Dr Andrea Wheeler, Dr Paul Rowley

An Innovative Knowledge Platform for Business and Community Engagement

A co-developed service model for online continuing professional development in the energy sector

A CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY CPD:

MEGS-KT (£71, 000)

CONTEXTJisc Business Community Engagement

Programme AIMS• Universities and colleges are expected to share knowledge for the benefit of

society; business & community engagement (BCE) is now recognised as their ‘third mission’ alongside teaching and research. The JISC Business and Community Engagement (BCE) programme supports UK institutions in their strategic management of relationships with partners and clients external to the institution and of the associated services.

• This programme facilitates synergies between strategies, processes and systems in institutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of institutional BCE and improve external access to institutional knowledge and expertise.

Briefing paper: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/briefingpaper/2012/BCEpartnerships/bcepartnerships.pdf

Jisc Business Community EngagementOpen Innovation/ Access To Resources (OIA2R)

Programmes

…current debate seems to focus on the dissemination of research issues and does not seem to include the active collaboration between institutions and the users of knowledge – or indeed the bi-directional flow of knowledge – or much recognition of the infrastructure, specific skills and cultural changes needed to underpin this. Achieving the Government’s objective to make the UK ‘the best place in the world for university-business collaboration’ will require these key underpinnings. It is one thing making knowledge available, quite another creating value and innovation opportunities – our OIA2R are at the vanguard of work which focuses on the latter (without ignoring the larger access issues).

Simon Whittemore OIA2R Programme Manager Jisc

The OIA2R Projects • A2R Aberystwyth University

• A2R Loughborough University: A CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY CPD

• A2R Manchester Metropolitan University

• A2R The University of Nottingham

• A2R University of Essex (and Glasgow)

• A2R York St. John

• OI Coventry University

• OI Liverpool John Moores University

• OI The University of Manchester

• OI University of Hull

• OI University of the Creative Arts

Our Problem

• The energy sector is lacking a relevant, up-to-date, well delivered and desirable Continued Professional Development opportunities.

Collaborators – working with an existing community

Midlands Energy Graduate School (MEGS)

a collaboration of Loughborough University, The University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham, which includes the

energy community, local SME’s and entrepreneurs .

Project aims • To address a skills shortage in the renewable energy sector – the energy education need and

demand within the SME community • To exploit an active collaboration between institutions – Loughborough University, The

University of Nottingham and Birmingham University (through the Midlands Energy Graduate School) and users (in the form of the existing MEGS SME community).

• Develop an exemplar for an e-learning environment as an opportunity for innovative collaboration SMEs with the HEI sector which includes a bi-directional flow of knowledge.

• To meet business development needs an support the growth of low carbon communities. To contribute to the LEP strategy building economically, environmental and socially sustainable communities by providing business opportunities for industry, local SMEs and entrepreneurs.

The right project team • Through existing multi- agency partnerships the Midlands Energy

Graduate School (MEGS) and the Midlands Energy Consortium (MEC) can leverage existing research, training expertise and the target partner employer community in co-development of an online service.

• Loughborough University as lead partners is committed to the proposed project. The Strategic Plan supports business and community engagement: ‘…working with industry to deliver flexible educational provision meeting needs of employers and employees’.

• Centre for Engineering and Design Education (CEDE) many years expertise in the development of technical solutions for the delivery and support of innovative teaching and learning.

• The School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and the CREST group will provide the academic support and direction to the project.

The Bigger Team - Building the MEGS-KT community – the Jisc, the fellows and SMEs team

SME community (40 participants over 4 workshops)

Fellows: Robin Nicholson (Award Winning Architect, ex- Vice President RIBA), Parity Projects (Award Winning SME), Institute for Sustainability (Training Centre), John Davis (Green Deal Assessor), Saucy Horse (Social Networking Business Champion). Next semester: Further lectures.

PhD students/Researchers (Loughborough University, Nottingham University)

Deliverables

• A leading-edge demonstrator service model and a collaborative knowledge service for CPD for the energy sector target employer community.

• Effectively meeting need and demand with user-driven, user-developed and user-tested content harnessing web 2.0 technologies and socially driven content.

• Good practice guidelines for the delivery of such online educational services in HE, contributing to JISC objectives.

LinkedIn Community (50+ additional members)

.

“The interaction and learning from the cross-institutional consortium will build on current work…” Jenny Cooper, National Grid

“The ability to access tailored knowledge and training from three leading Universities in the field will be invaluable and represents a unique opportunity…” Duncan Child, E.On.

Original endorsements – Value to the Community

Thanks again for another great evening. Can you direct me to the web page where we can download the lectures.

Carl Benfield BEng (Hons) MSc CEng MIMechE MioDManaging Director, Prescient Power Ltd

METHODCollaborative co-design and community of practice

• Building on existing JISC research which recommends tailored relevant and mediated access to resources and networks of expertise.

• Co-development and collaborative design, critically adopting Service Design to assess needs and utilising the MEGS and MEC existing collaboration and partnerships: E.on, National Grid, Local SMEs, entrepreneurs, local energy researchers and academics.

• Using existing links with KT organisations (KTNs, I-Nets, BCC, Institutions...) to optimise dissemination.

• Community of practice: visiting MEC fellows (academic and industrial), international fellows and interns to develop an academic and industry community to contribute to and evaluate content and delivery methods.

Participative platform for knowledge sharing including:

• a mosaic of technologies; • a repository of Echo 360 seminars, laboratories, workshops and other

materials; • a directory of expertise; • A variety in modes of engagement; • together with a public facing interface for future tailored CPD

opportunities and open access e-learning materials.

Vision

• A Leading-edge business opportunity helping inform, improve and sustain local businesses and entrepreneurs

• New partnerships between Higher Education and industry, enhanced institutional capability with wide interest and application, and a service model which can be transferred to other institutions and sectors.

• Ongoing industry impact far beyond the duration of the JISC funding component through the MEGS partnership

Barriers, limitations and the next stageCurrent problem with programme

• Loss of IT developer 0.5 FTE over 12 months (only 3 months completed by Mandy King)

• Request for steering committee support to achieve project objectives over the next 3 months, and to approve proposed plan.

Where we are now? PROGRAMMEWORKPACKAGES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12    March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

1: Work Package 1 will deliver an assessment of teaching and learning needs across the energy-sector

 Done                        

2: Work Package 2 will identify the key knowledge domains and any gaps within these especially with regards to PGTs and professional CPD needs of the key target groups

 Done                        

3: Work Package 3 will consist of the development of a service demonstrator (the framework): enhanced utilisation of existing technology linked to new services provide a vision for the growth

Wireframe outlines created (3 months IT development)Review of existing IT.Saucy Horse LinkedIn community.

                       

4: Work Package 4. This stage will test the self-regulatory community of practices being established and will comprise iterative evaluation and impact assessment.

Planning for the co-development/ assessment with the community.

                       

• Working service demonstrator, to pilot with the growing community (January to March). Engagement on IT support /temporary support full-time January to March (one month project extension).

• There are some templates and ground work has been done for the structure of the resource (although how much work would be involved in turning this into a platform could be as long as a piece of string) Simple is often better, so it may not be as big a hurdle as might be envisaged.

• Academic collaboration to aid assessment of the service demonstrator: business, energy, informatics.

What we need? Proposed solution

Where are we? Work Packages 1 and 2 completed

• √ Stakeholder analysis adopting Jisc tools (report).• √ Bristol Online Survey, work shadowing, interviews of representative group of companies (report)• √ Review of networking and knowledge finding practices (report)• √ Construct a visual representation that describes the social nature of the SME community (see

List of Lists and Diagram).• √ Appropriate representative community (LinkedIn Group).• √ Encourage active engagement of community (workshops carried out).• √ Set up workshops, capture lectures (see flyer).• √ Explore and evaluate the potential of specific social network-based facilities and the role of

networks in knowledge identification and transfer within the SME community. Building upon the stakeholder analysis construct a structural diagram that describes the nature of the SME community, their KT drivers and organisational/individual imperatives for KT/CPD (see report, List of Lists and Diagram)

• √ Identify knowledge domains (see report)

Where are we? Work Packages 3 and 4 to be completed

• √ Using existing and newly developed MEGS KT resources in a use-case scenario [user-profiles created – see report], develop a meta-data descriptor set that maps specific knowledge objects onto the SME taxonomy.Use Case Senarios/ Profiles

• Meta-data description set maps specific knowledge objects onto the SME taxonomy.

• Using existing plug-ins, create a prototype search protocol and functional search engine.

• Evaluation

Primary research

Workshops/Lectures• Robin Nicholson is an architect and has worked closely with Government

and policy makers heading Think Tanks about sustainable buildings and urban infrastructure. He will be exploring the barriers to business growth from an urban and policy perspective.

• Russell Smith will be telling his story about setting up his own award winning company in this field and why he had to take the approach he did to meet the needs of householders.

• Terry McGiven will be talking about innovative training opportunities he has set up with European Commission funds for companies in London at the Institute for Sustainability

• John Davis a highly inspirational speaker will be talking about the Green Deal.

Each of the speakers represents a factor identified in the research, which aims both to uncover the barriers to the growth of these companies and to provide a training solution.

Original CPD Materials - Video Captures

•  • http://www.slideshare.net/AndreaWheeler1/terry-mcgivern-megskt

-lecture-14th-november-2012

•  • http://www.slideshare.net/AndreaWheeler1/robin-nicholson-evenin

g-lecture-for-the-megskt-project•  • http

://review.lboro.ac.uk:8080/ess/echo/presentation/d86ae940-c035-437e-bf97-bba155074f43

•  • http://review.lboro.ac.uk:8080/ess/echo/presentation/ee20f7c1-7e

77-47b3-af35-c9969a7bc6b6

•  

Other Insights

SMEs do not have defined roles like larger companies.

SMEs have little time to research and improve their businesses

No-one understands the Green Deal (May 2012)?

SMEs cannot communicate well their needs, when asked.

In the current climate there is a lack of work/ of projects (architects lack projects, construction companies lack projects).

Bureaucratic methods for getting accredited discourages peoples/companies from accreditation (subsequent lack of jobs, loss of tenders).

Many people are interested in the DIY section of the sector.

The construction industry is poor in terms of QA.

With the Green Deal approaching there is a need for up-skilling the retro-fit industry.

Low carbon and renewable energy technologies need to be marketed to the average client.

Summary Barriers and Limitations

• Hard to engage SMEs• Professional bodies/networks limiting

access to SMEs by “outsiders”.• Concerns about sharing commercial

information from SMEs – “I prefer not to say”

List of lists (Taxonomies) ROLES(self-

identification)

ACTIVITY*(interviews and

questionnaire responses demonstrated the industry to be fluid in roles and identifying activities may reflect better the characteristics of the sectors)

INFORMATION SOURCES (cited in interview and questionnaire)

BUSINESS NEED (Knowledge transfer drivers)

Client advisor-consultant-low carbon

consultant-researcher-unpaid

consultant-lobby group-Fire consultant-Health and

Safety engineer-Architect--Design

manager--Project

manager Trainer-facilitatorDesigner-Fabricator/

ManufacturerSupplierWholesalerClientHomemakerContractorTradesmenElectricanApprenticeInstallerManagerDirector-Entrepreneur

ResearchWritingBusiness

strategy/strategic thinkingDirect marketingAdministrationOrganisational

tasksInnovationBusiness

developmentBuilding

relationships/networkingInterpersonal

communication Client advise

(consultant)Technical

interface (architect)Integration of

client advice (architect)Training TeachingResearchingGrant writing/Tender

preparation

Green DealGovernment

statisticsDECCPeople in

GlazingSustainable

INetDerby County

CouncilUniversitiesDerby Carbon

InitiativeFabricators/

manufacturersPersonal

libraryBuilding

onlineRIBA-

www.architecture.comGoogle/

WikipediaBuilding

magiciansNHBC

foundationwww.edjcdatabase.comInternational

energy agencyEDUCATEAshrae.orgCIBSEEnergy plusSAP textbooks

Communication skills

Finding funding

Support for business innovation

Finding resources for R&D

More business opportunities

Technical knowledge

Policy knowledge

QA training for installers

Finding work/new projects

Finding new projects abroad

Winning new business on the right commercial terms

Allotting enough time to new business ventures

Don’t know what is needed

Attracting skilled workforce

Knowing how to meet LEED and Breem compliance levels

To have a variety of projects

How to identify projects that will bring the most and those that will bring the least financial benefits

How to deal with the recession

More information on the Green Deal

JobsMarketing to

clients

Significant achievements

• Positive support from academics, professionals, other initiatives (Institute for Sustainability) to work with the project toward the long term sustainability of MEGS-KT.

• Engagement with key figures working in the field identified as “catalytic” individuals for the community.

Technical developments

http://vleblog.lboro.ac.uk/megsblog/

http://vleblog.lboro.ac.uk/megs4/

http://vleblog.lboro.ac.uk/megs5/

http://vleblog.lboro.ac.uk/megs6/

Sustainability and Transferability

• Links to the Institute for Sustainability FLASH programme and other new initiatives collaborating in funding (with Loughborough University Enterprise Office and Local Authorities) to develop the long-term potential of MEGS-KT.