This step is relevant to sections 4.5.2 and 4.5.3 of the ISO 50001-2011 standard.
Personnel performing work related to your organization’s significant energy uses (SEUs) must be competent to perform those tasks. If there are any competency gaps among the relevant personnel, then steps must be taken to ensure they are brought up to the level required to perform the job. Personnel must also be aware of their responsibilities related to the organization’s energy management system (EnMS). Energy awareness among personnel is the first step in integrating energy management into daily operations and supporting effective functioning of the EnMS. These personnel include anyone working on behalf of the organization and include salaried, hourly, part time and temporary employees, as well as on-site contractors, suppliers and consultants.
Communicating internally and externally are important elements of the EnMS. Implementing an EnMS involves organizational and cultural change. Communicating internally is a critical component in managing change successfully in an organization. The organization also needs to decide if it will communicate with outside (external) parties about its energy policy, energy management system and energy performance.
How to do it
There are four tasks associated with addressing training and communication needs:
Personnel working on the organization’s behalf who are performing tasks related to the organization’s significant energy uses (SEUs) must be competent to perform those tasks. These personnel include salaried, hourly, part time and temporary employees as well as on-site contractors, suppliers, and consultants. Your initial list of personnel performing work related to the SEUs was documented in the SEU Control Chart first introduced in Step 2.5.3. (An Example SEU Control Chart was also provided in Step 2.5.3.) Start with that information and refine the list by identifying any additional personnel who may need to be included to meet the competency requirements of ISO 50001, Section 4.5.2.
Competency, as used in ISO 50001, is concerned with the qualities or abilities needed by an individual to effectively perform the responsibilities of their work position. Competencies may vary for each job and are based on one or more of the following:
Education – Knowledge generally acquired through a formal educational program such as a school, technical institute or university. Examples include a high school diploma, GED, an associate degree in manufacturing technology, a Bachelor of Science in energy engineering or a Master’s in business.
Training – Knowledge generally acquired as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful capabilities. Examples include boiler operation, electrical system maintenance or waste water treatment.
Skill – Talent or ability that can be learned or developed and is subsequently demonstrated. Examples include welding, painting, or software development.
Experience - The accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events, activities or tasks. Experience is often gained from activities or responsibilities in previous jobs. Examples include managing personnel, being a training instructor, or designing energy equipment.
In an ISO 50001 EnMS, the work positions associated with significant energy uses must have defined competencies. For example, if a boiler system is identified as an SEU, the jobs associated with the operation and maintenance of the boiler system must have defined competencies. It bears repeating that competency is based on education, training, skills and/or experience—any one, or combination of these.
Organizations often use job descriptions, position announcements, job requirements or similar documentation to spell out job competency requirements. (Be aware though that a list of job responsibilities in a job description is not necessarily a list of required competencies for a position.) The Competency Requirements and Record Form can be used to define competency requirements. A form is generated for each position associated with the SEUs. It can be a stand-alone document or part of other Human Resource documentation. For an example of how this form can be completed, see the Example Competency Requirements and Record Form for a maintenance electrician.
Personnel who will perform work related to SEUs on behalf of the organization are evaluated against the competency requirements. Any gaps in competency for an individual are identified and training needs or other actions are determined.
Once identified, the needs are used to develop a plan to bring the employee up to the desired competency level.
Once the competency needs are determined, training or other action must be provided to eliminate the gap. A plan is developed to ensure training or other required actions are provided.
For organizations considering technical training on energy systems, the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), has created training programs focused on best system practices and AMO software tools. AMO courses offerings are available through Instructor-led classes and workshops and self-paced interactive e-learning courses. To learn more, click here.
3.4.2 Ensure training and awareness
Unlike the competency requirements of ISO 50001, energy awareness is not limited to persons performing tasks related to significant energy uses (SEUs). General energy awareness is relevant to personnel across the organization, as well as to your on-site contractors, suppliers, consultants and others. To be effective, all personnel included within the scope and boundaries of the EnMS must be aware of how the EnMS impacts their daily work activities and know their responsibilities.
Ensuring the ongoing energy awareness of personnel is key to driving energy management into the organization’s daily operations and supporting effective functioning of the EnMS.
Awareness items to address for all personnel include:
Conformance with the energy policy – The energy policy sets your organization’s strategic direction, communicates its energy commitments and establishes energy as an organizational priority. Personnel are expected to be aware of how energy relates to their job activities and how their work demonstrates the commitments of the energy policy, including improved energy performance and compliance with legal and other requirements.
The importance of following EnMS procedures and requirements – An EnMS is put in place to manage and improve energy performance, including energy use, consumption and efficiency. Personnel are expected to follow the EnMS procedures related to their work responsibilities and conform with the requirements of the system.
Roles, responsibilities and authorities – These should be clearly defined for any organization but should also be clear for all personnel relative to the requirements of the EnMS. They should be aware of not only their own responsibilities but those of the key individuals associated with the EnMS including the energy management representative and the members of the energy team.
Improved energy performance benefits – Personnel must be aware of the benefits of improved energy performance. Examples of potential benefits include reduced costs, higher profit margin, more efficient operation, less maintenance, reduced environmental impact, extended equipment life and improved comfort.
Impact of activities on energy consumption – Personnel must be aware of how their activities can and do affect energy use and consumption.
Impact of employee activities on objectives and targets – The energy objectives and targets are your organization’s goals around which strategies are developed to achieve improved energy management and energy performance (see Step 2.9). Personnel must understand how their activities and behavior contribute to the achievement of the energy objectives and targets.
Consequences of not following procedures – The energy policy is an umbrella for the development of relevant procedures. Procedures provide a guide for conducting activities to maximize energy efficiency and reduce consumption. Personnel must be aware of the consequences of not following procedures and the potential impact on energy efficiency, use and consumption.
When employees and contractors are performing work related to the SEUs, they must also be aware of the following as they relate to their work responsibilities:
Operational controls associated with the SEUs (See Step 3.5)
Monitoring, measuring and analysis requirements (See Step 4.1)
Energy performance evaluation of products, services and equipment procured from suppliers (See Step 3.7)
The EnMS Awareness Requirements Form can help you define and document the specific awareness requirements associated with each individual, position or department.
Once the awareness requirements have been defined, the EnMS Training Needs Planning Matrix can be used to document the awareness training needs throughout the organization and to develop a plan to address those needs. The training plan includes who, what, when, where, and how; and can serve as the record of training. This matrix can also be used to identify and plan other EnMS-related training such as internal auditor training, as illustrated on the Example EnMS Training Needs Planning Matrix.
Most organizations develop some form of general EnMS awareness training that can be used as an overall introduction to the EnMS for employees, contractors, suppliers and others who perform work on-site. This general awareness training typically ranges from 5 to 30 minutes in length and may or may not involve such training and communication aids as videos, slide presentations, brochures, handouts or postings. One approach is to take the presentation prepared for Step 1.8 (Create organizational awareness) and add slides specifically addressing the SEUs, energy objectives and targets and other needed information. See the Example General EnMS Awareness Presentation. A blank General EnMS Awareness Presentation Template follows the outline of the Example Presentation and can be customized to your organization.
Regardless of the approach used, evidence of awareness training or communication must be maintained and readily available. Awareness training can be recorded in a number of different ways. Some examples are:
Training certificates placed in employee files or in a training database,
Sign-in sheets maintained in the department, Human Resources or other central location, and
Separate forms established as records of awareness training.
In the case where a contractor’s or supplier’s organization is responsible for providing the appropriate EnMS awareness training, the records might be kept at the contractor’s or supplier’s site, but be available to your organization as needed.
3.4.3 Communicate internally
Now it is important to establish a process that will ensure that internal communications related to energy performance and the EnMS are carried out on an ongoing basis.
Topics and items that are required to be communicated internally include:
Energy policy
The importance of energy management
Energy management responsibilities and authorities
Energy objectives
Energy performance of the organization
Other information about the EnMS, as appropriate
There are a variety of methods that can be used to communicate internally. These can include:
Postings
Internal newsletters
Intranet sites
Screen savers
E-mails
Meetings
Closed-circuit television (CCTV)
Training
Suggestion or incentive systems
Different methods can be used to communicate different EnMS topics or items to different audiences. Use your existing internal communication processes where practicable.
The keys to effective EnMS internal communication processes
First, communication has to actually take place on an ongoing basis. Top management must communicate the importance of energy management across the organization (see Step 1.8). The management representative must communicate energy management responsibilities and promote awareness of the energy policy and energy objectives at all levels of the organization. Generally it is the management representative who ensures that internal communications (including those by top management) occur across all levels and functions of the organization.
Second, not all employees need the same information. It is important to consider communication strategies and content that is appropriate for the intended audiences. For example, detailed data on energy performance may be communicated to top management in a management review meeting (see Step 5.1), while only summary information (usually in graphic form such as trend lines, pie charts, bar charts, etc.) is communicated to the workforce on communication boards located throughout the facility. Use the Internal EnMS Communications Planning Worksheet to help plan and implement internal communication processes for the EnMS.
Third, the pathways of effective communication are multi-directional. EnMS communications are not intended to flow in just one direction, for example just from management or from the management representative to the work force (top-down). They include mechanisms that enable employees to communicate upward within the organization (bottom-up), as well as laterally across the levels of the organization.
Fourth, communicating internally within the EnMS requires a comment or suggestion system to ensure that both employees and others working on behalf of the organization (such as contractors and suppliers who work on-site) can submit comments or suggest improvements to the EnMS. Effective suggestion systems ensure that there is some form of feedback on the comments and suggestions, even if some ideas are determined to not be feasible due to cost or technology considerations, for example. The EnMS Suggestion Form can be used to help develop a comment and suggestion system.
In some organizations there may be resistance to suggestion systems. In large organizations with hundreds of employees, suggestion systems can quickly become overwhelmed. This can be especially true if there are incentive or gain sharing programs that support the suggestion process. One way to manage the volume of suggestions while ensuring appropriate consideration of them is to alternate opening and closing the suggestion process on a specified schedule. This approach also can be useful in smaller organizations with limited personnel resources for managing the suggestion and commenting processes.
Some organizations implement incentives for participation in comment or suggestion systems. Typically, the suggestions that were implemented and led to the greatest cost savings or improvements in energy performance are highlighted, along with the person(s) who submitted the idea. Some examples of actual incentives or rewards include:
Feature articles in the organization’s internal newsletter
Monetary gift cards (e.g., $10, $20, or $50 value)
Movie tickets
Shift-break popcorn parties
Catered luncheons served by the supervisors and managers
Awarding of marketing novelties (t-shirt, mug, ball cap, etc.)
Designated parking space for the month
3.4.4 Decide on external communications
A decision that must be made during EnMS implementation is whether and how your organization will communicate with outside (external) parties about its:
Energy policy,
EnMS, and
Energy performance.
Recognizing the growing public, customer and other stakeholder interest in sustainability and the desire of many organizations to demonstrate leadership in this area, some organizations decide to communicate proactively about their energy and environmental policies, goals and achievements. Other organizations decide to approach such external communications on a reactive basis, responding to inquiries or requests for information on a case-by-case basis.
Regardless of the approach taken, the decision on external communication must be recorded and a method implemented to manage those communications.
To develop a method (or a plan) for proactive external communications, identify the following:
If your organization decides to be proactive in its external communications about energy, consider communicating the following types of information:
Energy policy
Energy objectives and targets
Energy conservation or energy efficiency projects
Improvements in energy performance
Energy cost savings
Use of renewable energy
Participation in voluntary energy or environmental programs
Examples of mechanisms for external communications include:
Websites
Press releases
Annual reports
Sustainability reports
E-mail
Print or electronic newsletters
Electronic meetings/webinars
Community meetings
Facility tours or open houses
Sponsorship opportunities
Radio/television spots
Planning for external communications, whether proactive or reactive, involves assigning responsibility and authority for responding to communications from specific types of outside stakeholders or interested parties. For example, most often it is the regulatory compliance manager who is authorized to respond to inquiries or on-site visits from governmental regulators. The management representative is usually the person authorized to interact with utility providers and address inquiries about the organization’s energy policy or significant energy uses.
The following implementation resources can help your organization develop the competency, training, awareness and internal and external communication processes of the EnMS:
The following resources provide information needed to understand EnMS documentation and make decisions on what documents and records are needed for your EnMS.
The following resource is designed primarily for organizations that plan to seek third-party certification to ISO 50001-2011. It helps you understand how to check and use your EnMS records to demonstrate the implementation of the system (you are doing what you say), and the effectiveness of the system in generating the intended results (what you are doing is working).
