Download - How Standards work together
How International Standards Work TogetherSustainable Events Corner, EIBTM 2012
@AndrewSWalker
Master’s Research Paper: Process vs. Performance
Standards for Sustainable Meeting and Event
Management
ISO 20121 Event Sustainability
Management Systems!
APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable
Event Standards!
Two Emerging Voluntary Standards
Can They Work Together?
Two Types of Sustainability Standards
Process-based Performance-based
Two Types of Sustainability Standards
Process-based
• Requires implementation of a management system
• Outlines steps to help users to achieve their sustainability objectives
- Flexible and adaptable- Continuous improvement
- Potentially less rigorous
Two Types of Sustainability Standards
Performance-based
• Sets specific targets that must be met in a checklist
• Tells users what their sustainability objectives should be
- More stringent- Clear expectations
- Potentially less feasible
Process vs. Performance
Event
Owners
Organizers
Suppliers
Process vs. Performance
Planners
Suppliers
Continuous Improvement
On-SiteOffice
Destination
Meeting Venue
Accommodations
Food & Beverage
ExhibitsAudio Visual & Production
Transportation
Communications
PlannerTotal
SupplierTotal
P S
P S
P S
P S
P S
P S
P S
P S
Levels 1-4 Encourage Continuous Improvement
Three Criteria for Evaluation
Effectiveness
Accountability
Legitimacy
Three strategies to strengthen legitimacy:
1. Input legitimacy• Who is involved in the standard-
setting process
2. Procedural legitimacy• How the standard-setting process is
managed
3. Output legitimacy• What is the end result of the
standard-setting process
Legitimacy
Quest for credibility
Input Legitimacy→ Who is involved in the standard-setting process
Credible standard-setting organization
Event industry and standards experts involved
Chair is event sustainability expert
International participation
Main organizational driver
Procedural Legitimacy
ISO: Decisions made by consensus at international meetings
→ How the standard-setting process is managed
Procedural Legitimacy
APEX: Nine committees developed the nine sector standards
→ How the standard-setting process is managed
Procedural Legitimacy
ASTM: Every single negative vote had to be addressed
→ How the standard-setting process is managed
Output Legitimacy
Neither standard is perfect, but ready for publication and use
→ What is the end result of the standard-setting process
Two accountability structures:
1. Responsiveness to stakeholders• More proactive and flexible• Choice of who to be accountable to
2. External control• Debate on how much is necessary• Third-party certification is common
type of enforcement mechanism
Accountability
Quest for authority
Responsiveness to Stakeholders
Mainly focused on the needs of the meetings industry
External Control
1st 2nd 3rd
ISO 20121 can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd party verified
External Control
2nd 3rd1st
Future possibilities:•2nd and 3rd party verification•CMP sustainability sub-specialty
APEX/ASTM can be 1st party verified
Four factors that influence effectiveness:1. Producer participation
• More users means more widespread change of behaviour
2. Stringency of standards• If too strict, industry uptake may
be negatively impacted• If too lenient, minimal positive
social/environmental impacts
3. System operation• Process/performance requirements
to ensure compliance
4. Consequences of non-compliance
Effectiveness
Quest for widespread
use
Producer Participation
Strong support from trade publications and industry associations so far
ISO 20121 will appeal to organizations that want
systematic approach
APEX/ASTM will appeal to busy planners who want to know exactly what they need to do
Suppliers will likely support either standard if it wins them more
business or saves them money
→ If too strict = industry uptake may be negatively impacted
→ If too lenient = minimal positive social/environmental impacts
More stringent but potentially less feasible in practice
Less stringent but potentially leading to minimal improvements
Stringency of Standards→ If too strict = industry uptake may be minimized
→ If too lenient = minimal positive social/environmental impacts
System Operation→ Process and/or performance requirements to ensure compliance
System Operation
Both standards will need significant
amount of time investment in
beginning
to understand and implement
System Operation
Cost is another potential barrier to industry uptake
Consequences of Non-Compliance→ The reality is these are voluntary standards
• Organizations already making progress may not see value in adopting standards• Others will see opportunity to validate their efforts or help them get started• Will take time for industry to become aware and start putting into practice• Certification will be less important in the beginning• Instead of penalizing non-users, better to promote various incentives to encourage
widespread use
Some Predictions…
• Organizations already making
progress may not see value in
adopting standards
• Others will see opportunity to
validate their efforts or help them get
started
• Will take time for industry to become
aware and start putting into practice
• Certification will be less important
in the beginning
• Instead of penalizing non-users,
better to promote various incentives
to encourage widespread use
So Can These Two Standards...
Work Together?
• Both standards have strengths & weaknesses
• Each standard can stand alone but more beneficial to use together
• Without combined approach, both standards risk not achieving industry uptake to ensure long-term viability
• Balanced approach: flexible and stringent
Dynamic Duo
• Address critical environmental issues to reduce growing footprint
• Prescriptive requirements address concerns about ISO 20121accountability
• Provide systems thinking to imbed practices into organization
• Moderate step by step approach address concerns about inflexibility of APEX-ASTM
Dynamic Duo
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
PLAN1. Identify and engage your
event stakeholders (ISO)• Include all relevant sectors
(APEX/ASTM)
2. Establish and document your sustainability policy (ISO & APEX-ASTM)
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
PLAN3. Identify sustainability
issues you wish to address (ISO)• Include (APEX-ASTM)
checklist as guideline for environmental issues (waste, energy, air quality, water, procurement) and social (procurement, community partners)
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
PLAN4. Set goals and objectives
and plans to achieve them (ISO & APEX-ASTM)
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
DO5. Planners and suppliers
make decisions related to resources, competence, awareness and communication (ISO)– Ensure it is well documented
and there are processes in place for operational control (ISO)
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
CHECK6. Decide what, how and
when to monitor and evaluate the performance of the system (ISO & APEX-ASTM)
Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together
ACT7. Identify what didn’t
work according to plan and decide what actions to take to fix it (ISO & APEX-ASTM)