Barriers

Why is it not already happening?

Some of the key issues providers face in achieving change, and therefore what this guidance strives to overcome, include:

• rethinking mission and vision.
• assessing the implications for teaching and learning .
• reviewing the curriculum in the context of sustainable development
• reorientating practitioners who will need to see themselves as learners and work with uncertainty and open outcomes.
• realising that there is no blueprint for organisational and curriculum reform successful change depends on an inclusive and communicative process.

For many leaders in the sector, there are some specific skills and knowledge on sustainable development that need to be improved due to the fact that this is a comparatively new agenda:

• Systems thinking to understand interconnectedness and manage complexity.
• Futures thinking to create a compelling vision of a sustainable provider of the future.
• Demonstrating broad organisational awareness by astutely perceiving political, economic, social trends.
• Creating and capitalising on learning opportunities for sustainability.
• Incorporating sustainability into core strategies and into everyday business.
• Performance accountability in the absence of exemplars on which to benchmark.
• Exhibiting self-belief and confidence to develop learning opportunities in absence of regulatory ‘permission’.

                                                                          Next Section: Toolkit to Getting Started