6.2.6 Collaboration
The research finds that UKZN has not been progressive in collaborating with the private and public sectors. UKZN has, therefore, not benefited from the opportunities of collaboration with the energy, water and waste sectors.
The research concludes that UKZN has made some progress in the management of energy and water. However, it finds that UKZN is lacking in the area of waste management. Furthermore, the research concludes that UKZN was not able to fully implement and manage sustainability initiatives due to a number of internal and external challenges. In the light of these challenges, the researcher has made some recommendations to CMS management to improve in the area of energy, water and waste so that UKZN economy, environment and society benefits.
6.3.2 The implementation of a water management system
The results reveal that UKZN implemented a number of water sustainability initiatives to manage the water usage and consumption but the lack of a monitoring and auditing tool means that UKZN cannot tell if water is being managed well or wasted. The researcher is of the opinion that research should be carried out on Smart Meters before implementation, as research is important to identify whether this equipment will yield water savings and economic benefits.
The results find that there are a number of research projects and work-in-progress projects on water management. The challenge lies in funding for sustainability projects. The majority of respondents interviewed made an appeal that UKZN investigates different sources of funding to undertake sustainability projects, as research is important for the improvement of sustainability initiatives. It is recommended that the sustainability projects for water be included in the operational plan and budget of CMS.
Policies guide all activities of the institution and it is recommended that the institution plus CMS have policies on water management.
6.3.3 The development of a waste management system
The findings reveal that waste management was not a priority compared to the energy and water management at UKZN. This is despite the fact that research shows that improving the management of waste can yield environmental, economic and societal benefits. The
researcher recommends that research be carried out so that a proper waste management system can be implemented for all campuses to sort out the different waste types with the intention of benefiting UKZN. There are benefits for recycled, reduced and reused waste and some of the respondents interviewed recommended that UKZN collaborate with the waste sectors on waste management so that reused, reduced and recycle waste can benefit UKZN.
The researcher is of the opinion that CMS makes contact with Prof Christina Trois (UKZN), an expert in the area of waste management, to assist with devising systems for the different
waste types. Research undertaken by Cristina Trois on waste has shown that South Africa is improving in the area of waste management and is collaborating with partners so that waste can be seen as a resource rather than a waste (Frost, 2015). There should be systems to manage the different hazardous waste in an effort to promote and protect the environment and humans.
Waste management is a global problem and the researcher recommends that there should be government intervention so that designated funds from the government can help UKZN to develop a proper waste management system.
Policies guide all activities of the institution and it is recommended that the institution plus CMS have policies on waste management.
6.3.4 Software system should be implemented to improve the flow of information from and to municipality
The results find that the shortcomings at the municipality have been the biggest challenge in the management of energy, water and waste and the gap lies in poor communication channels.
The researcher recommends that UKZN tries to bridge the communication gap between UKZN and the municipality by implementing a software system to improve the communication so that timeous decisions are made concerning campus disruptions. CMS should make contact with ICT concerning communication software packages.
The findings reveal that the municipality infrastructure has been poor and that there is a lack of good governance. The researcher recommends that more research be done at a municipal level to improve municipal infrastructure and governance. This would improve the management of sustainability initiatives at an institutional level. Research done at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on waste management has developed a waste management model with strategies that municipalities can use to manage waste (Frost, 2015).
6.3.5 The employment of skilled, knowledgeable, committed and dedicated staff
The findings reveal that there was a shortage of staff to manage the daily operational work of energy and water and that this had created challenges in the management of sustainability initiatives. Due to the problem of staff shortage, the researcher recommends that CMS examines the current staffing situations in energy and water with a view to deploying staff with the right skills and knowledge to improve in the area of sustainability initiatives.
The findings reveal that there is no dedicated internal staff to manage waste and the researcher recommends that CMS management deploy staff from within CMS to manage waste initiatives.
6.3.6 There should be a culture of learning and a culture of engagement
The results of the research reveal that the majority of respondents identified that skills, knowledge and awareness were very important for departmental and institutional success. The majority of respondents interviewed indicated that it was important to empower staff with the relevant knowledge and skills, particularly managers, so that they may have a clear understanding of the importance of sustainability initiatives and their resulting impact on the economy, environment and society. The researcher recommends that CMS adopts a culture of learning by implementing training programmes and workshops to increase knowledge and skills, and that these should be ongoing. It is important that everyone at CMS be involved in improving sustainability initiatives. A team effort would facilitate interest, enthusiasm and commitment to improving sustainability initiatives.
It is recommended that employees should be educated about and encouraged to switch off lights, computers, printers, copiers, air conditioners, boilers and other energy using devices and equipment at the close of the day to save energy and other costs. Leaking taps should be closed to reduce the water costs. This must be an established office culture.
It is recommended that employees be encouraged to open their office curtains and blinds during the day and work with natural light to avoid switching on electric lights when sunlight is available. This would save energy and unnecessary costs.
6.3.7 Bridging the gap between Campus Leadership and Sub-ordinates
The findings reveal that there was a communication gap between the departmental heads and managers as the departmental heads are based at the Durban campuses of UKZN (Howard College and Westville campus) and the middle managers at the Pietermaritzburg campus. Not everyone is aware of the sustainability initiatives that are being planned to address the energy, water and waste problems. Top management plays a vital role in the management of sustainability initiatives and improving the communication channel between top managers and middle managers.
The support from top management can help improve the management of sustainability initiatives and can contribute to the success of the department and the institution. Top managers must guide middle managers in, and implement policies on, the management of sustainability initiatives so that middle managers can be guided by these policies and accordingly help solve problems. Managers are visionaries and implementers, they are the captains of the organization, and if they do not steer the ship in the right direction, the ship can sink. Management commitment is, therefore, important for institutional success. As managers are responsible for making financial decisions, it is important for management to buy into improving the management of sustainability initiatives so that there can be departmental and institutional success.
The researcher recommends that the top managers and middle managers make use of technological facilities, such as video conferencing and Skype, so that regular meetings can be held. This will help bridge the communication gap and, also, reduce travel costs.
A respondent interviewed hopes that the employment of the Campus Director will serve as a communication link between Campus Management and University Management so that issues raised by CMS are addressed at various structures so that departmental and institutional goals are achieved in the management of sustainability initiatives.
6.3.8 To embrace innovative technology
As revealed from the interviews, UKZN has not kept up with innovative technology as the pipes and infrastructure are old and outdated and this has increased the maintenance costs. The researcher recommends that old and outdated equipment be replaced with new, innovative technology which consumes less energy and water, thereby creating opportunities and minimizing threats. The researcher feels that, even though innovative technology can create opportunities, more research must be done on technology, as not all technology can be beneficial as it has its own limitations and problems. Some technology is useful in creating opportunities and minimizing threats so it is important to identify the technology which will, indeed, create opportunities and minimize threats in an effort to improve UKZN’s environment and economy.
Some of the respondents interviewed recommended that there should be regular audits, inspections and maintenance checks by maintenance providers to identify faulty equipment at an early stage and, in so doing, prevent additional costs, shutdowns and delays. There should be a designated budget for the purchase and maintenance of the equipment.
The use of generators should be reduced. The researcher recommends that new buildings be designed in a way that makes use of natural lighting in order to reduce energy costs. This option will not work for old buildings which were not designed for natural lighting. Old geysers consume a lot of energy and, therefore, the researcher recommends that geysers be replaced with new technology, such as heat pumps.
The researcher recommends that the burst pipe in Pietermaritzburg should take top priority in being fixed as lots of water and money is being wasted on a daily basis. Some of the respondents interviewed identified the use of JoJo tanks to capture this water to be used in the sports field and irrigation in an attempt to reduce the municipality water bills. CMS management must take the responsibility to address and find the solution to this problem.
6.3.9 Collaborating and partnering with the private/public sectors
The findings reveal that UKZN has been slow to collaborate and partner with the private and public sectors and, in the process, has not benefited from experts in the field of energy, water and waste to better manage sustainability initiatives and in an effort to promote and protect UKZN economy, environment and society. The researcher recommends that CMS identifies experts in the fields of energy, water and waste so that UKZN can benefit in the long term by improving in the management of sustainability initiatives.
The findings reveal that, despite solar energy being the best way forward in providing sustainability and clean energy, it is expensive. A respondent indicated that higher education institutions cannot rely solely on renewable energy as it is costly. More research needs to be done on renewable energy so that there is an option in making use of multiple energy sources such as renewable energy and municipal supplied energy. UKZN should partner and collaborate with the renewable energy sectors so that UKZN can benefit from the partnership.
Renewable energy provision should be work in progress.
As rainwater harvesting is a challenge for UKZN, the researcher is of the opinion that CMS makes contact with water experts to improve in the management of rainwater harvesting so that research can be carried out at UKZN in an effort to improve the management of water sustainability initiatives.
6.3.10 Benchmarking
The researcher feels that more research like the current research study must be carried out with other similar institutions within KwaZulu-Natal to see how they are achieving their sustainability initiatives, to benchmark and measure performance so that gaps can be identified, and to improve performance in the management of energy, water and waste in an effort to promote and protect the economy, environment and society.
The findings reveal that UKZN has a sustainability plan in place for energy, water and waste management and the researcher is of the opinion that the sustainably plan must be a guide for CMS to implement sustainability initiatives. The sustainability plan must be revisited to make sure that the objectives are achieved in line with the sustainability model otherwise the sustainability plan will not work. It is recommended that the sustainability initiatives for energy, water and waste be clearly stated in the sustainability plan. The sustainability plan will also help CMS to monitor the progress in achieving sustainability goals.