Energy and Water Task Force: Social Research 2009

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Energy and Water Task Force

Social Research 2009

Janet Stanley and Victoria Johnson

Report 09/3

September 2009

Commissioned by Sustainability Victoria


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Energy and Water Task ForceSocial Research

Janet Stanley and Victoria JohnsonMonash Sustainability Institute

August 2009Commissioned by Sustainability Victoria


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AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the non-government agencies who assisted with this project,as well as the staff and volunteers associated with the Energy and Water Taskforce program.A special thanks to the householders who spoke with us about their experiences of theprogram and gave their time and information to assist in the writing of this paper. Thank youalso to Margaret Banks and Sally Skinner who provided assistance with the discussiongroups and the literature review.

Produced by the Monash Sustainability InstituteThe Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) delivers solutions to key sustainability challengesthrough research, education and action. For government, business and communityorganisations, MSI is a gateway to the extensive and varied expertise in sustainabilityresearch and practice across Monashs faculties and research institutes.Our research covers the many areas of water, energy, climate change, transport and urbandesign and biodiversity as solutions are found in a cross-disciplinary approach of the socialsciences, economics, law, health, science and engineering.

September 2009ISBN: 978-0-9806387-2-1 Monash Sustainability Institute, 2009

To be cited as: Stanley, J. and Johnson, V. (2009) Energy water taskforce social research.

Monash Sustainability Institute Report 09/3, for Sustainability Victoria, Melbourne.

Monash Sustainability InstituteBuilding 74, Clayton CampusWellington Road, ClaytonMonash UniversityVIC 3800 Australia

Tel: +61 3 990 59323Fax number +61 3 990 59348Email: [email protected]/research/sustainability-institute

DISCLAIMER:Monash University disclaims all liability for any error, loss or consequence which may arisefrom you relying on any information in this publication.


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Contents

1. Summary of findings .......................................................................................................... 4Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4Overview of findings ........................................................................................................... 4Summary of recommendations .......................................................................................... 5

2. Background........................................................................................................................ 8Climate change .................................................................................................................. 8Residential energy and water usage .................................................................................. 8

3. Purpose and method ........................................................................................................ 13Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 13Method ............................................................................................................................. 13

4. Literature background and indicators ............................................................................... 15Community connectedness .............................................................................................. 15Community engagement .................................................................................................. 16Cultural awareness and community cohesion .................................................................. 17Summary of Indicators ..................................................................................................... 17

5. Findings ........................................................................................................................... 19Operational issues ........................................................................................................... 19Employment skills and vocational outcomes .................................................................... 20Behaviour change and facilitation .................................................................................... 22Community connectedness .............................................................................................. 24Community engagement .................................................................................................. 26Cultural awareness and community cohesion .................................................................. 28Legacy outcomes ............................................................................................................. 28Findings from the provider Survey.................................................................................... 29

6. Discussion, conclusions and recommendations ............................................................... 31Reflection on the research process .................................................................................. 31Community connectedness and the need to respond to climate change .......................... 31Conclusions about EWTF program .................................................................................. 32Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 34

7. References ...................................................................................................................... 35Appendix 1: Program logic ................................................................................................... 38Appendix 2: Stakeholder discussion group questions .......................................................... 39Appendix 3: Service provider survey questions .................................................................... 41


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1. Summary of findings

IntroductionThe Energy and Water Taskforce (EWTF) has assisted over 5000 low income households tosave energy and water. The program has been shown to have reduced energy usage by theparticipating households in the 25 towns and suburbs which were given free assessments

and retrofits. The program has other potential benefits which now need to be understood sothe place and value of the program as a whole can be understood.

The researchers observed a successful program achieving a range of positive outcomes inrelation to: Energy efficiency Employment training for those with employment barriers Reduction of energy and water costs for people at risk of social exclusion Strengthening disadvantaged communities and aiding inclusion and empowerment Supporting Community Service Organisations with social enterprise funding

This report does not examine the issue of reduction in energy use as this has been reviewedpreviously (Quantum 2007).

Overview of findingsThe research has identified that social outcomes are being achieved in addition to thearticulated aims of the EWTF. In addition to job skill development, a major social value of theEWTF lies in the ability of the program to build community strength in the local communityhosting the program. This is being achieved, rather than building personal social capital.

Employment skillsThe employment and work related outcomes of the project have been significant. This hasbeen achieved through the enterprise models developed by the non-government welfareorganisations. Those who have experienced long-term unemployment and people withmultiple barriers to employment have been able to enter or move toward ongoingemployment in the same or related fields, others have developed skills or attributes that haveassisted them to move into their field of interest. Some have achieved personal goals relatingto health or housing that will assist them in moving towards employment.

Behaviour change and facilitationThe program was beneficial in assisting households to achieve some of the goals they hadidentified but had been unable to reach due to a lack of skills or resources to make change intheir homes, as well as continue with the energy savings after the EWTF had finished.

Community connectednessSocial and community connectedness was demonstrated through work teams beingwelcome visitors in the homes of isolated elderly residents, becoming a familiar part of thecommunity and linking residents into other community resources. Community pride has alsodeveloped as a result of the EWTF.

Community engagementHouseholders were easily engaged after some initial mistrust and some people were linkedin to other community resources and supports.

Cultural awareness and social cohesionCultural awareness was not a targeted aspect of the program but there was some evidence

of social cohesion being facilitated during the operation of the program.

Legacy outcomes


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Organisations felt their capacity to deliver environmental programs had been improvedthrough association with the EWTF program.

Summary of recommendationsSmall adjustments, as suggested below, could be made to the EWTF program to improve the

operation, energy efficiency, program sustainability and particularly communityconnectedness. These are listed below as recommendations.

Recomm endat ions leading to the mo st stra ight forward adjustments

Employment skills and vocational outcomes1. Workers skill sets could have been broadened and specific needs around energy

efficiency targeted by increasing the range of possible energy efficiency improvementswhich could be offered. In some cases a payment could be made to a trainee worker toundertake these additional tasks. Householders could be assisted to cover costs throughassistance with access to grants or no or low interest loans, such as the FederalGovernments and bank microfinance schemes (Federal Government 2009, SolarPay

2009).2. Provision of additional support in some sites to link trainees into employment or further

training being offered locally to ensure trainees are moving through the EWTF rather thanremaining as a worker in the program.

3. Greater clarification to trainees about what support is provided for them to gainemployment post-EWTF.

4. The researchers gained the impression that the program worked better where traineeswere recruited locally. This facilitated up-take and household reassurance about theprogram, where trainees were known. It also increased the post-EWTF employmentopportunities for the trainees as their visibility and skills became known in the local area.It may require better resourcing of projects to facilitate the employment of local residentsin work teams.

5. Document a case-study of the employment model used by Mission Australia forSustainability Victoria to give to other service providers. This is a good-practice model -replication should be encouraged.

Behaviour change and facilitation6. Put in place measures to improve the continuity of the program in some form once the

program has officially been completed with Sustainability Victoria. An example would bethe seeking of another funding source to continue the EWTF model, or the establishmentof a volunteer system to continue to provide information and support about energyefficiency to householders.

7. Post-project follow up with the householder would assist in identifying, consolidating and

reinforcing the message of behaviour change outcomes directly from the EWTF.

Community connectedness8. Greater involvement of the community in the planning and early stages of the project

would improve initial householder involvement, their engagement and broader communityunderstanding and commitment to the program.

9. Establishment of a process for handling concerns raised by householders or retrofitters,such as occupational health and safety concerns, householder needs due to illness orpoor quality housing, or issues which have arisen between a householder and landlordwhere permission to undertake energy improvements was not granted.

10. Greater connection between the EWTF and other government, NGO and communityprograms, such as the Victorian Government Best Start and the Federal Communities for

Children program, would enable a more systematic approach to community building inthe local area. Ideas to facilitate interaction include the sharing of workers and programmanagers and local program integration committees.


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11. Artificial boundaries to program sites such as down the middle of a street, should bediscouraged and natural community catchment boundaries used, such as major roads.

Community engagement12. Community consultation in development phase would better inform the community about

the program and improve the links with community leaders.13. A better outcome was easier to achieve where local residents were used in the program,

rather than using people who had to travel into the area.14. Advertising the program through the Office of Housing, Neighbourhood and Community

Renewal would give the program more legitimacy.15. Consider options for making an electrician or plumber available to address equity and

efficiency issues in relation to people whose homes are too old or in ill-repair to benefitfrom the EWTF.

Cultural awareness16. Cross-cultural training (including Indigenous cultural awareness) should be provided as

part of the traineeships.17. Greater embedding of the EWTF with other agency programs could include linking with

programs and activities which target the inclusion of migrant and refugee groups, as wellas local ethnic communities.

Legacy outcomes18. Capacity would be better developed where the project is delivered in partnership with the

community or a community organisation if a local NGO provider is not available19. Sustainability Victoria could itself make stronger links with other government departments,

thereby facilitating more community building opportunities. This could include thedevelopment of other social enterprises, linking with other programs and loan schemes,and stronger links with the Office of Housing.

20. A comprehensive audit, information provision and post-EWTF follow-up could be used tolink people to other programs offering energy and water efficiency products and services.

More signif icant changes

Trials could be undertaken to explore the value of various more significant program options,as suggested below.

21. A greater emphasis could be given to knowledge development of the householder aroundenergy efficiency and carbon mitigation. It is suggested that the trainees could largely beused for re-fitting and a more structured approach to behaviour change be undertakenby a person with greater energy efficiency knowledge.

22. An expansion of the number of contacts, through home visits or by telephone, withhouseholders who were part of the EWTF program, to re-enforce sustainable and

efficiency messages, answer queries and repair fixtures and work where needed.23. A greater emphasis on household self-directed efficiency approaches with less rigidity in

the type of fixtures and services offered. For example, if the householder was particularlyconcerned with being unable to water a household vegetable patch, then EWTF fundingcould be put towards the cost of a rainwater storage tank.

24. A much stronger link with other programs to ensure a total need approach to thehouseholder, in terms of community connectedness and other sustainability and socialprograms being undertaken in the area. Links with business and local government mayalso facilitate other householder needs, such as general house maintenance as well asprovide a greater range of experience, choice and future job options for the trainees.

25. Stronger Interim Labour Market type support could be given to trainees, with clear futurejob directions being supported.

26. A stronger emphasis on sustainability of the EWTF program (or a similar version) afterthe withdrawal of Sustainability Victoria.


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27. Particular attention given to the complexities of renting households to improve their abilityto participate in the program. This is likely to involve the development of informationabout what activities need permission from landlords, involvement of landlordorganisations to inform about the program and the benefits, and seek their involvementincluding information sharing with their members.

28. More intervention and services at the same houses to achieve sustainable change interms of personal empowerment, community connectedness, reduced carbon emissions

and greater adaptation.29. Integration with other Sustainability Victoria projects to decrease stigmatisation, such as

resource smart links to EWTF and other programs targeted to non-concessionhouseholds

30. Organisations could broaden the scope of products offered, such as water tanks, solarhot water and photovoltaic solar for a cluster of houses.


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2. Background

Climate changeThe present level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (385 ppm) is such that an impacton climate is being observed in the form of temperature rises, reduced rainfall and increased

evaporation in Victoria, and more severe storm conditions and sea level rises. These impactsare likely to increase in severity as the levels of greenhouse gasses rise over the comingyears. The response to climate change requires two closely aligned actions: mitigation ordirectly reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and adaptation orchanging behaviour to respond to the impacts of climate change. The better that mitigation isachieved, the less will be the adaptation task.

Climate change will have many social impacts. Higher temperatures will particularlyadversely impact on the aged, sick and infants, and also increase the risk of food spoilageand gastroenteritis. Other health risks include the spread of vector and water-borne diseases,exposure to solar radiation (skin cancer) and respiratory diseases, and mental health issuesrelating to depression and stress-related disorders. The greatest impact of climate change inthe near to medium future will be on the biological systems on which many humans aredependent (Lynch et al. 2008).

Water shortages will increase, making it increasingly difficult to meet household, industry,recreational and agricultural needs, as well as ecological requirements.Water shortages and a reduction of arable land in Victoria will lead to a rise in the price ofwater and food (Larsen et al. 2008). Policy which raises the price of carbon will lead to a risein energy prices. This will directly impact on households in their use of energy in the home forheating, cooking etc and for transport. It will also result in price rises through energyembedded costs, where the rises in energy prices for production will be passed on to end-point consumers.

Residential energy and water usageFigure 2.1 shows the average sources of energy use in an Australian household. Whiletransport is the highest energy use, hot water heating and use of appliances and electronicequipment also represents a high proportion of energy usage. A study commissioned by theFederal government examined residential energy consumption in Australia from 1986 to2005 and projected future use to 2020 (Energy Efficient Strategies 2008). They estimated a56 per cent increase residential energy consumption from 1990 to 2020. This is due to a 61per cent increase in occupied residential households. While energy use per household will bereduced by six per cent, personal energy use will increase by about 20 percent due to thedecline in the number of people per household.

Considerable energy and cost savings can be achieved through greater efficiency of energyuse, such as reducing the use of heating and cooling, and improvements to insulation and airsealing. Households could change their source of energy to one with lower emissions, suchas gas and solar. Maintaining and retrofitting old fridges, such as cleaning condenser coils,defrosting regularly, repairing door seals and adjusting the operating temperature is estimateto produce a cost saving of 25 per cent of operating costs (BSL 2007). Similarly, conversionfrom standard light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps produce an average annual savings ofabout $50 per household and national savings of 4 million tonnes of GHG emissions(DEWHA 2008).

Figure 2.1: Average sources of energy use in Australian households


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Source: Department of Sustainability and Environment (2007)

Victoria has been experiencing a significant reduction in rainfall with a resultant considerabledrop in stored water for residential use. The loss of storage capacity for Melbourne can beseen in Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2: Impact of water conservation and restrictions on Melbournes storage

levels

500 GL/Year Average370

GL

381

GL

410

GL

447

GL

443

GL

479

GL

439

GL

DEMAND:

Recorded storage levels Projected storage levels without conservation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

July/1996

July/1997

July/1998

July/1999

July/2000

July/2001

July/2002

July/2003

July/2004

July/2005

July/2006

July/2007

July/2008

July/2009

July/2010

Storagevolume/%

Source: Wallis et al. 2009

Cooking3%

Fridge & freezer 9%

Home heating &cooling

12%

Washing & dryingclothes, dishwashing

2%

Waste (landfill)5%

Hot water

17%

Electronic & other

appliances

16%

Transport 36%


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The figure compares actual annual water consumption to 1990s average of 500 GL/Year.Despite a population increase, demand reduction campaigns have managed to reduce usageby about 60 per cent in Melbournes residential sector (Birrell et al. 2009). If this reduction ofusage had not occurred, Melbournes storages would be at an estimated level of 11 per cent .Greater water saving measures can be encouraged, including taking shorter showers, theinstallation of low flush toilets, water catchment and tank systems, and grey water systems.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK have developed a list ofpriority behaviours for all households to reduce energy and water usage (Box 1) (DEFRA2006).

Box 2.1: Short list of priority behaviours

Have a household environmental audit

Tackle energy efficiency in the home: Install microgeneration Insulate

Buy energy efficiency appliances Install smart energy meter

Tackle water efficiency in the home: Install a water meter

Seek alternative transport for short trips (of less than 3 miles)

Avoid short-haul domestic and intra-EU flights

Use low carbon vehicles

Buy local and seasonal food (certified where possible)

Waste less food

Rely less on animal protein

Source: DEFRA, 2006, p. 23

Climate change and dis advantaged hou seholds

Climate change will impact on different people differently. The nature of the impact willdepend on factors external to their own situation and attributes such as the climate changeevent, the persons living location, sustainable practices in use, planning which has beenundertaken on their behalf, personal knowledge and resources available to assist with thistask.

Those at risk of social exclusion are also at risk of experiencing more adverse outcomesrelated to climate change. They have fewer resources to reduce their reliance on carbon-based products, they spend a higher proportion of their income on essentials such aselectricity and food than households with a higher income and they often lack informationabout climate change and adaptive options. There is also a risk that the costs of adaptationmay move people who are presently just managing, to a point where they begin to struggleand their broad vulnerabilities increase and well-being decreases. Climate change risksincreasing the number of Victorians in poverty, and reducing the well-being of those alreadystruggling to maintain an adequate living standard.

Thus, there is a need to establish targeted programs to assist those at risk of social exclusion

and poverty to:


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1. Reduce their use of carbon and to adapt to changing circumstances. This will facilitateinclusion, reduce a sense of powerlessness and helplessness, as well as reducegreenhouse gas emissions. It will also facilitate household well-being through costreductions due to energy and water efficiencies.

2. Provide information about climate change and likely impacts on themselves, the widersociety and the natural environment. Again this will improve inclusion in society andenable greater control over personal and perhaps community well-being.

3. Build the capacity of people to foster their well-being and resilience to enable them tobetter reduce their carbon use and adapt, such as being part of the labour market(improved income and networks) and making better health choices arising from highertemperatures.

4. Build the capacity of the local community to foster the development of social capital, toshape a community which is able to assist all members by becoming participatory andinclusive.

The Energy and Water Task For ce

The Victorian Government is undertaking a number of schemes to assist households to

reduce their carbon emissions and adapt to climate change. Recognising the barriers thatmay be present for those experiencing poverty and at risk of social exclusion, theGovernment has introduced a number of schemes particularly targeting these groups, one ofwhich is the Energy and Water Taskforce.

The EWTF has been operating since 2003. The scheme has been initiated and completed in31 Victorian sites covering 5,500 households, with an additional eight sites presentlyoperating or just about to commence. The chosen sites are identified as having clusters ofpeople with a low income. Commonly these sites are co-located or close to sites with aVictorian Government Neighbourhood Renewal program. The Bendigo and Shepparton sitestarget farmers receiving exceptional circumstances payments.

The program at the sites is facilitated through welfare non-government organisations. Theyselect and train energy assessors and installers and an administrative support person frompeople who have experienced barriers to obtaining employment. Households are usuallyrecruited by the work team or one or two local residents given this role, the criteria forinvolvement being entitlement to a Health Benefits card. Each household can receiveapproximately $300 worth of energy and water efficiency products or services, including aplumber, if necessary. According to Quantum (2007), the most common products andservices provided were:

Installation of energy efficient light globes in the main living areas Door weather strips and draught stoppers Low flow shower roses Fixing leaking taps Blinds or curtains for one or two windows in the main living areas

Less common was the provision of pelmet boxes, lagging for water pipes, roof insulation andfilling wall and window gaps. Thus, the EWTF scheme has the unique quality of not requiringa monetary contribution from the householder. Information and brochures on energyefficiency is given to the householder.

Program review

Quantum Market Research undertook a review of the program in October 2007, aiming tounderstand the impact of the 2006/7 Energy and Water Task Force program on householdersatisfaction, and to identify skills and knowledge gained by the work team members. A


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summary of the findings is as they reported, shown in Box 1. Sustainability Victoria (2009)also report that over 60% of the work team participants find work as a result or take upfurther studies.

Box 2.2: Summary of findings about the EWTF from Quantum Market Research

Source: Quantum 2007

The Energy and Water Taskforce Project continues to be strongly supported andappreciated with both work team members and householders highly complimentary in theirpraise of the program

The project continues to meet or exceed expectations of participantso 89% of all households seeing the outcome of their retrofit positively consistent

with the two previous waves of researcho 93% of all households were at least satisfied with the quality of the completed job

In 2007 householders indicate that they took part in the project to:o Save energy - 28%o Save water 26%o Save money 24%

Many also took part due to the recommendations of others - 26%

There has been a recognisable and attributable change in both attitudes and actions as theresult of the retrofit:

o Householders are generally noticing a decrease in their energy and water billso Householders indicate that their house is not only warmer but more comfortable in

wintero Householders are more conscious of turning off lights, heating the house less and

taking shorter showers The comprehensiveness and amount of fittings installed are positively regarded and few (if

any) households report subsequently altering their fittings once installed Work teams were well received by householders with 94% of householders satisfied with

all facets of their workmanship, service and friendliness.


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3. Purpose and method

PurposeThis project aims to undertake an evaluation to identify the extent to which the EWTF has,and is, influencing community connectedness, engagement and other social dimensions.

The areas of interest examined in this research are: Employment skills and vocational benefits Behaviour change and facilitation Community connectedness Community engagement Cultural awareness and community cohesion Legacy outcomes

The populations of interest in this research are: Householders

EWTF Service Providers EWTF work team members and management Other Community stakeholders (eg: Neighbourhood Renewal workers)

MethodThe method adopted for this evaluation accounts for the exploratory nature of the studyexamining benefits that have not been initially built into the program design. The programlogic for the research is shown in Appendix 1.

The project included the following steps:

Stage 1

Sustainabi l i ty Victor ia cons ultat ion and l i terature reviewConsultation took place with Sustainability Victoria to refine the task, decide the evaluationsites and ascertain the availability of information, such as contacts for households, presentand past EWTF employees and responsible and associated organisations. A summaryliterature review was undertaken which reflects the key research questions and identifiescomparability and benchmarks for examination in the EWTF research.

Stage 2 Stakeholder meetings

Stakeholder meetings were held at five EWTF sites: Heathcote (13 May) Heidelberg West, Reservoir East, East Preston (20 May)

Rosebud West (22 May and 17 June) Werribee (26 June)

The people in attendance at the meetings represent the views of: Program providers / managers Work team trainees Administration trainees Household recruiters Community workers Householders

The answers sought in the Stakeholder meetings are shown in Appendix 2.

Table 1 shows the sites visited by the researchers.


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4. Literature background and indicators

Community connectednessThe role of community in personal well-being is increasingly understood to be important,although research remains limited (Shields & Wooden 2003). Two key concepts, social

capital and community strengthening, have become an increasingly important part of theinternational social policy debate in recent years, particularly in the US and Australia.However, the terms are used loosely, encompassing quite a few ideas but lacking conceptualclarity.

One way to view community connectedness is to also include concepts of social capital. Itcould be said that social capital relates to a personal state, while community connectedness,like community strengthening, relates to the combined outcome of social capital. In general,social capital refers to the development of reciprocity, social networks and trust betweenpeople (Putnam 1995). Community strengthening occurs where a sense of neighbourhooddevelops between individuals, families and organisations. This happens when peoplebecome actively engaged in the community. They feel socially connected, may becomevolunteers or leaders, and a sense of community pride is established (Vinson 2004). A senseof belonging develops, along with emotional connection with the community.

Like financial capital and human capital (education/training), social capital and communitystrengthening build resources, but in the form of personal and community capacity, whichpromotes personal well-being and builds the capacity to overcome adversity. Following anextensive literature review, Black and Hughes (2001, p.31) conclude that communitystrengthening is:

the extent to which all resources and processes within a community maintain andenhance both individual and collective wellbeing in ways consistent with the principles

of equity, comprehensiveness, participation, self-reliance and social responsibility.

They explain that equity refers to equality of opportunity, comprehensiveness refers to anequal balance of the aspects of well-being for the individual and community, participationrefers to the sense that people have a say in decisions which impact on them, and self-reliance and social responsibility recognise the interdependence with other communities.

Putnam extends the concept of social capital to that which is associated with civicengagement in communities, towns and even nations. He argues that where social capitalexists, there is better community functioning and well-being. Cox (1995) links social capitalwith social cohesion. Giddens (1991) relates it to the concept of the third way or thedevelopment of institutional and cultural systems which enable access to social participation

of all members of society.

The Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD, formerly theDepartment of Victorian Communities, DVC) views strong communities:

as those endowed with social, economic and environmental assets andorganisational structures that work towards their sustainable use and equitabledistribution. Strong communities are built by community members who are engaged,participate, feel capable of working through problems and are supported by strongnetworks (DVC 2005, p.5).

The literature says little about what specifically facilitates the creation of a strong community

and what a strong community may look like, although there is some consideration of whatcomponents are needed in creating strong communities.


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The DVC has undertaken significant exploration of the concept and measures of communitystrength (2005, Pope 2006). The Australian Government now measures social capital,having reviewed and developed a raft of indicators (ABS 2006). The Victorian GovernmentIndicators of Community Strength are based on the notion that people will derive benefitsfrom participation in three types of social networks (Pope, 2006, p.5);

Close personal networks (family, close friends) to provide support, practical help,contacts and resources.

Associational and community networks (such as clubs, schools, workplaces andinterest groups) to provide a wider pool to draw the benefits of close networks from,provide positive community attitudes and norms and assist in the spreading ofinformation and innovation.

Governance networks (connection with institutions) to improve democraticorganisation of assets and services.

They have found relationships between high levels of social isolation and low levels ofpeople feeling valued by society or participating in organised groups. There was found to bevariation by locality, but importantly the groups identified as most likely to be experiencingnetwork barriers or deficiencies were people on low incomes, unemployed, living in public

housing or non-English speaking at home. It was also found that people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage are more likely to be reliant on personal networks and to havelimited associational or governance networks. Pope further suggests they are locked out ofparticipation in institutions that support the development of these types of networks. This hasa negative impact on the ability of the community to gain access to services, facilities anddecision making.

DVC have found that in communities with lower rates of volunteering, there are also lowerrates of attendance at community events, membership of organised groups, parentalparticipation in schools and people on decision making boards.

Non-volunteers are more likely to be men; young people; overseas born; non-English

speaking at home; those on low incomes; and public housing tenants (Pope 2006,p.12)

Areas with high rates of residents participating in governance networks were found to bemore likely to have high rates of people who have participated in other groups, are notsocially isolated and like living in their local area. The groups least likely to have participate indecision making boards and committees are women, young people, public housing tenants,those born overseas and the non-English speaking at home.

In South Australian measures developed for Local Government areas, a relationship wasalso found between the indicators of community strength and socio-economicadvantage/disadvantage with areas of high socio-economic strength tending to score high

across the range of community strength indicators (Starr et al. 2007, p.6).

Community engagementWhile notions of community development and participation were current in the late 1970sand early 1980s, these concepts became side-lined from policy and practice, until a morerecent revival of interest.Arnsteins important ladder of citizen participation was published in1971. She proposes eight levels of participation, ranging from non-participation, throughdegrees of tokenism to true participation and citizen power. There has been considerablework and production of similar models since (see for example, International Association forPublic Participation 2005). Community engagement is often viewed as participation beyond

consultation, offering in-depth deliberation and dialogue (Department of Labour 2004).


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It is argued that public policy nationally and internationally appears to be undergoing asignificant reconceptualisation in terms of citizen engagement (Reddel & Woolcock 2004). Aswith other concepts of community, there is variability as to how the notion of engagement isunderstood. Much of the literature on community engagement views the purpose ofcommunity engagement as developing public policy. As can be seen in the discussion above,community engagement is also viewed as part of a strong community. This is where thepurpose of the engagement is more to build capacity, networks, contacts and the ability to be

resilient and self-reliance. Empowering communities and community engagement is bestundertaken at the local level including local networks of service providers, resident actiongroups, local government and local businesses and community members (Reddel &Woolcock 2004).

This side of community engagement is an important component of the strengtheningcommunity programs within current Governments, such as the Federal Government withprograms such as Communities for Children, and the Victorian Government with programssuch as Community Renewal, undertaken by the Department of Planning and CommunityDevelopment.

As noted by the Department of Labour (2004), the ability to engage with a community is botha science and an art. Theories of human behaviour combine with understanding andsensitivity to apply the science to meet specific purposes and needs. Building collaborativerelationships and developing trust are critical elements for successful communityengagement as is ongoing good communication, ways of sustaining commitment withbenefits for all participants and allowing the community to set the pace.

Cultural awareness and community cohesion

Cultural awareness entails an understanding of how a persons culture may inform theirvalues, behaviour, beliefs and basic assumptions (Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing

2009). Community cohesion occurs when people accept difference, whether it is from culturalor other origins. It occurs when people from different backgrounds have similar lifeopportunities, people know their rights and responsibilities and when people trust oneanother and trusting local institutions to act fairly (Institute of Community Cohesion 2009).

Tolerance of diversity is linked to social capital and there is significant crossover in theindicators used for measurement of both by the Victorian DPCD and the ABS. For example,both are measured by high levels of those who:

Feel multiculturalism makes life in the area better (Pope 2006) Strongly agree that Australian society is enriched by people coming to live here from

other countries (ABS 2004) Enjoy living among people of different lifestyles (ABS 2004)

Promoting a sense of belonging in the community and the extent of cross cultural interactionalso reinforce community cohesion (Institute of Community Cohesion 2009).

The development of social capital and the ability to draw on community strengths is importantin the ability to adapt to climate change. Social capital brings with it a capability to gainaccess to resources and to enhance well-being (Bebbington 1999).

Summary of IndicatorsTable 2 gives a summary of the type of information sought which would indicate theparticular attribute being present.


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Box 4.1: Summary of Indicators

Employment skills and vocational benefitsThe presence of confidence, trade skills, communication skills, good customer serviceawareness and job procurement, in past EWTF employees. Exploration of pre/ postemployment goals of work team members.Behaviour change and facilitationExploration of unanticipated community level impacts, evidence that the program isencouraging the household to understand and assisting them to put in place other energyand water saving measures.Community connectednessThe presence of community strength, a sense of community and social capital: networks,trust and reciprocity.Community engagementInclusion of local residents in work teams, experience of local residents in work teams andmore broadly in the projectCultural awareness and community cohesion

The presence of different cultural groups in the program, experience of interaction betweendifferent cultural groups of householders and experience of interaction between differentcultural groups of local residents in work teams.Legacy outcomesExploration of capacity built into EWTF Service Providers.


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5. Findings

The findings are outlined below. The program logic and research questions for the key topicsaddressed are outlined in Appendix 1.

Operational issuesWhilst this research is not an evaluation of the effectiveness of the delivery of the project,feedback has been provided to the researchers that should be passed on for the purposes ofimproving the delivery of the EWTF.

High level of s at isfact ion

Overall householders were very satisfied with the EWTF. One household recruitercommented there was a:

high level of satisfaction 99.9% satisfied which says a lot for the work team, youwould expect more complaints when people are going in to homes.

A small number of people were dissatisfied with breakages of lights and taps, unfinishedwork and poor communication and follow up. One person said they would like the samepeople to return to their home, rather than different people coming for different parts of theprocess.

Householder recrui tment

The impact of the service being promoted as free has had both positive and negative impactson uptake. In some cases it has added to the suspicion people have had about the legitimacyof the project and in some cases worked as a deterrent to uptake. For example onehousehold recruiter explained:

Once people understand that it is a government provided service with no stringsattached, the fact that it is free has been a big positive.

Visib i l i ty of service

It has been indicated that the work of the EWTF is invisible in communities because ithappens in private homes. A number of suggestions were made about ways to improve thevisibility of the service including:

Signage for the household-recruiters car Signage for homes (to stick on letterbox or in a front window), such as this is an

energy efficient home Uniform for the working team

On one site the working team was also working on a landscape gardening program. It wascommented that it was easier to see an immediate improvement with this.

Incomp lete service

A number of people reported that the service was not completed citing the following itemsremaining unaddressed or not provided:

A compost bin The toilet was still leaking The electrician didnt come to fix light on porch The showerhead was not fixed


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Household recrui ters

There was significant variation between project sites in the success of the householdrecruiter model. In some it had worked very well and the role had gone beyond recruitment toEWTF and provided a wide range of community networking outcomes. In some projects thework was felt to be too much for the recruiters involved, one example being a day when arecruiter door-knocked 200 homes but only found three eligible people. Some communities

were more receptive to door-knocking than others.

The view was expressed that some improvement could be made to the process for engaginghousehold recruiters so that people are clear about the skills needed and the role they wouldbe undertaking.

We definitely should have had more Recruiters to make a difference

Equity issues

A small number of examples were provided of peoples homes being too old or in poor repairfor them to be able to benefit from some aspects of the EWTF. For example, in some homes,the wiring in the roof was too degraded for insulation to be safely installed, in another the

taps were too old to be fitted with new washers. These people may be the most in need ofenergy and water saving equipment. As one person explained:

I think things went in to their too hard basket when they realised how bad thingswere [in my home].

Rental properties also proved to add complications to service provision, such that in somesites, where it was known that the property was rented, they were not offered a service bythe EWTF recruiters.

Stress and organisat ional culture

The researchers were aware of organisational and cultural differences between sites whichhad an impact on site outcomes. These issues included factors such as pressures from workand work load, and experience and discipline orientation of site managers.

Employment skills and vocational outcomesA number of work skills were identified as having been gained by work team membersacross projects. The emphasis on these skills varied between sites and people according topre-existing knowledge and abilities. The range of skills obtained included:

Safe and effective use of tools including ladders, hammers, measuring equipmentand saws

Understanding of social and customer service skills needed for work in peopleshomes

Office and small business administration skills Pre-vocational skills including confidence and work readiness. This was described by

one person as feeling more able to speak up Ability to deal with a range of people, particularly people who were difficult. Trainees

noted that they felt trained and supported to deal with a:

diversity of people from nice to nutcase

It was noted that there was a high level of satisfaction:

people are 99.9% satisfied which says a lot for the work team, you would expectmore complaints when people are going in to homes.


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For some people, personal goals relating to health and housing were achieved. This willassist them in moving towards employment in the future. Other trainees did not feel that theywere developing new skills in addition to those they already had.

The key factors promoting the development of work skills were identified as: Provision of on the job training (not classroom based) Mentoring Good understanding of the needs of the trainees by managers and leading hands Flexibility in the project eg: some trainees were sole parents and have found it difficult

to get work in the past during school hours or to access child care outside of schoolhours. The flexibility of the EWTF was valuable for them.

Skills development pitched at the right level (neither too hard or too easy) Working in something that feels worthwhile and of benefit to ones community

Success factors that were provided in some projects (but not all) included: Personal support provided for addressing issues outside of work A good support network for trainees team leader (mentoring role), personal support

worker, TAFE, industry support. As one trainee described it:

a bit of everything all rolled in to one

Training courses made available to trainees (variable across projects) included: Home auditing Certificate II general construction Insulation Administration traineeship

Scope for improvementPost-placement support to work-team members was variable and depends on the enterprisemodel provided in each Community Service Organisation. Improvements that could be madeto some projects include:

Clear communication about the support that will be provided to trainees to gainemployment

Provision of additional support to link trainees into employment or further training

Vocational benefitsVocational benefits were variable across projects. Some trainees felt they had improved theirunderstanding of the jobs available in the green economy. This was reinforced by a programmanager from one project commenting:

Trainees now know what would be involved in this type of work.

Some trainees were confident they would obtain employment at the end of the project andsome had been offered employment in similar fields prior to completion of the EWTF. Anumber of the administration trainees had secured ongoing employment in the organisationdelivering the program. Others were less clear about what employment opportunities therewould be and what support would be provided to them to secure ongoing employment.

The areas people have moved into employment in are: Administration Household energy efficiency Construction labouring Landscaping Fork lift driving Warehousing


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Personal care work

One person explained that for him:

EWTF has been a good go-between while there arent many jobs in landscaping,good to bring in income and hone my skills in the energy industry.

For another group of trainees the EWTF had brought an unanticipated opportunity:

The team did an insulation course and two weeks later we were offered work with aninsulation companypeople phoned us up. Its not usually that you get people callingyou for a job, its usually the other way around.

Behaviour change and facilitation

Changing behaviour and making it possib le

A large number of examples have been provided from householders about ways in which the

work of the EWTF has caused them, or members of their household to change their energyand water use behaviour. The key values of the EWTF are in the way the program hasassisted people to achieve their energy and water saving goals and the reinforcement ofenvironmental messages prevalent in the community. This was achieved through instigatingnew behaviour with the provision of new knowledge and assisting people to adopt theirdesired changes through the practical provision of resources labour and products.

Many households had been saving energy and water before their involvement with theEWTF. For these people in particular, the program was beneficial in assisting them toachieve goals they had identified but had been unable to reach due to a lack of skills orresources to make change in their homes. This includes people unable to do the workthemselves due to illness or disability. For example:

I had been gradually putting water and energy saving systems in place, however, asI am on a pension I had to implement things slowly, when I could afford to.

I read and hear of new things but can never afford them.

My husband is sick and couldnt manage to do this.

The work completed by the plumber was especially valued by numerous people whoidentified they are unable to afford the cost of plumbing services to fix leaks. In onecommunity, the recruiter identified that about five of the 160 households he contacted had

already installed all the measures offered through the EWTF.

The information and measurement devices provided as part of the EWTF have had variableuptake and value for householders. Some people have changed the setting on their fridgeafter measuring the temperature and some people have used the shower-timer to assistthem to take shorter showers. Examples include:

Thermometers for the refrigerator were great. I monitor my fridge all the time so that I

only have it on as high as it needs to be.

I have a teenage daughter and she takes very long showers, but the timer, now she

uses that and gets out straight away.


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Another parent felt the presence of the EWTF work team in her home had added support toher requests to her children to be more energy conscious. This had led to more energyefficient behaviour from them. One person explained:

The new energy saving lights come on as dim initially. This has increased myawareness of flicking lights on for a short time. Now I try not to turn on a light unless Ireally need it for a longer period of time.

Another person explained that although the EWTF only had one type of replacement globewhich did not suit all his lights, the changing of some had motivated him to go and purchaseenergy saving bulbs for his other lights. The draught excluders had helped one person turndown the heat and had a noticeable impact on keeping room temperatures constant formany participants. Some people mentioned the tip-sheets but were unable to recall what thetips were. Two people explained that they had been shown by the work team how to readtheir own water meter and how to identify if there were leaks in their system.

People indicated that energy and water saving messages are prevalent in our community(especially at schools) and felt the EWTF reinforced this message for householders. Peoplefrom one community were observed by the household recruiter to have attended an energyand water saving expo held in a suburb 30 minutes drive from their homes. This suggests theEWTF may have motivated people to seek additional information and services for energyand water saving.

A number of people stated that the service fees on water bills are increasing rapidly and asthis cost cannot be affected by constraining water use, acts as a significant disincentive towater saving. Additionally, people found it difficult to calculate the saving from the EWTF asthe prices had gone up so much they were unable to compare to last years bills. Similarcomments were made about the proposed increases in the price of energy. Commentsrepresenting the views of many in the discussion groups include:

we save every possible way and yet I get another tax and pay the same servicefees as others who use heaps.

Water being dear does not discourage its use. It just angers us.

People expresses interest in the following water and energy efficiency products: water tanks solar hot water panels solar photovoltaic panels dual flush toilets.

One person identified that because of his low income, he was unable to access resources

such as subsidies for bigger items such as solar hot water or water tanks. He explained:

I would love to go to a workshop to build my own tanks. They talk about retireeshaving time to build things but I have no money or opportunity to do this.

A few people in one of the discussion groups appeared to not understand the connectionbetween the program and the need to reduce their energy usage. The program wasunderstood totally in terms of cost savings to them. However, this was not clearly obvious tosome people either because of the rise in the cost of energy and water usage.

Improvements

The key suggestions from stakeholders for improvement of the EWTF relate to informationprovision and post retrofit follow-up. Some householders were unclear about what had beenrecommended in the home audit and what they were entitled to. Some were also unclearabout follow-up arrangements for workers returning to complete the retrofit. Leaving a copy


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of the home audit with the householder would clarify the process and also provide anopportunity to reinforce energy and water saving messages.

Some householders also felt that practical demonstrations of how energy and water savingdevices worked would improve uptake and appropriate use of these items. Post-retrofit followup would have the following benefits:

Review of retrofit work and follow-up on unfinished work or things that need alteration

/ fixing Reinforcement of energy and water saving messages Ability to identify ongoing, unaddressed or further barriers householders are

experiencing in saving energy and water. Information could be provided at this pointabout further resources to address these barriers (eg: new schemes, rebates, greenloans or micro-finance).

Post-retrofit follow up delivered in a social enterprise model would provide an opportunity forcommunity development skills training. It could also be provided by people wanting tovolunteer in an environmental project.

Community connectednessSocial and community connectedness occurred in the program design through residentsbeing linked to the EWTF project team, to community services and to each other. Evaluationresults also demonstrate the potential for the EWTF to link people to broader conceptions ofcommunity through empowering them to understand and act on the global issue of climatechange.

Residents lin king to th e EWTF project team

In one area, people were happy that someone was paying attention to their community. Workteam members became known in some communities, for example in one site conversational

exchanges took place between the workers and local residents at the local bakery atlunchtime. They also became welcome visitors for isolated elderly as demonstrated by thefollowing observation:

They love having a bloke in for a cup of teaJust that whole warm and fuzzy stuff.Weve had quite a bit of people just happy for company.

Residents l inking to each other

The EWTF project created opportunities for residents to link to one-another through word-of-mouth information sharing as demonstrated in the following comments:

can you leave a brochure as the old lady across the road is out

people are proud to tell others of their environmental choice and to share thatopportunity with others

They have also been linked through the development of community pride, for example:

Doing up Heidelberg, the Bronx [a derogatory descriptor for a suburb] theimprovements in the community are really good.

The fact that uptake was much higher in the second round suggests development ofcommunity pride people are happy with the work and want to share [the opportunity]with neighbours.

[This community] has a reputation for being the poorest area. We want to build it up.


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Residents l inking to comm unity services

The door-to-door recruiter in one project is also a volunteer with Community Renewal.People would tell him about issues and he would connect them in to the Community Renewalproject. For example, a resident with an interest in speed-humps was advised of theupcoming Community Renewal traffic meeting where this issue could be raised. The samerecruiter was also able to pass on information about community services to a family in need

of support.

Links were also made in one community to the CFA. The benefit of this to householders wasindicated by their wish to have their research expenses reimbursement donated to the CFA.

Where the EWTF was delivered from a community house, this provided the opportunity forpeople engaged with the house to learn about the EWTF and for people involved with theEWTF to also become aware and involved with other activities in their community.

I came [to the neighbourhood house] to express my concern at school kids knockingon my door then running away. I am stunned by how much this House does. It isamazing.

In one community, links were made to the council composting service and compost binswere taken up by 90% of EWTF participants.

Yes it has for me because no-one has been shut out. I feel included because peopleout there have thought about my situation

It is interesting to observe that existing feelings of community connection appeared to assistthe EWTF program. Commonly, the location of service providers offices was at a communityhouse/centre. Often it was apparent that the prior and concurrent work on other communityprojects had already built trust and connections with householders who were then more ableto accept and participate in the EWTF program. The connections with other programs, such

as Community Renewal facilitated synergies and the impacts compounded, the combinedeffort further building observable signs of social capital and community connections. In somesites there was a feeling of pride and ownership of the meeting space being occupied.

It was apparent that leadership, and the culture and context of the EWTF program,influenced how community connectedness values were imparted at the site. The approachwhich more closely integrated the EWTF program into other schemes at the site appeared tooffer greater flexibility in approach. This in turn facilitated broad complementarities acrossprograms and seemed to achieve more outcomes in the area of community capacity.

Bui ld ing on communi ty connectedness

There was significant variation in the delivery of the program between sites. Part of thisvariation related to whether or not the service provider is a locally known service that isconnected to other community services in the area. Where the provider moved into an areafor the EWTF program only, the local community felt more disconnection from the program.The view was expressed that there would have been improved if there had been involvementof the community in the planning and early stages of the project. It was felt this wouldimprove:

The uptake of the project in the local community. The site had difficulty obtaininghouseholds for the program although the researchers were advised by a local thatthere were many people in need of the service.

recruitment of locals to the work team

linkages between the work team and the community


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support for households identified as at-risk; there had been some households thecrew did not return to because of OH&S issues, but these households were notoffered any further support

opportunities for other community groups to piggyback on to the project, for exampleLions or Rotary could have assisted with maintenance needs outside the scope of theEWTF, or have taken on the model to continue after the end of EWTF. There was awillingness to organise this, but felt there was a lack of opportunity as the EWTFcame and went from the area.

Job opportunities for the workers once the EWTF program was completed. It was feltthat having the trainees travel from a neighbouring area resulted in a lost opportunityfor future employment as a handyman at the EWTF site area. The trainees were notembedded in the local community and therefore not in a good position to pick up onthe job opportunity.

Examples of how the program could be better embedded in the community were suggested.It was felt that a launch meeting / celebration / BBQ would draw people and organisations into the project. It was felt that this would be best targeted at service providers, who would thenpass information on to residents they are connected with.

There was a need identified in some projects for a process for passing on concerns raised byhouseholders, for example OH&S concerns, householder support concerns or an issue thatarose between a householder and landlord. There is support available to address theseissues but as there was no process for raising / follow-up they were left unaddressed.

Improved connectedness between Government departments was also identified as importantto sustain the impact of the EWTF. For example in one community, residents explained thefollowing:

The Ministry (sic) of Housing strip a house when there is to be a new tenant. Theywill rip all these fittings out and even charge us if they need to do extra such as

remove fittings that we have installed. They will take off draught excluders to return itto its original state. They will even throw out new curtains.

As Sustainability Victoria has an agreement with the Office of Housing in relation torecognition of retrofit works, this comment is either a misconception or the agreement is notbeing recognised at this regional level.

Given the high-profile of climate change and climate change adaptation and amelioration,some people felt that there are further opportunities to connect residents to community actionon climate change through EWTF. People felt the marketing and delivery of the programcould be modified to draw out the environmental benefits of participation and to reinforce thecontribution people are making to climate change amelioration.

Community engagement

Part ic ipat ion of loc al residents in the project

Across the projects reviewed, there was a similar pattern of recruitment, commonly with aslow start-up phase, with the ease of obtaining full subscription varying over sites. Thefactors facilitating recruitment included:

The recruiter who door-knocked and was a resident and active in his community Knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment to the EWTF program

Work teams being visible in the street so people can ask them about the project The service provider being a locally known organization and association with other

locally known programs, such as Community Renewal


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Promotion of the program to community organisations such as health centres andschools

Promotion in local press, such as Council magazines and Community/Neighbourhood Renewal newsletters

Letter-box drops

Barriers to participation of residents in the project included:

Some office of housing residents felt the EWTF was an opportunity to take a sneaklook at their homes. Others were unclear about whether they had permission toparticipate in the program.

A lack of knowledge about the value of energy efficiency A recruitment letter that was too complicated and was discarded by some

householders

The letter was too complex. I threw it out at first.

Lack of local residents in service delivery team Language barriers

People missed out if they werent home when the door-knocker came Some people were dubious about letting men in to their home Delays in project delivery (eg: blinds) erode the capacity of organisations to deliver

Part ic ipat ion of lo cal residents in the work team

Results for this objective were variable. In the city projects, a number of local residents wereemployed in the work team, however in the outer urban and rural areas, this was notachieved. The impacts of this on community connectedness are described above. Whilst nothaving been achieved in some areas, participation of local residents was definitely anobjective that was valued in communities, as expressed by one householder below:

It is great that people doing fit-outs are local; it would be good to find someone from[this community].

Developing tru st , reciproc i ty and a sense of neighbou rhood

In general, people felt these were not outcomes of the EWTF. Some of the barriers peoplesaw to the development of a sense of community through EWTF included:

It is a project that operates within households, so is not visible in the community People dont know the other households who were involved Less built up areas, or areas with high absentee owners have less interchange

between neighbours, for example:

I am on a bend in my street and I dont see anyone else in the street on either side.

Recruiters were constrained by their inability to enter homes (for OH&S reasons) theyfelt this diminished the capacity to build connections, for example:

Opportunities were missed, especially with older residents who wanted to sit and

chat about the program.

The input of volunteers and community leaders was not maximised across all projects,

for example one service provider commented:

Volunteers and leaders are an untapped resource in the EWTF.


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Cultural awareness and community cohesionIn some sites where there are few refugees or recently arrived migrants in the community, itwas felt this aim was not relevant to their project. In Culturally and Linguistically Diversecommunities, some people felt the EWTF had not improved cultural awareness, largelybecause it was not seen as a purpose of the program. Language barriers were alsoexperienced in communication with householders. Some trainees spoke community

languages and were able to assist in this case; some were discriminated against by Englishspeakers. For example, one of the bookings officers had English as second language whohad multiple experiences when cold-calling people to arrange bookings, of people hangingup on him. The team wondered whether racism or language barriers had been the cause,however on investigation, on one occasion the reason related to a householders belief thatthe booking officer was from an Indian call-centre.

Trainees in one project explained they had received some basic cultural awareness trainingin one of the courses they did at Holmesglen TAFE, however this was not present in thetraining provided by Sustainability Victoria. Despite this, in one site with wide culturaldiversity, observations of group interactions suggested good cohesion was present. Thisextended to participants with a disability who were seen to be accepted and included in the

group interactions.

Understood more broadly, cultural awareness may also relate to the interactions betweenpermanent residents and holiday-makers in one area included in this research. Littleinteraction occurs between these two groups and it appears that there is some antagonismtoward holiday-home owners by residents, in part due to the presence of high numbers offrequently unoccupied houses, estimated to be one in three houses, and the impact this hason the community. The possibilities brought about by engaging holiday-home owners inenergy and water saving could be immense, for example vacant holiday homes with runningfridges and hot water services. At the same time engaging permanent residents with holidaymakers would also be likely to have a positive impact on community connectedness. Theadded difficulties of involving this group are acknowledged.

ImprovementsThere is support from program providers that the inclusion of cultural awareness (includingIndigenous cultural awareness) training would be beneficial to work teams. This would bringimprovements to the delivery of the program and would be an asset to the trainees who arebuilding their careers.

Legacy outcomes

Organisational capacity development

Organisations felt their work with the EWTF had raised the profile of environmentalism andthe ability to deliver environmental programs within their organisation. Some organisationsfelt that their community strengthening objectives were shared by Sustainability Victoria andthat by delivering the EWTF in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, both organisationswere able to achieve these objectives. Service providers felt capacity was developed both forthe Community Service Organisations and Sustainability Victoria. For example:

the reputation of [the CSO] was a good selling point to get people signed up.

Organisations were looking to the program to develop ideas and had developed otherenvironmental initiatives such as a sustainable living centre and other retrofitting programs.One organisation identified that they would broaden the environmental scope of their social

enterprises (eg: water tanks, solar hot water, photovoltaic electricity) but would need a bigenough contract to make it viable.


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Findings from the provider SurveyInformation was available from five of the seven sites which had completed an EWTFprogram since 2007. These sites were managed by two service provider organisations. Oneunreturned questionnaire was due to a loss of knowledge about the program as the facilitatorhas changed jobs. The following outcomes were reported by the service provider.

Major benef its and pos sib le impr ovements to the EWTF programThe major benefits to the provider organisation centred on the ability to provide employmenttraining and employment outcomes to the local community and the ability to have communityinvolvement and facilitate social inclusion. The ability to be flexible around the delivery of theproject was also seen as of benefit to the delivery organisation.

The major benefits to householders were seen in terms of financial benefits in relation to thefree receipt of goods and reduced operating costs, as well as improved comfort. Theopportunity to be involved, being able to take action on water and energy efficiencies, tolearn about energy saving and engage with agency staff and have a feeling of socialinclusion, was also seen as a major benefit of the EWTF program.

The major benefit to the local community again reflected the above themes. Responsestalked about the importance of employment opportunities and skill training as well as sharingknowledge, feeling connectedness in the community, included and the community beingworthwhile. One respondent talked particularly about the development of pride.

Recruitment of households was defined as a major difficulty in the program. People showedinitial apprehension in relation to belief that the service was free, people entering their homesand language barriers. The fact that the recruiter was a volunteer also compounded thedifficulties in including households in some sites. These sites were not permitted to advertisein the media and the inability to promote the project this way hampered [the project] somuch. However, following permission to advertise in the media, the program was inundated

with householder enquiries highlighting the interest/need within the community.

A number of suggestions around improvements to the program were made. These wereextensions of the program to include information to primary and secondary students, andextending the program to concession card holders who live outside the NeighbourhoodRenewal areas. It was suggested that a packaged program be developed for the trainees. Asurvey of residents was suggested, asked what they were looking for in/out of theircommunity. The importance of agency staff willing to do extra tasks to support the programwas noted as being important.

Trainees

The seven sites for which there was a response had trained about 76 trainees since 2003.

Approximately three-quarters are male, ranging in age from 16 to 57 years of age. Onlyabout 12 of the trainees were from a CALD community. Nearly all of these trainees weredrawn from the site locale. A range of factors were seen to facilitate skill development of thetrainees: practical experience in real-life situations, support and mentoring, repetitive tasks, asupported work environment, resources and stability. The trainees also took a range ofcourses including in construction, transport, health and safety and first aide.

Barriers to their progress included issues such as language and literacy barriers, personalsituations such as lifestyle, workplace culture, peers and family issues. Prior experiences ofunpaid work and training reduced motivation in some trainees, resulting in absenteeism andfractured training.

One organisation was unsure of the impact of the program on assisting trainees to becomemore engaged with their communities, however it was noted that peers encouraged eachother to participate in local sport. The other organisation was clearer that outcomes in terms


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of pride and confidence gained by the trainees assisted social interaction across a widerange of community members.

The program proved very successful in assisting the trainees to move to other employment(76%) or further education, with only about 10% leaving without these options. Jobs werecommonly in the construction industry, but also included customer service/sales, carpentryapprenticeships, furniture removal, labouring, truck driving and truck jockey. Other benefits

experienced by the trainees included improved budgeting and financial inclusion, stabilitywith housing, a decrease in pre-existing health issues and an increase in physical fitness.


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6. Discussion, conclusions and recommendations

Reflection on the research process

As it was the first time all stakeholders were drawn together for a discussion about the

program, this review in itself had a community building impact. The opportunity to talk aboutthe program was welcomed and resolutions made:

I dont know any others who were involved until today

I just hope that our feedback does not dissipate into nothing.

I am going to write a letter to the local paper to prompt the government to think ofpensioners and their difficulty with costs.

There was a request to Sustainability Victoria to publish statistics on EWTF water and energysavings and changes to inspire other areas to undertake similar programs.

Community connectedness and the need to respond to climatechangeIncreasingly there is recognition of the importance of links between community andenvironmental well-being. The importance of strong communities for well-being is now wellintegrated in government policy. The last few years has seen a rapid development ofenvironmental programs, including those which are based on equity grounds to facilitate theinclusion and participation of those with a low income and who are at risk of social exclusion.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is important in creatingenvironmental change through community engagement in the UK. DEFRA (2009) arguesthat adaptation to climate change now needs to be made part of everyday decision-makingby all community sectors and built into normal planning and risk management processes. Forexample, they have developed a model of change (for all households) comprising four Es:enabling, encouraging, exemplifying and engaging, which is based on theoretical models ofbehaviour change.

By purposefully facilitating community connectedness through an environmental programsuch as EWTF, successful outcomes from the program will be enhanced (Figure 1). TheEWTF aims to reduce carbon emissions at the same time as it reduces costs for low incomehouseholds. By maximising the opportunities to increase community connectedness, then

there is the possibility that the program will also have positive outcomes in terms of buildingnetworks of support to promote on-going mitigation and adaptation behaviour, as well as themany positive social and psychological outcomes which will improve personal well-being andresilience. This in turn will improve the ability to respond to environmental change. Thus themodel has positive cumulative self-reinforcing components.


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Figure 6.1: A positive reinforcing model to maximise environmental and socialbenefits

Conclusions about EWTF program

Consistent f indings between reviews

The researchers observed a successful program achieving a range of positive outcomes inrelation to:

Energy efficiency Strengthening disadvantaged communities and aiding inclusion and empowerment Supporting Community Service Organisations with social enterprise funding Employment training for those with employment barriers Reducing energy and water costs for disadvantaged people

Certainly, community connectedness and community engagement elements are present inthe EWTF model. These elements were needed to be drawn out and identified by theresearchers as they were rarely specifically identified as being a conscious component of theprogram. Despite this, the positive influence could be seen where these elements werestrongest. At present the benefits centre more on empowering the community, rather thanthe building of individual social capital, wellbeing and empowerment, although some sitesalso had this present. For example, it was observed that in some sites considerable extraresources were invested in the trainees in the form of availability of counselling to address

personal issues, considerable support and positive reinforcement and flexibility with workinghours. This form of added value certainly contributed to the positive outcomes achieved inthe EWTF program.

This research built on the previous work which concentrated measuring energy efficiencyand employment gains. Consistency of findings was shown between the two reviews, suchas in relation to the program operation. For example the methods of recruitment ofhouseholds were largely consistent over the two reviews. However when also exploringcommunity connectedness and engagement outcomes, it would be of value to initially hold aspecial community event to launch the project. This would enable networks to be initiated,common concerns addressed and possibly a resultant greater acceptance of the programearlier, when recruitment of households is often difficult.

Environmentprogram

Improvedwell-beingEngaging with

the community

Capacity building,development of socialcapital and communitystrength

Increased capacity torespond to climate

change


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Reflections

The following are some reflections on the EWTF offered by the researchers. A keycomponent of the EWTF program is behavioural change. The researchers suggest that itwould be of value to incorporate more closely behavioural change principles. An example ofsuccessful behaviour change programs in related areas, is given below.

TravelSmart and WaterSmart prog ramsTravelSmart and WaterSmart programs are being introduced in a number of states to assisthouseholds to reduce water usage and travel less. Change is encouraged through theprovision of personalised information and guidance. It is recognised that the Smartprograms are targeted to a different population (large random sample of householders) to theEWTF (low income households) and therefore the specific types of approaches will need tobe tailored to the program. For example, the Smart programs contacted householders bytelephone only, whereas a personal visit, at least initially, would be important with low incomehouseholders.

However, three features of the Smart programs are worth considering (Ampt & Tweedie2009). First, during initial contact, the use of a semi-structured conversation based on

behavioural change theory which targets the specific features of the household. Second, ahouseholder, self-directed approach, where the personal identification of their main concernsin relation to water and energy efficiencies promotes a sense of personal responsibility andcontrol, a process which promotes on-going commitment to such behavioural change. Thisprocess reinforces a positive experience. Third, the Smart programs have follow-ups atthree, six and 12 months after the initial contact, as well as the provision of an opportunity forthe householder to contact the office with a query. These repeat contacts reinforce activitiesand messages, a process which promotes up-take and on-going practices.

Value of communi ty engagement and personal and communi ty emp owerment

Behavioural change and links to the community are enhanced through inter-personalconnections. People observe value from other peoples experiences and realise thepossibilities. They feel part of a positive change when they also participate in the program.Community links are enhanced by the program, the positive experience is diffused throughthe community, building social capital and strengthening communities.

The Smart programs offer over 65 free resources and where t

Documents

Energy and Water Task Force: Social Research 2009