieve carbon neutrality

*** *** ***

minimise water demand and aim to maintain water sufficiency from public supply

*** *** ***

optimise efficiency of materials use *** *** ***

maximise range of environmental benefits in the design***   **

maintain and enhance biodiversity *** *** **

Minimising negative impacts        

reduce, reuse, recycle, recover waste *** *** ***

reduce emissions to air, land and water *** *** ***

reduce transport impacts ** *** ***

protect ecological resources ** *** ***

minimise take of environmentally valuable land *** ** *

minimise pollution of air, land and water *** *** **

manage and control in situ contamination of land *** ** **

protect archaeological and historically valuable resources** ** **

Compare and contrastCOMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY ABILITIES

Dsn 

Con 

OpsMgt

To achieve Sustainability by: The 'Functions' need to be able to:

ECONOMIC       

Ensuring economic viability and improving processes  

use technologies and materials consistent with sustainability principles

*** *** ***

keep up-to-date with advances in construction/technology*** *** ***

establish cost and benefit on the basis of whole life value*** *** **

manage the supply chain effectively * *** ***

keep up-to-date with regulatory and planning requirements*** *** ***

operate effective project management and contingency planning procedures

** *** **

maximise range of economic benefits including flexibility of use***   **

achieve cost effective out-performance of statutory requirements*** *** ***

Enhancing business opportunities 

meet requirements of national, regional and local economic strategy

** * *

capitalise on funding/grant available for more sustainable development

* ** *

Uses of the SD Skills Matrix

Frame research (needsgaps, provision)

Frame database of skills/training for industry

- build capacity

Measure SSCs progress/inform integrated future

planning

Measure industryprogress year on year –

generate baseline

Determine provision ‘fit for purpose’

Influence/inform initial training, NOS, CPD

SD SKILLS MATRIX

Uses?Provide structure forshared SSC activity

Practical applications

SD ToolsMatrix

OrganisationalSD Strategies

Frame Training& Development

Plans

SD Skills Diagnostic ToolClients, Designers, Contractors

Who should be involved indelivering SD skills?

Individuals –YOU AND ME!

Individuals –YOU AND ME!

Central & LocalGovernment

Central & LocalGovernment

Skills RelatedFunding BodiesHFCE, LSC etc

Skills RelatedFunding BodiesHFCE, LSC etc

IndependentTrainers

IndependentTrainers

EmployersIn-house orExternally

EmployersIn-house orExternally

Other SectorBodies InvolvedIn SD Training

Other SectorBodies InvolvedIn SD Training

ProfessionalInstitutions

ProfessionalInstitutions

SectorSkills

Councils

SectorSkills

Councils

Further &Higher

Education

Further &Higher

Education

SKILLSSKILLSFOR SDFOR SD

SKILLSSKILLSFOR SDFOR SD

How to contact me …

Annie Hall – Director, GainPerspective

Tel: 0845 123 6999

Mobile: 07809 484379

Email: annie.hall@gainperspective.co.uk

Web: www.gainperspective.co.uk