What to do and how to do it
Review
At this point you will need to review your previous Steps and ensure that all the necessary elements are in place. In particular review Step 11 Establish Programme Plan and Step 12 Formally allocate sufficient human, financial & systems resources. Also ensure that you have senior management backing (Step 1 and Step 2) and team support (Step 4).
Reconfirm support
Implementation will only be effective if those who need to act are motivated to participate in the Energy MAP. Use training to increase awareness, inform people and motivate them to act. Reconfirm management support.
Ensure time is allocated
People should have the time required to actually perform the tasks that they have been assigned under the Energy MAP. It is essential that you acknowledge participation and good performance and reward it where possible.
Reconfirm roles and responsibilities
Make sure that the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and agreed for those who will be involved in implementing the programme plan – including timescales.
Reconfirm other resources
Ensure that you have the necessary other resources (financial, systems, equipment etc.) formally allocated to implement your plan.
Begin
Consider holding a workshop with the key people to begin the implementation process. Communicate progress regularly.
Programme of change
Your Energy MAP is really a programme of change. Key factors for success when implementing change within an organisation are:
- Leadership– demonstrated senior management commitment.
- Shared goals– everybody must be on board.
- Resources – you need to have the necessary resources.
- Bargaining– to gain acceptance, you may need to make concessions in other areas
- Action – taken and implanted throughout the organisation.
- Communication– provide open, full and frequent information.
Possible problems and how to deal with them
Barriers to change
It’s not my job; I haven’t got time; Nobody told me about it!
If you’ve got to this stage, and you come up against barriers such as these, then you haven’t properly prepared your Energy MAP. Roles and responsibilities should be fully agreed, time agreed and allocated and everybody informed and brought on board.
Other changes in your organisation
If there are other changes going on in your organisation, e.g. cut-backs or redundancies, then it may not be the best time to implement an energy management programme. Think about current or future changes that may be going on and try to take these into account.
How long does it take to complete this step?
The completion of this step depends on a multitude of factors and it is therefore not possible to give an indicative timescale for completing it.
How do I know when I have completed this step?
You will have completed this step:
when all the elements of your programme plan have been implemented and signed-off, and valid justification given for any elements that may not have been implemented.
What do I do next?
Energy awareness goes hand in hand with training. Arm your staff with the information and skills they need by training key personnel in energy efficient practices.
