ABOUT FIVE WINDS INTERNATIONAL

Five Winds International is a management-consulting firm. We provide consulting, training and facilitation services to help our clients improve the business, environmental and social performance—the sustainability—of their operations, products and services. The strength of Five Winds is helping integrate environmental and social considerations into the core business activities of organizations. We work in partnership with our clients to develop and implement the strategies, management systems, programs and tools necessary to effect long-lasting and meaningful change.

Five Winds International was founded in June 1998. Since its inception, the company grown steadily with projected 2005 revenue of 2.4 million USD. The firm provides an international perspective with 23 employees (20 professional staff) distributed through offices in the United States, Germany, Netherlands, and Canada and an established network of experts throughout the world. This depth of experience allows Five Winds to assign project staff with the skills and knowledge required to deliver quality services to our clients.

Five Winds International has extensive experience helping government and independent organizations create and implement sustainable development strategies, management systems, tools and programs. We have assisted government departments in the United States, Canada and Germany, as well as leading national and international non-government organizations. Our private-sector experience allows us to help our government and non-government clients to: 

• form strategic linkages with industrial partners;
• implement cost-effective and practical programs, tools and training; and
• develop strategies to implement and fulfill their sustainable development mandates.

Five Winds has established organizational and accounting controls and quality management procedures to ensure the successful completion of projects. A project manager is assigned for each project to ensure that the customer has a point of contact and that the project is managed to the Five Winds standards. At the initial development stage, the project manager prepares a task breakdown defining the project elements, time requirements and expertise required. The project manager oversees the project team and quality review process and provides the Finance Department with a project delivery and budget plan.

The Five Winds Finance Department assigns each project an account number and establishes a project budget to track income and expenditure for each project. Five Winds International has implemented an electronic time sheet and expense report system, which allows for the monitoring of project costs and preparation of project accounting reports as requested by clients.

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Consulting Services (SIN 874-1)

We specialize in helping organizations pursue their goals through informed strategic decision-making—decision-making that considers a range of environmental, operational and competitive factors. We engage our clients upfront in interactive, interpretive discussions that get to the root of their challenges in order to provide tailor-made solutions. We build teams to create the right mix of skills and expertise required for each client and project. We have a broad perspective on, and deep understanding of, current social and environmental trends and issues, which comes from experience working with government, industry and academia in countries around the world. We apply this perspective to determine strategic business implications and opportunities, helping clients maximize the economic and environmental benefits of their efforts toward sustainability.

We offer four main consulting service lines:

1. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—We help our clients develop strategies and programs to advance their CSR / sustainability performance and to manage the risks and capitalize on the opportunities that sustainable development provides. Based on our work with the private and public sector clients and our extensive best practices case study research, we understand the challenges and success factors involved in implementing the complex change in behaviors and systems that CSR and sustainability require. We have developed a specific tool to help our clients map out and prioritize the business practices that define sustainability in terms of existing standards and guidelines and the demands of their significant stakeholder groups. We also have a deep understanding of best practice in stakeholder engagement from both a corporate and stakeholder perspective.
   
   
2. Management Systems for Continuous Improvement—With expertise ranging from energy and transportation to infrastructure, chemicals and consumer products, we work with clients to design and implement management systems that meet their own unique requirements. We have a firm grasp of the realities in managing environmental issues, and have helped many organizations achieve ISO 14001 certification. We have an in-depth understanding of the ways information technologies can be used to facilitate the integration of management systems into our clients existing workflow. We have created tools, programs and data-collection techniques that support the implementation of management systems and in many cases enhance their effectiveness.
   
   
3. Climate Change—We offer customized solutions to help our clients manage the climate change issue including: Risk and opportunity assessment; Climate change strategy formulation; Benchmarking of current strategies and programs against stakeholder expectations and market/competitor performance (gap analysis); Measurement and reporting systems and tools; Integration of GHG into environmental and energy management systems; Development of emissions trading opportunities; Greenhouse gas product environmental profiling; and, Life cycle based tools & techniques. Our knowledge of best practice and emerging trends is kept up to date though our involvement in the development of leading GHG standards and measurement protocols.
   
   
4. Product Sustainability—The changing landscape of corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, customer expectations, and new regulations signals an opportunity for organizations to gain competitive advantage by designing better products and services, reduce costs, improve supplier relationships and fulfill new market segments. Our Product Sustainability & Life Cycle Management Services help clients respond to product-related policies, sustainable production and consumption, and implement CSR while reducing risk and stimulating innovation. We have a deep understanding of product-related issues through our involvement in the development of product-related standards at ISO such as ISO 14040 (Life Cycle Assessment) and ISO 14062 (Design for Environment).

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Facilitation Services (SIN 874-2)

Five Winds International has extensive experience in:

• organizing large and small workshops and conferences;
• organizing and facilitating large multi-stakeholder processes to develop government policy and strategy, action plans and complex research plans;
• designing agendas that meet the needs of our clients and participants;
• facilitating discussions at meetings, workshops and conferences. Our strength lies in enabling participants from diverse backgrounds and with differing interests to communicate with each other and arrive at agreement or consensus on complex issues;
• developing collaborative partnerships between diverse players in the private and public sectors;
• facilitating communication between different functions within an organization that may not otherwise communicate with each other; and
• assisting organizations manage complex change. We have developed proven processes and tools to facilitate problem solving, focus decision-making, reach consensus and enable communication between diverse stakeholders.

We have developed proven processes and tools to facilitate problem solving, focus decision-making, reach consensus and enable communication between diverse stakeholders.

Five Winds International offers a variety of services that help organizations in both the private and public sectors deliver products and services more efficiently with lower environmental impact. We have extensive experience of, and knowledge in, life cycle assessment and management, environmentally preferable purchasing, design for environment, green buildings, environmental supply chain management, eco-labeling schemes, eco-efficiency, and environmental reporting, among others. We also develop and deliver customized training curricula and materials on world-leading approaches to environmental management and sustainable development in industry and government. We have trained over 400 managers, scientists and engineers in government and delivered custom-designed training programs for the private and public sectors. We work in partnership with our clients to understand their objectives and needs and translate these into training programs that meet their specific needs. For more information, please visit our website at www.fivewinds.com 

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Sample Projects
 
Project Name: New York City Transit Capital Program Management (NYCT CPM)—Environmental Excellence Initiative

Project Description: Since 2000, Five Winds has been helping New York City Transit’s Capital Program Management integrate environmental aspects into the contracting, design, construction and commissioning process for NYCT's capital projects (annual budget approximately $2 Billion USD). Specifically, we have helped CPM develop a procurement policy, green procurement training, supplier awareness seminars and training materials, designed and piloted a Total Cost of Ownership tool along with BASF and Johnson Wax Professionals (now JohnsonDiversey), and helped them improve their supplier/contractor evaluation processes. Other assistance that Five Winds has completed include:

• Providing insights into and guiding the process to modify NYCT practices to include a greater degree of environmental considerations;
• Assisting in ISO 14001 implementation within CPM, the Department of Buses and the Department of Subways through policy, program, training and tool development;
• Assisting in the development of sustainable design/design for environment program within CPM;
• Developing training seminars for external consultants and CPM senior management on sustainable design, design for environment, sustainability economics, eco-purchasing and environmental management systems;
• Developing and managing a total cost of ownership pilot project.

Five Winds International assisted NYCT CPM with:

• Developing eco-purchasing procedures, protocols and employee training;
• Developing of sustainable design indicators, building and project measurement and verification procedure;
• Assisting in integrating sustainable design/design for environment criteria into pilot building and infrastructure design, specification and procurement processes;
• Developing an environmental excellence award program for CPM staff and external contractors and consultants.

Project Duration: Four years.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Environmental Management System: Design and Implementation—Denver International Airport

Project Description: Denver International Airport (DIA) is recognized as a world-class transportation facility. In 2001, DIA made the decision to further differentiate itself by developing an Environmental Management System (EMS) to further its environmental management programs for the airport and its tenants. Five Winds was brought on to design and implement the EMS.

Five Winds has led the following activities, facilitating the design and implementation of the environmental management system:

• Assessing current DIA environmental management programs;
• Assisting in identifying and analyzing DIA activities that pose environmental risk;
• Assistance in securing top management commitment and writing of an environmental policy for all of DIA;
• Working with integrated teams to develop many of the environmental procedures, including: risk management, audit and inspection, communication procedures, and corrective action procedures;
• Designing and developing a web-based EMS manual; and
• Developing environmental training procedures.

The project has achieved the following milestones:

• DIA has a signed environmental policy committing the airport to pollution prevention and protection of the environment;
• Completed an environmental aspect identification and assessment. Assessment included ranking of environmental aspect risk levels by reputational impact, financial impact, environmental impact, and regulatory impact;
• Development of a DIA business activity model and associated environmental guidance documents defining environmental management responsibilities;
• Development of a DIA-wide environmental training program; and,
• Completion of environmental aspect control guidance that includes identification of environmental exposure events, threats and consequences from exposure, barriers and recovery measures, and potential causes of weakness in the risk management scheme.

Project Duration: The project was initiated in August 2001, and is ongoing.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Health, Safety and Environmental Management System—Shell Exploration and Production Company

Project Description: Shell Exploration and Production Company (SEPCo) operates more than 100 major oil and gas production facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Michigan along with exploration and drilling activities in the same area. In 1999, SEPCo made the decision to pursue the certification of its Health, Safety, and Environmental Management System (HSE MS) to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. Five Winds International was brought on to serve in a variety of roles aimed at assisting SEPCo in achieving the certification prior to the end of 2001.

Primary tasks that were the responsibility of Five Winds' personnel included:

• Development of the management system implementation strategy;
• Assistance in identifying and assessing SEPCo's environmental aspects;
• Working with an integrated team to develop many of the environmental procedures;
• Development and implementation of a broad training program;
• Design and development of a web-based, distributed data management system for managing SEPCo's environmental aspects information;
• Design and development of a web-based, dynamic training program that allowed for SEPCo personnel in remote locations to prepare for the ISO audit without leaving the facility;
• Assistance in selecting and managing the relationship with the ISO registrar; and,
• Ongoing activities related to continual improvement in the management system.

SEPCo successfully completed its main ISO audit in May 2001 and it received its 14001 certificate in June 2001, six months ahead of schedule. Five Winds is retained on an ongoing basis to continue assisting SEPCo in a variety of management system and sustainable development issues.

Project Duration: Project was initiated in October 1999 and completed six months ahead of schedule in June 2001.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Product Sustainability Roundtable

Project Description: Five Winds International manages two Product Sustainability Roundtables for corporate leaders in Europe and North America. Member companies share a common interest in developing strategies, systems and tools to improve the sustainability of their products, services and operations. In North America these companies are: Alcoa, Arvin-Meritor, Armstrong, BASF, Black & Decker, Boeing, Herman Miller, Nike, General Motors, JohnsonDiversey, Rio Tinto Borax, SC Johnson, and United Technologies Corporation.

Five Winds International develops an annual work plan at the beginning of each year, which is submitted to the membership for approval. Activities of the Roundtable include: group pilot-projects that explore different approaches, tools and strategies for sustainability; knowledge-building on key concepts, issues and policy initiatives; issue tracking, which includes a quarterly newsletter to keep members up-to-date on key initiatives and policy developments and their implications for business; and three meetings a year where the Roundtable benchmarks activities, reviews the results of pilot- projects, discusses lessons learned, and shares information about programs and policies that may influence product designs or business strategies.

Five Winds International works with the membership to design meeting agendas that meet their needs and interests and then facilitates discussions at the 1½-day meetings, bringing to the meeting knowledge of best practices and an in-depth understanding of sustainability issues, trends, policies and regulations, and the business opportunities and risks these present. We develop and deliver knowledge-building sessions for each meeting, which explore a specific topic of interest in depth (some of the topics covered in the last two years include: strategies for engaging senior management on sustainability issues; ranking and evaluation schemes in the financial sector; environmentally preferable purchasing and eco-labeling; sustainability reporting). Five Winds prepares all meeting materials, including presentations, additional reading resources, background reading for the knowledge-building sessions and meeting summaries. Five Winds also facilitates the development and implementation of pilot-projects between member companies and prepares all final reports.

Project Duration: One year—April 1 to March 31 (which is renewed annually) Delivery follows an annual work plan and timeline that is prepared at the beginning of each year and approved by the membership. The North American Roundtable has been active for the last seven (7) years.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Environmental Management: Improving Performance in Local Government

Project Description: Five Winds International is delivering this environmental management systems (EMS) capacity-building project with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The project objective is to work with local municipalities across Pennsylvania implementing an ISO14001-based EMS and then to use this experience to prepare an EMS guidance manual for rollout across Pennsylvania.

Five Winds International developed a workshop series on the implementation of EMS and engaged eight Pennsylvania municipalities to pilot the approach. Each municipality identified two or more individuals to champion the EMS and participate in workshops and strategy sessions held across Pennsylvania. Five Winds International planned, scheduled, organized logistics and set objectives for a total of six events involving representatives from the eight municipalities and several DEP departments. Participants were led through problem-solving and role-playing exercises supporting EMS capacity building—facilitated by Five Winds International.

In September of 2003, a results workshop is planned where the municipalities will present the results of their EMS experiences and submit their final EMS manuals. Five Winds International has been recording discussion content and EMS decisions from all project events for use in the development of an EMS guidance document. The project is part of a larger program being delivered by Five Winds International to provide support to local government and SMEs in the implementation of environmental management practices beyond EMS. This support includes Design for Environment (DfE), Eco-Purchasing, Environmental Cost Accounting, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and other programs appropriate to the organization.

Project Duration: 2½ years. Basic workshop training completed on schedule (December 2002). Final wrap-up session and guidance document on target for completion in December 2003.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Facilitation of Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Sessions in the Development of Sustainable Development Strategy for Canadian Federal Government Department

Project Description: Canadian federal government departments and agencies are required to each have a sustainable development strategy. The first sets of sustainable development strategies were implemented in 1997, and are updated every two years. Five Winds International has assisted Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in this process by facilitating a series of multi-stakeholder consultation sessions in cities across for the department’s 2001 and 2003 Sustainable Development Strategies. These sessions are used to gather input from stakeholders on the vision, objectives and proposed actions outlined in NRCan’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

Five Winds International has also facilitated discussions with NRCan’s internal Sustainable Development Working Group, on the development of the department’s Sustainable Development Strategy. Additionally, Five Winds International, in collaboration with Dr. Glen Toner of Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), designed and regularly delivers internal capacity building sessions to assist NRCan in the implementation of its Sustainable Development Strategy.

Project Duration: Facilitation of individual consultation sessions are a day in length, but typically the series of sessions occur over several weeks. Internal capacity building sessions are two days in length.
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Opportunities for Product Stewardship Within the Automotive Industry— Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance

Project Description: The purpose of the project is to understand more about material use, material selection, the use of recycled content and automotive design in the automotive industry. This understanding will help to identify potential opportunities for product stewardship in North America’s auto sector. Five Winds International first gathered publicly available information on material use and material trends in automobiles, environmental goals of automotive manufacturers related to material selection and recycled content and example applications of recycled-content materials and/or substitution of materials deemed "of concern". Based on this knowledge, Five Winds International gathered more information via interviews with NGOs, material suppliers, the automotive dismantlers association, the automotive recyclers association, auto manufacturers and the automotive manufacturers trade association (Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers). In June, Five Winds International circulated a draft report to all interviewees. With the US EPA Region 5 and the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, Five Winds International convened a review session to solicit feedback and more detailed information for the report. The final result is a report outlining trends in the industry, existing activities and potential opportunities for product stewardship. A secondary result is heightened awareness and increased communication among the industry players, NGOs, and government departments at federal and state levels.

Project Duration: 8 months, completed in 2003.
Point of Contact:  References available upon request

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Project Name: Green Procurement: Good Environmental Stories for North Americans—North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation

Project Description: Five Winds International scanned green procurement programs at the city, state and federal government levels throughout North America, reviewing literature (published and internet), interviewing key program managers and members of the Commission on Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) tri-national network. The purpose was to understand current practices and trends and to collect information on what is driving green procurement in public and private sectors. Five Winds International worked with the CEC to collect examples of successful green procurement programs and specific procurement activities within particular programs, using Five Winds International’s existing network of industrial contacts and CEC’s network. In addition, the business case for each case was researched and described. The final result is a report explaining the Trends and Approaches, Success Stories and the Business Case for green procurement in North America. In addition, Five Winds International worked with CEC’s to design a brochure synopsis of the report, suitable for publication

Project Duration: 4 months, initiated in November 2002 and completed by end of February 2003 (original estimated completion was December 2002)
Point of Contact: References available upon request

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Project Name: Building Capacity for Eco-Efficiency and Design-for-Environment in the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Sector

Project Description: As a result of the impending European End-of-Life Vehicle Directive and other business drivers such as supply-chain information requests, many tier one automotive suppliers have begun implementing Design for Environment (DfE) programs. By examining the environmental impacts of a product along its life cycle, and by addressing these in the product development process using DfE tools and techniques, a company can become more eco-efficient and synergize other environmental activities, such as hazardous materials management, substances of concern, and costs. However, there is no standard way of implementing DfE and few guidelines for designing successful DfE programs. As part of a partnership of public and private sector organizations, Five Winds International, Magna International, Industry Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 3M, University of Waterloo and the Auto Parts Manufacturers Association joined together to develop DfE tools for the automotive sector. The overall purpose of the project was to build capacity for integrating eco-efficiency, life cycle assessment (LCA) and Design for Environment (DfE) techniques into the automotive parts product development and manufacturing process. A case study on two different car door panel designs (different material composition) provided hands-on learning and a concrete demonstration of the training concepts. The training module was built around a DfE case study examining door panel design options, which provided participants with a real understanding of how eco-efficiency, life cycle impacts and DfE concepts and tools can be integrated into existing product design processes.
 
Five Winds International’s role in the project included:

• Development of a multi-stakeholder partnership between several Government of Canada departments, 3M, Magna International, The Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association and the University of Waterloo;
• Development of the overall project scope and design;
• Development and delivery of a training program covering sustainable development, design for environment, life cycle assessment, eco-efficiency, environmental management and design process for product development, management, academic and research & development teams at Magna International;
• Technical support and guidance to Magna International on the DfE case study – life cycle comparison of two door panel designs;
• Training graduate youth working on the project; and,
• Development of communications and marketing materials for the project.

Project Duration: The project was initiated in January of 2001 and culminated with a training workshop on January 30-31, 2002.
Point of Contact:  References available upon request

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Ordering Procedures
 
For supplies and services, the ordering procedures, information on Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA’s), and a sample BPA can be found at the GSA/FSS Schedule homepage  – http://fss.gsa.gov/schedules

Order Address
 
Five Winds International
626 Meadow Drive
West Chester, PA 19380
USA

Ph: (610) 431-5782
Fax: (610) 431-5783
Email: GSAinfo@fivewinds.com 

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