ISO14 -- Setting the Standard in Environmental Management

For an EMS to be effective, roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and communicated. The commitment of all employees is needed for an EMS to live up to its full potential.

Top management plays a key role by providing resources needed to implement the EMS. In some organizations, "top management" might be a single individual, while in others it might be a group of people (such as a board of directors).

An effective management system needs an advocate. Thus, top management should appoint a management representative. This representative (1) ensures that the EMS is established and implemented; (2) reports on its performance over time; and (3) works with others to modify the EMS as needed. The management representative can be the same person who serves as the project champion, but this is not mandatory. A business owner, plant or shop manager, or any number of other people might serve as an effective EMS management representative.

Step: 6 of 17