Implementation strategy
To assist you in initiating and advancing your university’s USR process, the AUF Asia-Pacific offers a series of five steps. Discover what each of these steps consists of by clicking on the circles in the figure below:
1. Review the regulations and become familiar with the five components of RSU
2. Take stock of RSU practices in the university
3. Develop a realistic action plan adapted to the context of the university
4. Implement planned initiatives and monitor them
5. Publicize RSU commitments internally and externally
The objective of this exercise is to identify the concordances, synergies and complementarities between general and university laws and regulations in particular, and the general principles of the USR. In doing so, you may realize that your university is already engaged in USR. For example, in Japan, universities must implement the Law on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. By doing so, they are contributing to the MDG 10 on reducing inequality and doing ESR!
The goal here is to map out the USR practices your university is implementing so that you can see what your strengths and weaknesses are in terms of USR. To do this, complete the self-diagnostic tool available here.
Now that you have a clear picture of your university’s RSU practices, you can consider going further. A suggested starting point is to select practices that you feel are quick or easy to integrate (e.g., “basic” level practices) in the strands that you feel are most accessible. Once these practices are implemented, you can plan to implement more practices, in each of the RSU strands and, if you feel ready, at multiple levels. The important thing is to develop a realistic action plan adapted to your university’s context and resources that proposes clear objectives and targets for practices that can be implemented in the short, medium and long term. It is recommended that you consult with the university community as well as the community around it.
For each practice you plan to implement, you need to identify a responsible person or group, plan the necessary resources, identify a success indicator and define a deadline.
The next step is to implement the practices included in your action plan by mobilizing the planned resources and to monitor them regularly using the previously identified indicators. On this basis, it will then be possible to assess the university’s achievements in terms of sustainable development.
Finally, communicate your university’s USR commitments to your stakeholders. It is suggested that this be included in official university speeches and documents, and that a report be structured periodically to include the university’s action plan and accomplishments for the past year and its goals for the coming year. The purpose of this exercise is to report to your stakeholders on the university’s progress and commitment to improvement in a way that motivates them to continue working together and inspires new collaborations.
The key to success: periodically think about your university’s RSU approach and develop it in a logic of continuous improvement!
CAPSULE : Distinguish between policy, strategy, action plan and sustainability report
CAPSULE : Sustainable Development Policy
CAPSULE : Sustainable Development Strategy
CAPSULE : The Sustainable Development Action Plan
CAPSULE : The sustainable development report
CAPSULE : Preparing a sustainability report
Challenges and obstacles
In recent years, many universities around the world have been enthusiastic about integrating sustainability goals into their activities, and have been quick to take an openly positive stance on ESR. In practice, however, it is clear that many of these companies have not implemented a systematic approach to sustainability. It must be said that in addition to lacking support, these universities underestimated the challenges and obstacles of such an approach. Find out more about these challenges and obstacles below:
The funding that Asia-Pacific universities receive is generally low. Many will focus on reducing costs and increasing revenues. They will postpone undertaking a USR approach. These choices may run counter to some of the SDGs. For example, increasing tuition fees may limit access to education for the less well-off, which undermines MDGs 4 (access to quality education) and 10 (reducing inequality).
Several tasks await you: 1/ to establish new information channels to provide information on new types of performance (number of student registrations, water consumption, etc.); 2/ to ensure the reliability of the information collected; 3/ to initiate the drafting of new policies; 4/ to train and sensitize members of the university; 5/ to oversee reflections aimed at change; and 6/ to put in place mechanisms to follow up on the initiatives implemented in a perspective of continuous improvement.
Every USR practice that can be incorporated into the university’s action plan may be resisted.
Some employees may be less interested in becoming involved in your university’s USR process. This may be the case for contract employees who may not have a sense of belonging to the university that employs them. This may also be the case for faculty members who receive a low salary that they must supplement by taking on other tasks and duties: they will probably lack the time to get involved in an ESR process if it gives them an additional workload. Finally, it may be difficult for a university to provide quality training and contribute to research if its faculty is not adequately trained.
How do we deal with these challenges and obstacles?
These challenges and obstacles are far from insurmountable. Find out how to deal with them below :
Many USR initiatives do not incur additional costs and may even contribute to substantial savings. For example, a policy to reduce the university’s energy costs can help reduce its energy bill. Similarly, a strong USR approach will contribute to the university’s reputation, which may result in increased applications, student enrollment, and university revenues.
It is also important to note that a USR process can be undertaken without the immediate support of all categories of employees. By identifying the needs of your university’s members and understanding what they might be interested in, it is possible to get them involved on a voluntary basis.
In addition, the practices in the university’s action plan can be implemented gradually, starting with the simplest, most cost-effective or fastest practices. There is no question of becoming an exemplary university in one year! It is better to build little by little on solid achievements while aiming at continuous improvement. The main thing is to obtain the support of as many people as possible in order to anchor sustainable development in the university’s DNA, to judiciously allocate resources to the university’s RSU approach and to initiate new collaborations, as all its stakeholders may find it in their interest to invest in achieving the SDOs.
It is recommended that you anticipate resistance that may arise when implementing the ESR practices in your action plan. Before seeking to implement these practices, consider how to engage them in order to properly assess their potential for success.
Many of the actors in the university’s sphere of influence can become allies and help initiate a USR process. It is therefore in your interest to identify them and determine how to convince them to help you. Three categories of actors are to be favoured: student associations, universities and cooperation actors.
The student associations represent the university’s students, who are directly affected by most of the university’s RSU initiatives and can therefore help implement them. This is the case for initiatives such as recycling, public transportation or access to drinking water. Secondly, these actors will be the recipients of many of the university’s USR policies: involving them in the development of these policies will contribute to their effectiveness. Similarly, student associations are often the originators of policies that fall under the RSU umbrella, related for example to environmental protection, access to health care, or the promotion of diversity: supporting these initiatives will contribute to their success. Finally, students can be profitably involved in the university’s ESR approach by assisting its sustainability officer or by getting involved in its community services: allowing them to carry out internships and encouraging them to carry out research to help address community issues in exchange for credits, a scholarship or a certificate of involvement can help make an ESR approach a reality.
Universities in Asia Pacific and around the world share similar challenges in understanding and implementing USR. Joining this category of actors under the banner of an organization such as the AUF or participating in events dedicated to USR can be an opportunity to share best practices in USR.
The same is true for cooperation actors who are now seeking to inscribe their activities in the SDGs and who, in this perspective, offer funding opportunities to publish works, conduct research or organize awareness and dissemination activities. Joining forces with these actors can contribute to the strength and sustainability of the university’s RSU approach.
To operationalize this five-step implementation strategy, it is strongly recommended that you hire a person who will be in charge of your university’s USR process on a full-time basis and who will also be able to learn about best practices in the field, for example by attending USR events. This person will need to be able to communicate with each of the university’s departments and, on occasion, bring together representatives of these departments to reflect on the implementation of the practices envisaged and the resources that can be mobilized in this regard. Even if, at the beginning, the mandate can be given to an individual in addition to his or her other duties or without remuneration, it is essential to formalize this new responsibility through a paid position exclusively dedicated to the RSU, with direct access to senior management.