Assessing Suitability, Strategic Management THE SUSTAINABILITY SUITE FOR MUNICIPALITIES. Adequacy and Effectiveness System/Audit Program Review Stratos has developed a proven methodology and assessment framework to help organizations ensure their management system, audit and review programs are delivering value and controlling risk. An independent review of these key risk management tools can be used to assess whether they are designed and implemented to meet corporate objectives effectively and efficiently. Stratos’ SAE Review services are designed to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of your management system or audit program, identify the program’s strengths, opportunities and challenges and recommend clear, practical and industry leading actions to mitigate deficiencies. An SAE Review will help your organization to: Identify key issues and challenges and determine how your system/program supports effective decision-making and risk management. Evolve your systems and programs to address the current business climate and clearly reflect strategic priorities. Deliver business value to key stakeholders, while optimizing staff time, streamlining activities and inspiring action. Who Should Undertake an SAE Review? SAE Reviews are well-suited for organizations looking for a credible, objective manner to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of their management systems and programs. The review can be used to answer important questions such as: Is our system / program appropriate for our level of risk? Do our systems / programs provide adequate controls for our key sustainability exposures? Are there opportunities to streamline procedures for improved efficiency and effectiveness? Do we have adequate information systems, resources and capacity to achieve intended results? Can we better integrate and manage non-traditional topics, including security, community, and supply chain within existing management systems and programs? Satisfy ISO standard and corporate requirements for management review and continual improvement. Defining SAE What do the terms suitability, adequacy and effectiveness mean? SUITABILITY Does the system/program support achievement of corporate strategy/objectives and is it aligned with its organizational structure? ADEQUACY Does the system/program, as designed and executed, meet established objectives and has it evolved to reflect changing conditions? EFFECTIVENESS Is the system/program producing the desired results? Conducting an SAE Review is considered a leading industry practice and a key element of continual improvement in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for management systems and audit programs. Typically, organizations with more mature management systems and programs look to SAE reviews where value for money and effectiveness are key considerations. SAE review is also appropriate for newer management systems, where it can be used to identify or confirm resource needs, knowledge capacity and performance measures to best evaluate system / program progress and outcomes. Stratos is a specialized management consulting firm that helps businesses, governments and not-for-profits recognize and act on environmental, social and economic risks and opportunities. We help you improve performance by assessing and managing environmental, social and governance risks, recognizing value-generating opportunities and integrating these factors into how you do business. For more information contact: Aaron Amorosi aamorosi@stratos-sts.com / 613.241.1001 x222 and visit www.stratos-sts.com. Strategic Management System/Audit Program Review Assessing Suitability, Adequacy and Effectiveness What are the Results? Our methodology has been tested in a number of organizations in the mining and oil and gas sectors, as well as in the federal government. Examples of results we’ve seen include: Clarifying the value proposition for management systems and audit programs and how they link to organizational priorities Improving the connection with enterprise risk management risk identification and mitigation activities to ensure key sustainability risks are adequately controlled Enhancing the integration of different assurance functions to reduce audit fatigue, and Ensuring management systems and audit programs support more effective organizational sharing and learning across sites and business units. As part of the SAE Review process, we often undertake peer benchmarking to provide a benchmark against which to assess performance and to identify industry-leading practices for consideration. Key Elements of Our Methodology 1. A Customized Assessment Framework: No two SAE Assessment Frameworks are alike. While we draw on fundamental expected conditions for each review, an important component of the review is to ensure the framework is tailored to your specific review objectives and needs, and to the level of maturity of your system/program. 2. Engaging Senior Management and Relevant Staff: A proven key to success of our methodology is the involvement of your organization’s people at all levels, from the C-suite to the shop floor. We involve relevant people across various functions in the preliminary scoping phase to identify key issues and challenges for focused assessment, and then test and validate preliminary findings with a sub-set of this group. Involving senior management and staff in the review and in the assessment of options to address deficiencies or opportunities, helps to generate a common understanding of your current strengths and building blocks, and builds support and buy-in for proposed changes and improvements. 3. A Prioritized Action Plan: We provide a clear and concise report presenting the review results, including the methodology, findings and key recommendations, along with a focused action plan for your organization to improve performance and implementation. Our reports include a senior management briefing and prioritized recommendations, supported by more detailed information and analysis. Stratos Management System and Assurance Services Our team includes several Certified Environmental Auditors and experienced management system practitioners. Our on-the-ground experience informs the design, implementation and assessment of effective management systems and audit programs. We regularly advise executive teams on the management and effective oversight of environmental and sustainability risks, and organizational positioning on emerging risk areas and opportunities. For more information contact: Aaron Amorosi, Senior Consultant 613-241-1001, ext. 222 or aamorosi@stratos-sts.com For more information on Stratos visit: www.stratos-sts.com