Launching a Sustainability Program in Your Organization

October 9, 2009
Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
UO in Portland, White Stag Block 152
Presenter: Darcy Hitchcock

A one-day workshop to help you develop a practical strategy to initiate a sustainability effort in your organization.

Course Description

Are you planning to start a sustainability initiative in your organization but are uncertain how to proceed? Should you start in just one part of the organization or try to convince executives to adopt this as a strategic initiative? How do you build the business case? How do you enroll and excite others about the possibilities? What are the most important decisions and tasks early on that will set the right tone for your effort?

This course will provide analytical tools essential in implementing your sustainability program in your organization. Build an implementation plan and learn from people who have successfully started sustainability efforts in their organizations. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves workshop designed to provide the personal attention needed to plan and move sustainability forward in your organization.

Morning:

• Change management strategies: What works and what doesn't. Key principles.
• Different approaches and common entry points for launching sustainability initiatives.
• Situation assessment: Using several methods to analyze your situation as groundwork for developing a strategy:
  • Strategic: threats and opportunities
  • Readiness: relationship to past efforts, existing interest from top management, etc.
  • Stakeholders and players: stakeholder assessment
  • Implementation strategy: Using several methods to decide where to begin and how to enlist the help of collaborators.
  • Developing a strategy that fits your situation, examining starting options, and identifying leverage points.
  • Gathering data: What do you need to know?

Afternoon:

• Guest speakers: Real-world stories and lessons learned.
• Refining your strategy based on speakers' insights.
• Stakeholder enrollment: Choose the next stakeholder to approach and prepare a proposal with the greatest likelihood of success.
  • Finding the hook
  • Refining your message for your audience
  • Making the 'ask'
  • Personal development plan: What you need to learn to keep leading this effort.
  • Skills assessment
  • Sustainability knowledge assessment

Registration and Fees

• Non-Credit Fee: $
• Earlybird Fee: $279
• Earlybird Registration Deadline: 09/25/2009
• Online registration not currently available for this course

More Information

• About Darcy Hitchcock
• Download the program brochure

Workshops

• Community Event Design and Management: A Triple Bottom Line Approach
• Public/Private Partnerships for Sustainability
• Equity and Sustainability: How to Balance Your Triple Bottom Line
• Writing Your Sustainability Plan: Process and Framework
• Forming and Facilitating Sustainability Teams: Engaging and Training Employees
• Power of Purchasing: Sustainable Procurement
• Accounting for Sustainability: Reporting Principles and Concepts
• Green Building Design and Operations: Benefits, Strategies and Resources
• Investment in Natural Infrastr.: Ecosystem Services as an Emerging Asset Class
• Carbon Footprints and Climate Risk: Tools for Business and Government
• Sustainability Indicators and Assessment for Government
• Sustainable Economic Development through Public Sector Investment
• Sustainability by Design: Retrofitting our Cities, Communities and Neighborhoods
• Energy Efficiency First: A Map to Reducing Costs and Carbon Footprint
• Land Use Planning: an Ecosystem Approach to Achieving Sustainability
• Sustainable Transportation Strategies: Processes, Indicators, and Measurements
• Writing Your Sustainability Plan: Process and Framework
• Climate Policy, Carbon Credits and Business Risk
• Energy and Climate Action Planning

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committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.