SWOT Analysis of the Environmental Agency of UK Essay (Critical Writing)

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Environmental Agency
S.W.O.T. Analysis of the Environmental Agency
Benefits of the SWOT Analysis
References

Introduction

SWOT analysis which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, is an essential tool in organizations and business decision making. SWOT analysis is used in strategic planning, evaluation of a competitor, product development and marketing. Normally, the SWOT analysis template is in form of a grid with four sections, each one consisting one of the four headings (Chapman, 2011).

SWOT analysis template enhances proactive thinking and can be utilized in various decision making processes within an organization. In this paper, a SWOT analysis of the Environmental Agency of UK will be undertaken.

Environmental Agency

The Environmental Agency is a public body within the Department of Environment that was established on 1^st January in 1996 and implements environmental policies in the Welsh and UK governments (Jack, 2006). The main work of the organization is to protect and improve the environment in the two countries. Environment protection involves looking into pollution and flood threats, both of which can adversely destroy the environment.
The agency aims at creating a green environment by improving and protecting the natural environment, working with the business community so as to save resources and minimize waste, as well as ensuring that UK economy is able to survive the climate changes resulting from global warming.
The Environment Agency helps in facilitating the development of low carbon energy sources with an aim of reducing greenhouse gases emission. The organization is divided into eight directorates, all of which are under the Chief Executive Officer (Jack, 2006).

S.W.O.T. Analysis of the Environmental Agency

Strengths
The agency receives substantial funding from the Welsh government and the UK government through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, while the rest is raised through issuing of permits and licences. (Leigh, 2006)
The agency is permitted by various Acts of Parliament to regulate land, water and air discharges through issuing formal consents. (Jack, 2006).
The environmental agency regulates all waste management by issuing licences for recycling, landfills and incinerators.
The agency advices the government on environmental issues.
The agency receives substantial funding from the government to be utilized in flood risk management and climate change (Jack, 2006).

Weaknesses
Although the agency is mandated with flood risk management, major floods such as Easter Floods of 1998, the 2007 summer floods and the 2000 autumn floods, have wreaked havoc in UK.
According to the 2007 June National Audit Report, the agency has not reached its target of flood prevention despite its budget allocation. (Leigh, 2006)
The Agency has too many roles as a regulator of air, land, water and fishing quality and as a government advisor on environmental issues.

Opportunities
The Agency should work closely with the meteorological office to give timely flood alerts.
The agency should also make data on flood visualization more accessible to the public
The agency should liaise with telecom companies to give out floods warnings through telephone. (Leigh, 2006)

Threats
The climate changes being experienced in the globe might make it impossible to predict floods and issue warnings
Climate changes attributed to global warming cause massive floods that the agency cannot be able to deal with the current budget allocations.
The Agency, according to the National Audit report, is accused of mismanaging public funds.

Benefits of the SWOT Analysis

Using the above SWOT analysis, the Environment Agency can increase its income by putting into place measures that will ensure it maximizes the collection of funds through issuing of licences and permits, since it is allowed by the government to do so.

The agency should also work closely with other relevant partners such as the meteorological department and telecom companies, so that it can issue timely flood risk warnings instead of spending most of its budgetary allocation in dealing with the floods. For better financial planning, the agency should make proper use of all the money allocated to it and also deal with the concerns raised by the National Audit Report about mismanagement of funds.

References

Chapman, A. (2011). Swot analysis. Retrieved from https://www.businessballs.com/strategy-innovation/swot-analysis/

Jack, M. (2006). The environment agency: seventh report of session 2005-06. Stationery Office, London.

Leigh, E. (2006). Environment agency: efficiency in water resource management. The Stationery Office, London.

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