“What gets measured, gets done” is a popular saying in performance improvement circles. There is more though. Yes, true as this is, measurement—and I’ll go a step further here and say auditing—is just part of the “gets done” piece. When crafted within a context of breakthrough performance, EHS auditing and the audit function in an EHS department can be a catalyst for accelerated performance improvement and EHS integration. EHS auditing is commonly viewed as a necessary evil or burden to satisfy regulatory and legal requirements. Within this context, the results are predictable. There is little if any enthusiasm; there is a struggle; and there can be challenges with inter-rater reliability.
When EHS auditing is formulated through an organizational learning and systems thinking lens—supported by an integrated EHS management system structure—the function shifts from being summative to formative, as program evaluation professionals would say. There is a shift toward action research that fosters partnership in solving EHS challenges. Audits are viewed as opportunities to see things not previously apparent. Casual links and patterns are distinguished in a way that people can see their roles in the “organizational systems” and see possibilities to alter the system and their roles.
So, where do you start? First, there must be buy-in from the EHS team—they must believe that a different context for the EHS audit function would make a difference. The team needs to strengthen some of its organizational learning and system thinking skills. A collective vision for the EHS function and the audit program must be generated. Distinguishing the current reality is important in order to gain clarity on issues that need to be addressed with stakeholders.
Second, the audit program needs a makeover within an integrated EHS management system. The same structure used for the overall EHSMS is used for the audit piece or, you could also say, the audit management system. That is, just as with the sections of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, an audit MS is created with the same section structure, within the shell of the larger MS. The current reality and vision work help craft the EHS audit policy and aspects/impacts. With ISO 19011 (“Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management system auditing”) folded in, the stage is set for implementation.
The enthusiasm of the EHS team and their new audit program context will be contagious throughout the organization. People will wonder what happened, and will soon view the EHS department and its professionals as strong partners in building a sustainable organization with breakthrough performance.
© Redinger EHS, Inc. (2010)
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