Sustainability in the public sector
There is high level commitment to sustainable development. In March
2005 the UK Government published Securing the Future – delivering
UK sustainable development strategy, and One Future – Different Paths,
the UK's shared framework for sustainable development. Public
sector organisations have a common goal to deliver quality of life. Increasingly,
sustainability, which encompasses ensuring quality of life for all over the
long-term, is embedded in statutory requirements.
There are ways to save money while delivering on sustainability. Securing
the Future is clear that ‘managing sustainability performance can
improve risk management, identify cost savings, improve reputation and aid communication
with stakeholders’. For instance, sustainability can help save money through
greater efficiency in resource use: cutting energy bills will also cut greenhouse
gas emissions. ‘Walking the talk’ will help you convince others
to do the same. Few issues can be resolved by one organisation acting alone.
Getting serious on issues like sustainability makes it easier for public sector
organisations to ask that others do the same.
CIPFA's Sustainability: A Reporting Framework for the Public Services
CIPFA's new publication sets the scene for people in public sector organisations who need to know the current state of play on the sustainability agenda, and provides a tool to help them to communicate to all of their stakeholders how they are responding to the challenge.
‘What gets measured gets managed’, so regular sustainability reporting
means that these important issues can be managed. For external stakeholders,
sustainability reporting is an opportunity to engage and hold organisations
to account.
How the new framework can help
Sustainability reporting can be used to deliver outcomes as part of a wider
performance management system:
- Structure existing measures in a way that generates ownership
If the organisation can co-ordinate national and local targets within its
own framework then it can have greater ownership and a coherent structure
for existing performance information as well as the associated activities
- Organisations use performance measurement to improve
Case study examples show how indicators are used to measure performance and
how they can serve as constructive feedback on strategies, tactics and operations
- Reporting is a strong way of raising awareness
A strong and vivid report will have the power to bring key sustainability
issues onto the table on a regular basis when it is part of improvement planning,
budget setting or strategic decision-making
- Transparency promotes the public good
Greater transparency and engagement of stakeholders in public service organisations
can play a vibrant part in increasing the public good they aim to deliver.
CIPFA’s framework, developed in conjunction with Forum for the Future,
enables UK public sector organisations to put sustainability reporting into
practice. This framework takes you through the practical steps you need to make
to deliver a meaningful sustainability report.
£60.00 for the first copy, and £25.00 for second and subsequent
copies
View the contents: Word
(14kb) | PDF
(16kb)
View the foreword: Word
(8kb) | PDF
(16kb)
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