Catrin Maby

1

SErENADE Sharing Expertise in Energy Advice
Across Europe

• Catrin Maby
• Director
• Severn Wye Energy Agency

2
The overall aim of the project

• To increase the sustainable use of energy in
• Europe by facilitating improvements in the
• scope, range and quality of energy advice
• provision

3
How?

• Researching the current state of the art
• Energy Advice in Europe 2007
• Collecting information on methods materials
• Making this available through an online toolkit
• Publicising the benefits of energy advice and
  availability of materials
• www.energy-advice.org

4
Why?

• General assumption that advice on sustainable
  energy is available everywhere
• Our experience indicated that may not be true
• Wide variation in what is understood by advice
  and quality of what is provided
• Useful experience exists in some countries which
  could be shared
• Even well resourced advice services can learn
  from others

5
Some energy advice tools
6
Preparing the project ideas and actions

• Project development day with FEDARENE colleagues
• Building on earlier work many discussions with
  key people involved
• Drafted brief project outline consisting of aims,
  objectives, outline of work packages
• Revised over several months as partners joined
  and added their perspective
• Revised and re-submitted after rejection first
  time

7
Preparing the project finding partners

• Invited key partners from previous relevant
  projects to provide continuity
• Looked for experienced practitioners from
  countries with mature energy advice services
• Looked for geographical range of partners to help
  research
• Involved partners suggested others
• Contacted about 20 potential partners to get 8

8
Preparing the project practical tips

• Grow the ideas as new partners add knowledge
• Make sure you still have required skills for
  project if there are major revisions
• Check all required skills are in partnership
• Make partners co-financers aware of likely
  actual start date
• Agree months and locations for project meetings
  for more accurate cost estimates

9
Preparing the project - challenges

• Developing a project with real local/regional
  usefulness AND European relevance
• Deliverables precise enough to avoid confusion,
  but flexible enough for real world
• Making sure all partners understand and
  thoroughly read proposal and contract, and agree
  and understand any changes
• Ensuring consistency throughout proposal

10
Launching the project practical tips

• Define the terms used at the start
• Develop clear set of internal deadlines to fit
  dates for contract deliverables
• Confirm dates and locations for all meetings
• Confirm contributions from all partners
• Establish regular communications procedures
• Check all contact details (more than one per
  partner)

11
Reporting practical tips

• Draft outline report for partners to complete
  clearly identified sections
• Set internal deadline for partners to report back
  to coordinator
• Get draft finance reports from partners in
  advance, and check for errors, omissions,
  inconsistency
• Be ready to reply immediately to queries to
  facilitate quick payments

12
Managing the project - challenges

• Staff changes in partner organisations, new staff
  take time to learn and understand
• Major structural changes in partner organisations
  may require change of plans
• Language problems can cause many small
  misunderstandings
• Research takes time, and skill both in obtaining
  and documenting information

13
Managing the project practical tips

• Keep checking back against deliverables PIs
• Be clear about what is flexible and what is not
  (e.g. total budgets, core deliverables)
• Send regular reminders
• If e-mail communication fails, try telephone
• Be aware of different conditions and working
  cultures in different countries
• Be patient but persistent and willing to admit
  mistakes!