How can you prioritize QHSE in Social Impact projects?

QHSE stands for quality, health, safety, and environment, and it is a crucial aspect of any project, especially those that aim to create positive social impact. QHSE management ensures that the project delivers high-quality results, protects the well-being of the workers and the beneficiaries, minimizes the risks of accidents and injuries, and preserves the natural resources and ecosystems. However, QHSE can also pose significant challenges for social impact projects, such as limited resources, complex contexts, diverse stakeholders, and ethical dilemmas. How can you prioritize QHSE in social impact projects without compromising your mission and vision? Here are some tips to help you.

1 Assess your QHSE needs

Before you start your project, you need to conduct a thorough assessment of your QHSE needs and requirements. This involves identifying the scope, objectives, and expected outcomes of your project, as well as the potential hazards, risks, and impacts that it may entail. You also need to consider the legal, regulatory, and ethical standards that apply to your project, as well as the expectations and needs of your target beneficiaries and other stakeholders. By doing this, you can establish a clear QHSE framework and plan that aligns with your project goals and values.

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Puneet Singh Singhal

Co-founder Billion Strong | Empowering Young Innovators with Disabilities | Curator, "Green Disability" | Exploring Conscious AI for Social Change | Advaita Vedanta | SDGs 10 & 17 |
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Conducting a comprehensive assessment of your QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment) needs is crucial before initiating any project. Begin by defining the project's scope, objectives, and desired outcomes. Identify potential hazards, risks, and impacts associated with the project. Equally important is understanding the legal, regulatory, and ethical standards applicable to your project. Also, consider the expectations and needs of your target beneficiaries and stakeholders. This thorough assessment enables you to develop a robust QHSE framework and plan that aligns with your project goals and values.

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Daiany França Saldanha 🏳️🌈✊🏿

I connect institutes, foundations and companies with NGOs through programs | Master in Social Change (EACH/USP) | PMD-Pro | YLAI Fellow | 92Y Ford Fellow | S4D Fellow | ForbesBLK Member
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Para quem não sabe o que significa, a sigla QSMS se refere a um sistema de gestão integrada que une processos de Qualidade, Segurança, Meio Ambiente e Saúde.

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Jose Sergio Torres

Growth Partner | CCL Boost™ DASM® | Google Project Manager
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Priorizar QHSE en proyectos de Impacto Social es crucial. Integrar estándares internacionales desde la concepción del proyecto garantiza prácticas seguras y sostenibles. Evaluaciones de riesgos, capacitación exhaustiva y monitoreo constante son clave. La participación comunitaria y la transparencia refuerzan la responsabilidad social. La QHSE no solo preserva la integridad del proyecto, sino que también promueve confianza y sostenibilidad a largo plazo.

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2 Involve your team and partners

QHSE is not a one-person responsibility, but a collective effort that requires the involvement and commitment of your team and partners. You need to communicate your QHSE vision and policies to your staff, volunteers, contractors, suppliers, donors, and beneficiaries, and ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities. You also need to provide them with adequate training, resources, and support to enable them to perform their tasks safely, efficiently, and effectively. Moreover, you need to foster a culture of collaboration, feedback, and learning among your team and partners, and encourage them to share their ideas, concerns, and best practices.

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Puneet Singh Singhal

Co-founder Billion Strong | Empowering Young Innovators with Disabilities | Curator, "Green Disability" | Exploring Conscious AI for Social Change | Advaita Vedanta | SDGs 10 & 17 |
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Implementing QHSE effectively demands active involvement and commitment from your entire team and partners. Communicate your QHSE vision and policies clearly to staff, volunteers, contractors, suppliers, donors, and beneficiaries, ensuring they understand their specific roles and responsibilities in this context. Provide comprehensive training, necessary resources, and support to empower them to work safely, efficiently, and effectively. Cultivate a collaborative culture that values feedback and continuous learning. Encourage everyone involved to openly share ideas, express concerns, and exchange best practices.

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3 Monitor and evaluate your QHSE performance

To prioritize QHSE in your social impact project, you need to monitor and evaluate your QHSE performance regularly and systematically. This means collecting and analyzing data and information on your project activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts, as well as on your QHSE indicators, such as quality standards, health and safety incidents, environmental footprints, and stakeholder satisfaction. By doing this, you can measure your progress, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and detect and address any problems or gaps. You can also use this information to report on your QHSE achievements and challenges, and to improve your QHSE practices and processes.

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4 Adapt to changing circumstances

Social impact projects often operate in dynamic and uncertain environments, where conditions and expectations can change rapidly and unpredictably. To prioritize QHSE in such situations, you need to be flexible and adaptable, and ready to adjust your QHSE plans and actions accordingly. This means being aware of the external and internal factors that may affect your project, such as political, social, economic, environmental, or technological changes, as well as the feedback and opinions of your stakeholders. You also need to be proactive and innovative, and seek new opportunities and solutions to enhance your QHSE performance and impact.

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Puneet Singh Singhal

Co-founder Billion Strong | Empowering Young Innovators with Disabilities | Curator, "Green Disability" | Exploring Conscious AI for Social Change | Advaita Vedanta | SDGs 10 & 17 |
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In the dynamic landscape of social impact projects, prioritizing QHSE requires agility and adaptability. Stay attuned to both external and internal factors that could influence your project, such as political, social, economic, environmental, or technological changes, as well as stakeholder feedback and opinions. Be prepared to modify your QHSE plans and actions in response to these changes. This adaptability involves being proactive and innovative, continually looking for new opportunities and solutions to enhance QHSE performance. Embrace innovative approaches that improve safety, quality, and environmental sustainability.

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5 Learn from your experiences

Finally, to prioritize QHSE in your social impact project, you need to learn from your experiences, both positive and negative. You need to reflect on your QHSE successes and failures, and understand what worked and what did not, and why. You also need to share your QHSE lessons and insights with your team and partners, and with other social impact practitioners and communities. By doing this, you can increase your QHSE knowledge and skills, and contribute to the development and dissemination of QHSE best practices and standards in the social impact sector.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you prioritize QHSE in Social Impact projects?

1

2

3

4

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1 Assess your QHSE needs

2 Involve your team and partners

3 Monitor and evaluate your QHSE performance

4 Adapt to changing circumstances

5 Learn from your experiences

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Impact

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How can you prioritize QHSE in Social Impact projects?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess your QHSE needs

2 Involve your team and partners

3 Monitor and evaluate your QHSE performance

4 Adapt to changing circumstances

5 Learn from your experiences

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Impact

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