Students

ENVS8544 – Environmental and Sustainability Consulting

2024 – Session 1, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Professor
Neil Saintilan
Room 125, 12 Wallys Walk
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(80cp at 8000 level and admission to MEnv or MSusDev or MEnvEd or MEnvMgt or MEnvStud or MEnvPlan or MPlan or MSocEntre) or (40cp at 8000 level and admission to MSc)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students the opportunity to bring together what they have learned in other units through working in small teams to undertake environmental and sustainability consultancy projects for real clients. The real-life problems requested by clients are chosen to represent typical situations likely to confront graduates from our programs. The final report of each group will be expected to be of a high quality and equivalent to a consultant's report to a client. Students will learn to define and scope a project, understand the context, prepare a project proposal for a client, work with colleagues to complete the project, prepare a written report for the client, practice Indigenous ethics in consulting, and present the group's findings in person to the client. The unit is of value to students in environmental management, environmental planning, sustainable and sustainable development.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply broad environmental/sustainability knowledge to respond effectively to a client's project brief with a clearly defined and manageable project proposal.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a team to plan and manage an environmental/sustainability reporting project.
  • ULO3: Produce a professional quality environmental/sustainability consultancy written report relevant to the client's situation and specifications.
  • ULO4: Prepare and present a professional quality oral and visual presentation and respond effectively to questions.

General Assessment Information

Project Report

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing Indicative Time on Task 2: 70 hours Due: 31/05/2024 Weighting: 60%

 

Produce a professional quality written environmental/sustainability consultancy report relevant to the client's situation and specifications

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a team to plan and manage an environmental/sustainability reporting project.
  • Produce a professional quality environmental/sustainability consultancy written report relevant to the client's situation and specifications.

Project Proposal and Context

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours Due: 15/03/2024 Weighting: 25%

 

Respond to client brief with a scoped project proposal, work plan and notional budget with context outlined

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Apply broad environmental/sustainability knowledge to respond effectively to a client's project brief with a clearly defined and manageable project proposal.

Presentation of Report

Assessment Type 1: Presentation Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours Due: Week 13, at a time negotiated with the industry partner Weighting: 15%

A summary of the report is presented orally with visual means; questions are answered

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Prepare and present a professional quality oral and visual presentation and respond effectively to questions.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Project Report 60% No Week 12, Friday 31st May
Project Proposal and Context 25% No Week 4, Friday 15th March
Presentation of Report 15% No Week 13

Project Report

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 70 hours
Due: Week 12, Friday 31st May
Weighting: 60%

 

Produce a professional quality written environmental/sustainability consultancy report relevant to the client's situation and specifications

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a team to plan and manage an environmental/sustainability reporting project.
  • Produce a professional quality environmental/sustainability consultancy written report relevant to the client's situation and specifications.

Project Proposal and Context

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 4, Friday 15th March
Weighting: 25%

 

Respond to client brief with a scoped project proposal, work plan and notional budget with context outlined

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply broad environmental/sustainability knowledge to respond effectively to a client's project brief with a clearly defined and manageable project proposal.

Presentation of Report

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%

 

A summary of the report is presented orally with visual means; questions are answered

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Prepare and present a professional quality oral and visual presentation and respond effectively to questions.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Week 1 Classes

The first workshop will be held face-to-face with online streaming. See iLearn page for more details. 

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Each student group is responsible for the delivery of a Consultancy Report on an environmental/ planning or sustainability project for a client. The client may be either inside or outside the University.

The projects prepared by each client are an example of work practice - they are real projects that the client wants done to advance their environmental or sustainability practice in one way or another.

Each student group will act like a real consultant in all of their relations with the client and in all activities undertaken on their behalf. The teaching and learning strategy includes:

• three skills workshops (1.Information session on the unit expectations and key considerations in undertaking a consultancy; 2.Successfully managing a consultancy project; 3. Report writing for clients and ethical behaviour in the commercial world) ;

• self learning resources on handling group work and consultancies;

• regular group mentoring meetings on managing team processes, project management, and substantive components of the task with the convenor/ mentor;

• group interaction, dialogue and problem solving in a participative way;

• through class interaction, practice of presentations;

• learning to give and receive professional feedback from peers and mentors;

• reflection on your own professional practice;

• feedback from clients.

As students are involved in a real life situation it is valuable to keep an individual log of hours and task completed. Also there is an expectation of self reflection to assess own performance in client and team interaction and to assist in writing the final professional reflection on experience. Some guidelines are set out below to help student groups in their relations with, and activities for their client organisation.

Relations with the client

Whenever the group meets with the client, each member should be appropriately dressed (smart casual) as becomes professional consultants; the client management team who meet with you will be similarly attired.

In order to manage the client-consultant relation it is advised to schedule at least four formal contacts between the group and the client representative or representatives. These should be planned and agreed upon with the client at the first meeting.

1. Client Briefing: An initial meeting to define and scope the project. The unit staff will have already met with all clients to do preliminary work towards this and will accompany each group at the first meeting to give advice as necessary.

2. A progress meeting (or report without meeting) in about the sixth week of semester. At this point the group should indicate clearly to the client whether all planned outputs will be achieved and any necessary modifications to the contract put forward for agreement by both parties.

3. A findings meeting (draft report) to the client before the presentation and formal submission of the final report to foreshadow the key findings.

4. A final reporting meeting at the end of semester for the group to present their final report to the client.

Some clients will only be prepared to commit to these four meetings, but others will welcome additional contact.

One of the first tasks for each group after the first meeting with the client will be to determine exactly what information they, as the consultants, will require from the client. A consolidated list should be prepared and communicated to the client representative by the nominated group leader. This sort of contact with the client should be limited to ONE group member whose responsibility it is to keep the rest of the group informed.

The group should not treat the client organisation, or their representative(s), like teaching staff or another member of the university teaching staff. The client has 'contracted' the group to do the work and research necessary to complete the project. Your feedback sessions with the client are to see that you are on track to deliver what the client wants.

In between the agreed formal meetings the group representative should provide a monthly or fortnightly email update on progress - this too should be agreed at the first meeting. In the course of their work the group may be made privy to commercially, or otherwise sensitive material, and there may be a requirement to sign a confidentiality clause. In any case all members of every group are to respect the confidentiality of information or knowledge they acquire from the client in the course of completing their contract with them.

SOME PROJECTS MAY REQUIRE ETHICS APPROVAL. The time involved in achieving these approvals may restrict what activities can be undertaken.

Activities on behalf of the client

Group members must remember that when doing anything on behalf of the client, the reputation of the client will be affected by their behaviour and actions. So any survey or similar actions must also be cleared by the client.

Technology

There is an ilearn site associated with this unit. This will be the main form of communication for detailed information and updates. Students must be able to access the internet to research background for these projects.

COVID Information

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Changes to this unit

The projects proposed for each semester are original projects negotiated each semester. 

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.

Unit Schedule

Week 

Class (Wednesdays 6 PM   - refer to time-table fo details ) 

Task 

Workshop 1 - Introduction and overview of the unit 

Review and select project 

2* 

Group meetings with clients - opportunity to clarify client requirements and ask questions 

 

Workshop 2 - Successful project management 

 

Group presentations on project proposals (5-10 mins per group) (feedback on the proposals; not marked) 

End Wk 4: Project proposals due (25%) 

Complete initial SparkPlus peer reviews 

Work in groups (address proposal feedback from client) 

 

Work in groups (group mentoring) 

 

Group presentations on progress (5-10 mins per group) (for feedback; not marked) 

Wk 7 class: Log-books and short reflection of progress due (progress check) 

BREAK 

15-28 April

 

Workshop 3 – Writing client reports and ethics in the workplace 

 

Work in groups (group mentoring) 

 

10 

Work in groups (group mentoring) 

Submit draft reports for feedback 

11 

Work in groups (address report feedback) 

 

12 

Work in groups (finalise report) 

End Wk 12: Final reports due (60%) 

13/exam period* 

Group presentations to clients (20 mins per group) 

 

Give final presentation (15%), Log-books due; complete final SparkPlus peer reviews and final reflection. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2024.03 of the Handbook