ENS5910 · Sustainability consultancy project

Overview

In this 12 credit point unit you will develop your professional competencies for working effectively in an applied interdisciplinary consulting context. In this unit, you will work in a team of 3-5 students from different disciplines and in association with a partner organisation from government, private industry or not-for-profit to identify, analyse and address 'real-world' complex, sustainability challenges. You will operate like a consulting team to the partner organisation. In your mixed-disciplinary teams, you will focus on a sustainability governance, policy or management topic that has been identified as a 'wicked problem' by a partner organisation associated with Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI). With guidance from a MSDI supervisor and the partner organisation, your team will diagnose and analyse different perspectives, values at stake and politics of the project and will present a well-argued, plainly communicated and easily accessible analysis of the wicked problem. Within the team you will negotiate and integrate your knowledge to develop a context specific and relevant solution to the identified sustainability challenge. Your team will deliver a proposed solution implementation strategy to the partner organisation that includes mechanisms to create and enable the desired change. You will communicate the project findings in the format specified by the academic supervisor and/or partner organisation. Part of your teams' interdisciplinary project outcomes will be a project report that is to be shared with the partner organisation. The unit includes some scheduled activities alongside the project work to enhance and develop professional skills and your understanding of environmental consulting. Irrespective of your specialisation you can undertake this unit if you fulfil the academic requirements and gain approval from the unit coordinator.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Plan and execute a collaborative team project in cooperation with a partner organisation.
2. Negotiate complexity, uncertainty and risk while practicing multi-disciplinary decision making.
3. Translate, evaluate and integrate varied disciplinary knowledge to find solutions to complex sustainability challenges.
4. Identify and critically appraise social, environmental and economic considerations when designing solutions for sustainable development.
5. Propose and justify a solution-based approach to a sustainable development challenge, alongside an implementation - change strategy.
6. Demonstrate critical understanding of the real-world challenges associated with addressing sustainable development.
7. Communicate in a clear and coherent way that is effective for the purpose and the intended audience.

Workload

The minimum expected workload for project work combined with any scheduled activities is 288 hours over the course of one semester.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.