Short course on Environmental Law

Short Course

Environmental Law

The number and diversity of legal measures, standards and requirements that organisations have to comply with is expanding and changing continuously. Management and operational personnel find it increasingly difficult to keep track of changes to the legal environment and legal compliance requirements as well as the interpretation and translation of the law into operational requirements. Furthermore, internationally accepted environmental management standards demand compliance with environmental legal requirements as a minimum performance standard. Therefore, knowledge of the legal requirements is essential and of strategic importance to all organisations implementing ISO 14001 management systems, for example. Equipped with the necessary knowledge and understanding of legal compliance requirements, managers are better equipped to minimise or prevent environmental, legal and financial risks and liabilities.

Purpose of the course:

The purpose of this short course is to enhance participants (operational and management personnel) understanding on the range of legal requirements related to environmental management.

Admission requirements:

A Grade 12 certificate as a minimum

Learning assumed to be in place:

Grade 12 or NQF level 4 competencies

Course outcomes and assessment criteria :

Course outcomes and the associated assessment criteria:

Study Unit	Outcomes	Assessment Criteria
	After completion of this course, participants will:	Participant will be assessed on the following criteria:
1. Scope of knowledge and knowledge literacy	Integrated knowledge and understanding of, as well as an ability to correctly evaluate and apply key terminologies, concepts, facts, principles and rules contained in and related to the field of environmental law; and An understanding of how the range of key terminologies, concepts, facts, principles, rules and requirements of framework and sector environmental laws related to other fields of law and environmental management; and An understanding of contested knowledge (e.g. critical reflections on policy and legislative changes) within the field of environmental law and the ability to critically evaluate and apply the aforementioned principles and knowledge to problems set in the field of environmental law and management.	Demonstrated ability to: Use and explain key terminologies, concepts, facts, rules and principles contained in and relevant to the field of environmental law correctly. Indicate and explain how key terminologies, concepts, facts, principles, rules and requirements of environmental law, relate to other fields of law and environmental management. Critically reflect on and to solve environmental law problems through the use of the principles and content of environmental law and management.
2. Method and procedure	The ability to correctly select, evaluate and apply a range of different but appropriate broader environmental and other legal rules, requirements and methodologies to resolve environmental law and management problems	Demonstrated ability to: Actively source all relevant law and policy texts in order glean the necessary and relevant rules and requirements in order to solve environmental law and management problems.
3. Problem solving	The ability to identify, analyse, critically reflect on, evaluate and address integrated and complex real-life and scenario-based environmental law problems, and to apply evidence based and theory-driven solutions suitable for practice.	Demonstrated ability to: identify within integrated and complex real-life and scenario-based problems, specific environmental law problems Analyse, critically reflect on and evaluate such integrated, complex environmental law problems so as to provide possible evidence and theory-based solutions that are suitable for practice..
4. Ethics and professional practice	The ability to take decisions and act ethically and professionally in the environmental law and management context and to justify decisions and actions with reference to the principles of sustainable development.	Demonstrated ability to take decisions and act ethically and professionally in the environmental law and management context and to justify decision and actions with reference to the principles of sustainable development.
5. Accessing, processing and managing information	The ability to develop and use for purposes of practical exercises etc., appropriate legal research skills and to independently validate sources of environmental law and management as well as to analyse and summarise the information and to evaluate, manage, implement and apply the information or research results.	Demonstrated ability to utilise the sources of environmental law provided to extract, analyse, summarise and/or apply the relevant information to solve the problems posed in practical exercises, for example.
6. Producing and communicating information	The ability to develop, record and communicate facts, ideas and opinions in well-formed arguments (verbally and in writing), using appropriate academic, professional and occupational discourse and jargon.	Demonstrated ability to effectively develop, record and communicate information in well-formed arguments in written and verbal format e.g. as part of practical exercises.
7. Context and systems/ processes	The ability to understand how the learning material that form part of this course relate to unfamiliar and variable contexts, and to recognise that the solving of environmental law and management problems is context- and system bound and cannot occur in isolation;	Demonstrated ability to indicate how: various international and regional environmental law guidelines, principles and protocols; national, provincial and local environmental laws and policies, as well as other primary and secondary sources of environmental law; and environmental permissions (authorisations, permits, licenses, exemptions) relate to practical and scenario-based problems within the broader context of environmental management, and specific activities, products and processes.
8. Management of learning	The ability of every participant to identify, evaluate and address his or her learning needs in a self-directed manner and to facilitate (through group work and practical exercises) collaborative learning processes.	Demonstrated ability to identify, evaluate and address learning needs and to facilitate and take actively part in collaborative learning processes e.g. practical group work.
9. Accountability	The ability to take full responsibility for own work, decision-making and the use of resources as applicable in this course and limited accountability for the decisions and actions of others (e.g. fellow participants) in varied or ill-defined contexts.	Demonstrated ability to take responsibility for individual work, decisions and the use of environmental law and management sources and limited accountability for the decisions and actions of fellow course participants (e.g. as part of group work).

Assessment:

To be awarded a certificate of successful completion, participants require: • a final participant assessment score of at least 60%; and • an examination score of at least 50%; and • course attendance of at least 80%; and • to have made payment in full. Participants who do not qualify for a certificate of successful completion may be awarded a letter of attendance should all requirements be met. To be awarded a letter of attendance participants require: • a final participant assessment score of at least 50%; and • a sub-minimum Examination Score of at least 40%; and • course attendance of at least 80%, and • to have made payment in full.

Method of assessment:

Continuous Assessment; Structured Practical Work; Peer Evaluation; Examination; Take-away Assignment