At this point, you should have prepared action plans for your top priority energy opportunities (Step 2.11) and clearly defined and communicated roles and responsibilities of all personnel involved in each energy project. The next step is to execute your action plan based on the responsibilities, tasks and other expectations contained within the plan.
Advancing from Foundational Level 1 to ISO 50001 Level 2 for Step 3.2
The tasks associated with executing your action plans are the same for ISO 50001 (Level 2) as they are for foundational energy management (Level 1). Clearly communicating to appropriate personnel their roles and responsibilities for executing action plans is fundamental to success. Supporting the project team with good project management and robust communication processes helps ensure that the action plans are executed effectively.
It’s important that everyone involved in any energy project is aware of his/her roles and responsibilities to implement the project action plans you completed in Step 2.11. These roles and responsibilities, which should be documented in the action plans, need to now be communicated to all the involved personnel using your organization’s existing methods of internal communication. A project kickoff meeting is one good way to bring together all the involved personnel, which can include personnel on the energy team and personnel not on the energy team. The purpose of this meeting is to communicate project expectations and help everyone understand how his/her specific assigned tasks or actions fit into the making the overall effort a success.
3.2.2 Take appropriate action
Successfully implementing your action plan is dependent on the dedication and skill of the personnel associated with the plan. Assigned tasks should be executed in an efficient and timely manner. And the relationship between tasks should be understood by personnel so that any unintended effects can be avoided. This can be achieved through appropriate project management and clear communications. As actions are implemented, ensure that any checklist, operational criteria, maintenance schedules, etc. are updated and communicated to the responsible person. When appropriate, update purchasing specifications to reflect any needed changes and update any awareness communication messages to reflect the results and any changes in operational or maintenance activities.
Resources & Examples
EPA ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management: Contains a step-by-step road map for continuous improvement, based on best practices as compiled by the EPA ENERGY STAR Program. Refer to Step 5 of the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for guidance specific to eGuide Step 3.2.
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy MAP: SEAI’s Energy MAP tool provides a step-by-step guide to creating a best practice action plan for energy management. Refer to Step 13 of the SEAI Energy MAP for helpful guidance specific to eGuide Step 3.3.
