Unit-based Sustainability Assessment Tool: A resource book to complement the UNEP Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities Partnership

This document presents a unit-based framework for assessing how universities integrate sustainability across teaching, research, community engagement, operations, and policy. It outlines an indicator-driven tool divided into four parts: academic units (curriculum, pedagogy, research, engagement, assessment, staff expertise), operations and management, student involvement, and institutional policies and statements. Ratings use ordered response levels from X (don’t know) to 0–4, enabling benchmarking, comparison, and a whole-of-institution picture. Guidance covers data triangulation with documents and interviews, result visualization, and identifying change projects. Developed within UNEP’s MESA context and tested in African universities, it supports reflective, adaptive, ongoing improvement of higher education sustainability.