Structure and Responsibility EPA Regions 9 & 10 and The Federal Network for Sustainability

Overview EMS Roles and Responsibilities Documents to Support EMS Structure Performance Reviews Resource Allocation

Structure & Responsibility ISO 14001 requires: facilities to define, document, and communicate organizational roles and responsibilities in an EMS, including an EMS management representative management to provide appropriate human, physical and financial resources to implement and maintain the EMS OMB Circular A-11 reinforces the requirement to budget for implementation of the EMS Organizations encouraged, under ISO14004, to show costs and benefits of environmentally related activities.

EMS Roles & Responsibilities Functional experts Engineers Contracting officials Purchasing officials Energy managers Technical experts NEPA Contractors, concessionaires EMS Coordinator EMS Team Senior manager Line managers Personnel specialists Information management staff The knowledge and skills necessary to achieve environmental objectives should be identified. These should be considered in personnel selection, recruitment, training, development of skills and ongoing education. (ISO14004) Motivation to continually improve can be enhanced when employees are recognized for achieving environmental objectives and targets and encouraged to make suggestions that can lead to improved environmental performance. (ISO14004)

EMS Coordinator Management representative with defined roles and responsibilities: ensuring EMS requirements are met report on performance of the EMS to top management for review and as a basis for improvement

Information to Support EMS Structure Organizational charts Position descriptions Personal development plans Performance agreements Performance improvement plans Environmental management plans Performance review forms Appropriate training relevant to the achievement of environmental policies, objectives and targets should be provided to all personnel within an organization. Employees should have an appropriate knowledge base, which includes training in the methods and skills required to perform their tasks in an efficient and competent fashing and knowledge of the impact their activities can have on the environment if performed imcorrectly. education and training is needed to ensure that employees have appropriate and current knowledge of regulatory requirements, internal standards, and the organization’s policies and objectives.

Performance Reviews Require accountability for appropriate personnel Measure individual performance as it contributes to EMS objectives Include EMS in EMS Coordinator’s and EMS Team’s reviews Operational managers should be responsible and accountable for effective implementation of EMS and environmental performance. Employees at all levels should be accountable, within the scope of their responsibilities, for environmental performance in support of the overall environmental management system.

Resource Allocation Management must provide sufficient resources to implement the EMS including: Personnel Physical resources Equipment Training Financial resources

Incorporate EMS into Organizational Structure Revise organizational charts to reflect EMS Modify position descriptions to include EMS responsibilities Measure EMS performance in performance reviews Reassign personnel to EMS if necessary Allocate training and financial resources to EMS

Summary An EMS should have clearly defined responsibilities for all involved. Accountability is essential for successful implementation. The EMS structure helps ensure sufficient resources are provided to implement the EMS.

Exercise 1 Break into groups and identify responsibilities for the following roles: EMS Coordinator EMS Team Senior manager Line managers Personnel specialists Information management staff Functional experts Engineers Contracting Officials Purchasing officials Energy managers Technical experts NEPA Contractors, concessionaires