What to do and how to do it
Decide team size
The size of your Energy MAP team depends on the size of your organisation. For a medium sized organisation the following people could form part of the team:
- a senior manager (champion)
- the energy coordinator
- a representative from each key function/area within the company that has a significant impact on energy use
- certain employees who have a commitment to energy management
Appoint team members
Potential key functions to consider for your team include people from: Purchasing, Personnel unit, Maintenance, Finance, IT, Operations (engineering, production), Buildings/Facilities.
Even if you are a small organisation it is best to assign certain roles and responsibilities to others, instead of the Energy Coordinator having all the responsibility. This will spread the load and ensure that energy management is not just the job of the Energy Coordinator.
For medium sized organisations, try to ensure that your team includes a cross-section of levels of staff, that it is multidisciplinary (manager, supervisor, engineer, operator, maintenance personnel …) and cross departmental. This will help integrate energy management throughout your organisation. Another key group is middle-managers, as these often hold the key (or are the barrier!) to effective implementation of the Energy MAP.
Make appointments formal
Get your senior manager (for energy) or the MD to formally invite potential key members (by letter or memo) to join the energy team. Explain to people the importance of energy management and how it can contribute to their own job – you may have to attend meetings of other areas or functions. Seek out committed people and ask them to get involved in the programme.
Assign responsibilities
Each team member should be assigned responsibilities, activities and work plans, as part of the overall programme plan. Hold a kick-off meeting and plan future meetings on a regular basis.
Integrate the team
Make sure that energy management is integrated throughout your organisation. Ideally each function or area, that provides team members, should have an energy management role and have the authority to make their own decisions. One way of ensuring this is by devolving the energy budget.
Tip: it is useful to compile a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix to identify ‘who does what’ in your Energy MAP. If you find that most of the actions fall to the Energy Coordinator, then your Energy MAP is not well founded – its success or failure depends on one single person!
Tip: Look at groups already set up to manage other issues, e.g. environmental management, health and safety, or quality management, and try to incorporate people into your team.
Tip: The key tasks that affect energy management performance should ideally be included in the employee’s job description, and also in their annual staff performance evaluation.
Possible problems and how to deal with them
Integration
Energy management is not integrated into the organisation structure and is regarded as a detached activity. To be successful, energy decision making should be fully integrated into the business decision making process of the organisation. If it is not, then it is always at risk of being dispensed with.
Time
Team members are not allocated sufficient time to deal with energy issues. It is critically important that team members are formally given sufficient time to carry out their responsibilities as part of the energy team.
Communication and recognition
There is a lack of communication across the organisation and among team members as to the objectives, roles and responsibilities of the energy team. Team members are not given recognition for their achievements. Ensure that each team member is clear on what they must do, and give the recognition to people and units for their energy achievements.
How long does it take to complete this step?
Depending on the size of your organisation, it could take several weeks to establish your energy team.
How do I know when I have completed this step?
You have completed this step when:
you have formed an Energy MAP team with clear roles, responsibilities and targets agreed, with time resources allocated and is integrated across the organisation.
What do I do next?
Once you have established your senior manager champion, your energy coordinator and your energy team, you should develop an energy policy to give an overall sense of direction.
