2.5 Establish roles, responsibilities and authority
What is this?
The successful implementation of an energy management system will require the commitment and effort of staff at every level of the organisation. In the EnMS planning phase the organization has to identify the people who have both a direct and indirect effect on energy use and consumption within the organisation. For each of the identified EnMS-relevant staff , the organization lists the roles and responsibilities for the EnMS implementation, starting with the top level management and working through the rest of the organisation. When documenting roles and responsibilities, it is important to define clearly who has authority for which elements of the EnMS. This will avoid any conflict or misunderstanding between, for example, production and maintenance people. The energy management representative should ensure that each person involved in improving the energy performance of the organisation clearly knows their own role, what their responsibilities are and what level of authority they have in support of the EnMS implementation. This is one of the key activities in the development of the EnMS and its importance and the effort required to get it right are often underestimated. This is usually an iterative process, some of the people will be known from the beginning of developing the EnMS and others will be identified during planning and during implementation and operation activities.
How to implement
Start with a list of the tasks to be completed in the implementation and operation of the EnMS. A typical version of this list is included in the provided RASCI(R)Responsible: Those who do the work to achieve the task. (A)Accountable: The one ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one who delegates the work to those responsible. (S)Support: Resources which play a supporting role in implementing the task. (C)Consulted: Those whose opinions are sought, typically subject matter experts. (I)Informed: Those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable matrix.
Insert the job titles of the staff who will have a role in each task. Examples are included in the RASCI matrix tool and which will need to be updated by the organisation. For each task be clear on who is Responsible, Accountable, Supports, Consults and needs to be Informed. Each of the roles and responsibilities needs to be understood and communicated by all concerned staff. The completion of this matrix will allow each person to estimate his/her time requirements for the EnMS and decide if they have enough time or if tasks need to be reassigned to others. There may be a need for some management decisions on the allocation and prioritisation of resources. The completion of the matrix will also allow an appraisal of competency of each person to carry out their roles and to identify potential training needs. In some organisations, existing job descriptions may need to be updated to reflect the new roles and responsibilities assigned as result of the EnMS RASCI matrix. This usually depends on the policy or practices of the organisation in relation to documentation. The development of the RASCI matrix is often an iterative process. As the management system evolves and is better understood some roles may change. The RASCI matrix may need to be continuously adapted and communicated. The UNIDO roles and responsibilities matrix includes a row to evaluate the competence of each participant. If gaps in competence are identified they should be rectified, typically by training but sometimes be reassignment.
What is this?
The successful implementation of an energy management system will require the commitment and effort of staff at every level of the organisation. In the EnMS planning phase the organization has to identify the people who have both a direct and indirect effect on energy use and consumption within the organisation.
For each of the identified EnMS-relevant staff , the organization lists the roles and responsibilities for the EnMS implementation, starting with the top level management and working through the rest of the organisation.
When documenting roles and responsibilities, it is important to define clearly who has authority for which elements of the EnMS. This will avoid any conflict or misunderstanding between, for example, production and maintenance people.
The energy management representative should ensure that each person involved in improving the energy performance of the organisation clearly knows their own role, what their responsibilities are and what level of authority they have in support of the EnMS implementation.
This is one of the key activities in the development of the EnMS and its importance and the effort required to get it right are often underestimated.
This is usually an iterative process, some of the people will be known from the beginning of developing the EnMS and others will be identified during planning and during implementation and operation activities.
How to implement
Start with a list of the tasks to be completed in the implementation and operation of the EnMS. A typical version of this list is included in the provided RASCI(R)Responsible: Those who do the work to achieve the task.
(A)Accountable: The one ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion of the deliverable or task, and the one who delegates the work to those responsible.
(S)Support: Resources which play a supporting role in implementing the task.
(C)Consulted: Those whose opinions are sought, typically subject matter experts.
(I)Informed: Those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable matrix.
Insert the job titles of the staff who will have a role in each task. Examples are included in the RASCI matrix tool and which will need to be updated by the organisation.
For each task be clear on who is Responsible, Accountable, Supports, Consults and needs to be Informed.
Each of the roles and responsibilities needs to be understood and communicated by all concerned staff.
The completion of this matrix will allow each person to estimate his/her time requirements for the EnMS and decide if they have enough time or if tasks need to be reassigned to others. There may be a need for some management decisions on the allocation and prioritisation of resources.
The completion of the matrix will also allow an appraisal of competency of each person to carry out their roles and to identify potential training needs.
In some organisations, existing job descriptions may need to be updated to reflect the new roles and responsibilities assigned as result of the EnMS RASCI matrix. This usually depends on the policy or practices of the organisation in relation to documentation.
The development of the RASCI matrix is often an iterative process. As the management system evolves and is better understood some roles may change. The RASCI matrix may need to be continuously adapted and communicated.
The UNIDO roles and responsibilities matrix includes a row to evaluate the competence of each participant. If gaps in competence are identified they should be rectified, typically by training but sometimes be reassignment.