What to do and how to do it
Full-time or part-time
Decide if you need a full-time or part-time Energy Coordinator. For energy bills of over €1.25 million it is recommended to have a full-time position. If part-time, then identify the role and person who best fits the Energy Coordinator job.
Specification and short list
Develop a short job specification and draw up a short list of candidates. If there is no suitable internal person, then you may have to advertise for the job.
Qualities
Choose someone with the necessary qualities. The Energy Coordinator will be a multi-skilled person and have:
- an interest in Energy Management
- organisational, management and communication skills
- technical knowledge
- the ability to motivate others and him/herself!
Formalise
Make the appointment formal through a letter of appointment or similar. As a management function the job needs to have defined roles and responsibilities.
See the chapter on ‘Appointing an energy manager/coordinator’ in Setting up an energy management programme for further advice.
Tip: take advantage of links between energy and other programmes such as environment. If there is a suitable person with related duties then try combining the roles. But make sure that the Energy MAP has the necessary level of importance.
Tip: if energy does not clearly fall within anyone's existing skill set then choose someone with a personal interest in energy and who is willing to learn.
Tip: once appointed, don't leave everything to the Energy Coordinator - it still has to be a team effort.
Tip: integrate the role into the general management structure.
Possible problems and how to deal with them
Other duties
Other duties will restrict the time and effort that a part time Energy Coordinator can apply to the Energy MAP. Make sure that this is recognised as a formal role; agree the time to be allocated.
Backing
Organisation managers and staff will have priorities other than energy. Make sure that the senior manager for the Energy MAP provides the necessary backing to the Energy Coordinator to enable them to do their job.
Training
If the Coordinator lacks certain skills then you can always provide training. Step 15 provides further guidance on training key personnel.
How long does it take to complete this step?
Unless you are recruiting a new employee, the initial appointment can happen within days.
How do I know when I have completed this step?
You have completed this Step when the Energy Coordinator has been appointed through a formal letter of appointment and has a written job description with defined roles and responsibilities.
What do I do next?
The Energy Policy is in itself an action plan. Now that you have your Energy Policy in place, communicate the plan to all staff and then go ahead with its implementation .
