Clarification details
Updated August 2016. This is a new document to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
The Strategy
A strategy is a plan of action(s) not necessarily limited to one option. Students should clearly specify the aspects of sustainability being addressed.
Students are expected to see the sustainability issues beyond the immediate time and place, e.g. plastic waste is more than an aesthetic issue within a school, but has implications for the ecology of interrelated environments; poor food choices have implications for social and economic sustainability in terms of the incidence of dietary related illnesses and costs to the health system as a whole.
A broad base of sound research, data and/or practical inquiry will underpin a comprehensive strategy.
Co-constructing the strategy with the organisation
The co-construction of a strategy implies reciprocal communication, requiring ideas to be exchanged and developed together. Feedback and feedforward from both parties may inform the strategy throughout the assessment. It is recommended that more than one meeting with the organisational representative is used to inform the strategy.
In-Depth Development for Merit
At Merit, there needs to be evidence of thinking around negative or unintended consequences as well as the advantages of the strategy options. Informed conclusions will refer to evidence sourced from interviews, research etc.
Comprehensive Development for Excellence
Evidence for insightful conclusions, for Excellence, may include:
- innovative ideas go beyond the immediate context.
- creative, plausible solutions.
- a synthesising of the information that has resulted in new and visionary ideas.
- implications for further action in local or wider contexts.
- connections made between the issue, strategy and wider implications.