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This occupation is found in organisations that sit within the public, private or third sectors. Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CR&S) Practitioners are found in all industries and are increasingly a key component of virtually all types of business models where profit and growth are a means to an even greater end, such as protecting the environment and improving societal sustainability.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to be a social conscience for the organisation, helping innovate and drive ambitions for social and environmental change and make these a reality that are embedded and implemented across the organisation. The roles and responsibilities of businesses are changing rapidly; society increasingly expects that organisations should act responsibly not just to their shareholders but also to their wider stakeholders and the broader community. Business therefore is a great platform for social and environmental change and CR&S Practitioners help to drive this by delivering an organisation’s CR&S strategy ("The Strategy"), releasing the power of business to contribute positively towards social and environmental outcomes.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Internally, CR&S practitioners interact with a wide range of staff which could be across one or multiple sites/countries. They facilitate change by helping others to understand how different roles fit within the strategy and how everyone’s contribution can impact the greater good.
Practitioners may also reach out into the community in order to work collaboratively, and in some cases to understand the views of external organisations such as charities, social enterprises, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or local and central government. Furthermore, CR&S Practitioners are often ambassadors for their organisations, championing their CR&S strategy and expanding their network of influence in order to bring about positive impact.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for contributing towards, and in some cases ownership of CR&S, campaigns, projects and events, making sure these are embedded by facilitating delivery. Depending on the size of the organisation, the CR&S Practitioner may be expected to contribute towards strategy design, internal and external communications and reporting, data management, research and horizon-scanning, and supporting budget management. Ultimately, they will be responsible for helping to ensure their organisation acts to embed The Strategy into every-day business practices and in turn managing risk and reputation.
This is not a routine office job; the CR&S Practitioner will typically be working on multiple initiatives covering a variety of geographies, focus areas, and stakeholders. For instance, some roles may be weighted towards managing employee volunteering initiatives or fundraising for charities. Others may have a stronger focus on topics like human rights, carbon reduction, waste management, energy efficiency and supply chain. The occupation can also encompass diversity, inclusion, health & safety, and well-being. Therefore, the CR&S Practitioner’s day-to-day responsibilities will vary depending on circumstances and in turn means they could work independently, in a team, or collaboratively with multiple stakeholders. While not the norm, this may mean occasionally working weekends or evenings to ensure delivery of CR&S initiatives and events. The CR&S Practitioner is also expected to be adaptable, able to thrive in a changeable environment, and support others through the process.
It is vital for a CR&S Practitioner to be passionate about social and environmental change, and strive to role model ethical behaviour and values. It is also imperative for the CR&S Practitioner to understand their business, the landscape and industry it operates in, and demonstrate the value of CR&S to the business.
They work typically as part of a team in medium to larger organisations and report into a senior leader who may be a CR&S specialist. Alternatively, they may report to a different department, for example Human Resources, Communications, or Marketing. It is typical for CR&S Practitioners to put together a business case, to seek permissions and consensus from senior leaders before initiating a project.
Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Own and deliver initiatives and campaigns that contribute to the Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CR&S) strategy. |
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Duty 2 Identify and build internal relationships in order to foster buy-in to existing and future CR&S initiatives with the aim of integrating ethical policies and behaviour into everyday business practices. |
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Duty 3 Act as a business contact by actively engaging with community organisations (charities etc.) in order to drive social and environmental impact. |
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Duty 4 Contribute to regular communications to promote initiatives and update colleagues across the business on CR&S best practice. |
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Duty 5 Contribute to the development of the business’ CR&S strategy. Work with colleagues to devise a strategy that builds on the business’ existing social and environmental impact. |
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Duty 6 Collect and input CR&S data from across the business in order to contribute said data to industry and mandatory reporting requirements e.g. Modern Slavery Act, Gender Pay Gap etc. |
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Duty 7 Help organise CR&S events that engage internal and external stakeholders by owning the administrative and logistical aspects. |
K1 K2 K5 K6 K7 K8 K12 K13 K16 K20 |
Duty 8 Quality-assure internal and external projects and campaigns, both in the UK and where applicable in other countries, to ensure that CR&S activities are compliant with regulatory standards. |
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Duty 9 Identify relevant social and environmental risks to the business and escalate internal and external stakeholders accordingly. Recognise risks to own organisation’s corporate reputation, whether through action or inaction, recommending actions to remedy the issue. |
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Duty 10 Keep abreast of developments to ensure the business is aware of current and future opportunities and challenges in relation to social & environmental issues by representing the business at CR&S events and conferences. |
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Duty 11 Monitor spend on CR&S activity in order to achieve targets within spend. Escalate budgetary risks to senior leaders. |
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Duty 12 Help to ensure that all colleagues, where appropriate, are trained on the practical application and integration of CR&S to their daily duties. |
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Duty 13 Contribute towards the business submitting to industry/topic-specific rankings and relevant memberships to third-party accreditations which measure the social and environmental impact of the business; examples include but not limited to Business In The Community (BITC) Responsible Business Tracker, United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), Social Mobility Employer Index, Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, GivX. |
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Duty 14 Contribute CR&S information and news towards internal and external communication channels such as internal newsletters or social media posts. |
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Duty 15 Contribute to fundraising activity that enables internal and/or external CR&S projects. |
K1: Principles of project management and a range of project planning tools.
Back to Duty
K2: Principles of change management and culture management.
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K3: Potential CR&S data sources including organisational, sectoral and stakeholder.
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K4: The types of metrics and insight evidence that help inform CR&S issues.
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K5: How the positioning of the CR&S function within organisational and governance structures can impact CR&S performance.
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K6: Techniques to identify/evaluate the internal and external range of potential CR&S partners.
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K7: Techniques for managing and influencing stakeholder relationships.
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K8: Principles of negotiating a CR&S project with an internal and/or external partner.
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K9: Different forms of communication (written, verbal, electronic) and how to tailor the solution to the circumstances.
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K10: Techniques for reporting on CR&S delivery against objectives.
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K11: Principles for developing a strategy that manages the social, environmental and ethical risks and opportunities of an organisation.
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K12: Techniques that recognise and utilise the comparative strengths and weaknesses across teams and across the organisation.
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K13: Techniques to motivate individuals to work together to meet CR&S requirements.
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K14: The principles of data management including how to manipulate and store data needed for CR&S projects.
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K15: Techniques that compare a range of qualitative and quantitative data on CR&S performance.
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K16: Factors that contribute to successful CR&S event management.
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K17: The principles of CR&S fundraising.
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K18: Quality assurance techniques for monitoring the delivery of CR&S work.
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K19: The importance & impact of the sector specific factors (the legislation, guidance and best practice) when developing a CR&S strategy.
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K20: The principles of risk management including conducting and reviewing risks affecting a CR&S strategy. (for example safeguarding risk).
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K21: Horizon scanning techniques for keeping up to date with the CR&S landscape (including evolving best practice and what other organisations are doing).
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K22: Principles of CR&S related budget management.
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K23: The different ways in which people learn and how this links to embedding CR&S ethos.
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K24: How responsible corporate approaches bring mutually compatible organisation and societal benefits.
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K25: The range of sustainable practices available to any organisation including in-house practices, partner policies, and outputs.
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K26: How CR&S delivery is impacted by the environment, social and governance agendas affecting industry.
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K27: How CR&S Strategy influences talent management, reputation and branding.
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S1: Select and implement project management and planning tools applicable to the type of project/ campaign lifecycle.
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S2: Assess the effectiveness of change and identify opportunities to improve outcomes, guiding and supporting others to deliver results.
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S3: Balance own CR&S workload to prioritise competing demands and achieve key performance indicators.
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S4: Utilise strengths of internal organisational structures to help build self-sustaining CR&S populations.
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S5: Tailor approach to maintaining new/existing external stakeholder relationships to achieve progress on plans (e.g objectives, key initiatives and shared interests).
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S6: Contribute to the negotiation of external CR&S projects of mutual benefit.
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S7: Adopt a communication method that takes account of the audience and is suitable for the circumstances.
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S8: Recommend opportunities for external engagement, articulating the mutual benefits and risks.
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S9: Contribute to written reports on CR&S performance in line with organisational requirements.
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S10: Contribute to the drafting of the CR&S strategy.
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S11: Adjust leadership style to achieve results, having regard to the needs of the individual/teams involved.
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S12: Select data that is relevant to the CR&S issue being considered.
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S13: Analyse data to form evidence-based conclusions on CR&S performance.
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S14: Deliver CR&S events in accordance with contractual arrangements.
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S15: Quality assure own and others work in accordance with organisational requirements
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S16: Contribute to reporting externally on CR&S Strategy and delivery in line with industry and legislative requirements.
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S17: Identify own organisations CR&S opportunities and threats. Escalate risks within own organisation when needed.
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S18: Research the CR&S landscape, escalating best practice opportunities within own organisation.
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S19: Apply management techniques needed to deliver CR&S projects within budget.
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S20: Train colleagues in CR&S techniques, tailoring the learning style to the circumstances.
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S21: Identify and deliver initiatives that may raise funds for CR&S projects.
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S22: Identify and apply relevant IT solutions to CR&S issues.
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B1: Actively champion the CR&S agenda/ethos.
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B2: Committed to developing self and others in ways that support CR&S engagement.
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B3: Works within own level of authority, seeking support when needed.
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B4: Takes the lead in helping others to achieve CR&S results. (within limits of own role).
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B5: Seeks innovative ways to add value to CR&S issues while remaining objective.
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B6: Stand by difficult CR&S decisions and hold your team/organisation to account.
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B7: Ethical and non-judgmental
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Qualification type: HTQ
Qualification level: 5
Applicant: Pearson
Awarding body: Pearson
Approval date: 01/01/0001
Occupational pathway: N/A
Placement: No
ST0934 Corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioner
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