Transcript Managing today’s weatherization program session overview       Challenges Concepts A little theory Case study A couple tools Food for thought.

Managing today’s weatherization
program
session overview






Challenges
Concepts
A little theory
Case study
A couple tools
Food for thought
Managing Today’s Weatherization
Program
bpc.oppco.org
Dave Finet
Opportunity Council
Director, Energy & Home Repair
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
20 years at the OC
Started as a crew member
Worked as auditor
Production coordinator
Program manager
Service area director ( 12 years)
Made just about every mistake possible
Opportunity Council
•
•
•
•
Private non-profit community action program
Bellingham Washington
Serving a 3 county area
The agency just celebrated its 40 year
anniversary
Opportunity Council Programs
•
•
•
•
•
Early Childhood Opportunities Northwest
Childcare and Family Resources
Community Services
Island County Services
Energy & Home Repair Services
Energy & Home Repair
Programs
• Energy Assistance
(LIHEAP/PSE)
• Weatherization
• Home rehabilitation /
repair program
• Indoor environmental
programs
• Building Performance
Center
•
•
•
•
30 employees
3 office locations
$4.6 million budget
150 weatherization
projects
• 75 home rehab projects
• Fee for service
Funding
Allocated
• Dept. of Energy
• LIHEAP
• Bonneville Power
Administration
• Puget Sound Energy
• Energy Matchmakers
• Washington Community
Energy Fund
• HOME
Competitive
• CDBG
• USDA
• 2060
• HUD Lead hazard
control
Building Performance Center
• Training
– Peer Circuit Rider
– Weatherization
agencies
– Systems analysis
– Contractors
– Utilities
• Building Performance
–
–
–
–
Indoor air
Energy retrofits
Building failures
Low-income
weatherization
– Consulting, design
– Energy Star
Op p o rtu n i ty Co u n c i l
En e rg y & Ho m e R e a p i r
Da v e Fi n e t
Di r e c to r
J o n M a rti n
De v e l o p m e n t M a n a g e r
Vi c k i L i p p i a tt
Fi s c a l C o o rd i n a t o r
Ga i l M c Do n a l d
.5 Ad m i n As s t.
Ch ri s Cl a y
Te c h n c i a l C o o rd i n a to r QA
Ta m a ra Ro l l i n s
Re h a b I n ta k e
Ky l e Wh i te
Pro d u c t i o n M a n a g e r
M a rk W i c k m a n
To m Bre n to n
L e a d Te c h n i c i a n L e a d Te c h n c i a n
Fre d Ku n c h i c k
Te c h I
J o h n Da v i e s
WX & Re h a b Pro g ra m M a n a g e r
Kl a y to n Wi l l i a m s
Te c h I
OP EN
Te c h I
To m Bu n g e r
Is l a n d C o W X
a n d Ho m e R e h a b
Co o rd i n a to r
Bo b Gro n h o v d
L e a d Te c h n i c i a n
J i m He n d ri c k
Te c h I
Da n Ce a s a r
WX Au d i to r
L e a d Te c h
Ad a m P o p a
Te c h II
De b b i e Pa tto n
En e rg y As s i s ta n c e Pr o g M a n a g e r
Op e n Po s i ti o n
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
Da n i e l H o o p e r
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
Pa u l Re a v l e y
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
IT L e a d
Se a n Sl o c u m
HQ S Sp e c i a l i s t
Cl a u d i a Ba s s o
En e rg y L e a d
Kri s ta n J o h n s o n
Ou tre a c h Co o rd i n a to r
To b y M a rti n e z
En e rg y Sp e c i a l i s t
Po l l y
Cri s c o u l a
En e rg y Sp e c i a l i s t
L o re n a
We i s e n b e rg e r
Ou tre a c h l e a d
No Orphans
A case study in systems thinking and
program revitalization
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unhappy clients
Marginal workmanship
Not meeting production goals (closure)
Bickering staff, finger pointing
100 open projects
Vendors not getting paid
No one taking responsibility
Weatherization program
Descriptors
“Messy”
“Tough”
“Complicated”
“Challenging”
“Endless change”
Technical developments of the
weatherization program
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
House as a system
Blower door diagnostics
Combustion safety testing
Computerized audit tools
Ventilation
Lead Based Paint
Mold
Worker safety
Training and technical assistance
investment
• Over the last 15 years there has been a lot of technical and
field training but not much training or technical assistance
for management.
Where has management come
from?
• The ranks
• Other social service programs
• Private sector
Are new managers (leaders) prepared to lead
programs as complicated as weatherization?
Group exercise
• Introduce yourself to the person next to you
(groups of 2 or 3)
• Where are you from?
• How is your job related to weatherization
management?
• From your perspective what is the biggest
challenge in managing weatherization programs?
10 minutes
Challenges of management
• Limited financial resources
• Changing regulations
• Employee
• Compensation
• Training
• Retention
•
•
•
•
•
•
Development of contractor relationships
Budget development and tracking
Insurance
Risk management
Diversity of funding sources
Working within a larger agency
Keys to successfully managing today’s
weatherization program
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership from management
Build a team
Understanding the work
Developing key staff
Create an enjoyable work environment
Supportive personnel practices
Tracking progress at the program level
Emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction
Leadership by definition
lead·er·ship n
1. the office or position of the head of a political
party or other body of people
2. the ability to guide, direct, or influence people
3. guidance or direction
4. a group of leaders (takes a singular or plural verb)
Leadership
Creating shared vision
• Guidance
• Clear expectations
Role and responsibility
• Planning
Long term
Short term
Manpower planning
• Implementation
Appropriate delegation
Creating shared vision
Building a Team
• Part of being a team is being able to trust and rely on your
teammates. Once that trust is broken you cease to be a
team, each team member walking through the motions of
their own responsibility without taking advantage of the
efforts and talents of the others.
Leading a team
• Successful leadership is maximizing the talent and
resources available within the team to meet common goals
that align with the teams values and vision.
Shared vision
• Sustainable organizations rely on leadership that can create
systems and lines of communication that allow for the
continual adjustment of course to achieve established goals
created by the the team out of shared vision.
What is the difference between
Conversation and Dialogue?
Shared vision is created through
conversation
• con·ver·sa·tion n
1. an informal talk with somebody, especially about opinions, ideas,
feelings, or everyday matters
2. the activity of talking to somebody informally
3. an informal talk about something involving representatives from
various interested groups
4. an interaction with a computer carried on in real time
5. a nonverbal exchange that is perceived to have the qualities of
conversation
• di·a·logue or di·a·log n
1. the words spoken by characters in a book, a film, or a play, or a section of
a work that contains spoken words
2. a formal discussion or negotiation, especially between opposing sides in a
political or international context
Role = responsibility
defined
• role or rôle n
1. an individual part in a play, movie, opera, or other
performance played by an actor, singer, or other
performer
2. the usual or expected function of somebody or
something, or the part somebody or something
plays in a particular action or event
3. the part played by somebody in a given social
context, with any characteristic or expected pattern
of behavior that it entails
Implementation
the responsibility of Management
• The single biggest barrier to program
development or success is the lack of
effective implementation.
Why is it so difficult?
5 Minutes
Implement - defined
• 1. to put something into effect or action
• 2. to provide or equip somebody with the
tools or other means to do something
(formal)
Understanding the work
•
•
•
•
•
Get into the field
Observe staff in action
Contact with clients
Review projects with staff
Knowledge of program policies and
specifications
Developing key staff
•
•
•
•
Emphasis on learning
Meaningful evaluation
Involve them in planning
Provide them with the information they need to
make decisions
• Give them the authority equal to the responsibility
• Utilize and further develop their strengths
• Get to know them, find out what gets them excited
Key
• Your No.2 is your most important hire. Pick one who
complements your management style, shows loyalty
without being a yes-man, and has a talent for working with
others.
Shackleton
John Davies
Weatherization & Home Repair Manager
Create an enjoyable work environment
• Surround yourself with cheerful, optimistic
people. They will reward you with the loyalty and
camaraderie vital for success.
• Do your part to help create an upbeat environment
at work. A positive and cheerful workplace is
important to productivity.
Personnel management
• Good hiring practices (hire based on
values and then experience)
• Compensation
• Evaluation
• Professional development
• Mentoring
• Creating the culture
Shackleton’s Way
on hiring
• Be a creative, unconventional interviewer if you
seek creative, unconventional people. Go deeper
than job experience and expertise. Ask questions
that reveal a candidate’s personality, values, and
perspective on work and life.
• Hire those who share your vision. Someone who
clashes with your personality or the corporate
culture will hinder your work.
Supporting staff
• To help your staff do top-notch work, give them
the best equipment you can afford. Working with
outdated, unreliable tools creates an unnecessary
burden.
• Always keep the door open to your staff members,
and be generous with information that affects
them. Well-informed employees are more eager
and better prepared to participate.
Shackleton
Tracking progress at the program
level
• Don’t depend on grant/fund accounting to run
your business
• Provide staff with reports that make sense to them
• Meet with staff and review the progress
• Take the time to analyze the data
Emphasis on quality
•
•
•
•
Make your standards clear
Identify quality when you see it, praise it
Perform in-progress inspections
Involve staff in problem resolving quality
issues
• Create feedback loops
The Art and Practice of the Learning
Organization
•
•
•
•
•
Systems thinking
Personal mastery
Mental models
Building shared vision
Team learning
Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
No Orphans
A case study in systems thinking and
program revitalization
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unhappy clients
Marginal workmanship
Not meeting production goals (closure)
Bickering staff, finger pointing
100 open projects
Vendors not getting paid
No one taking responsibility
Orphan, defined
or·phan n
1. a child whose parents are both dead or who has been
abandoned by his or her parents, especially a child
not adopted by another family
2. a young animal whose mother is dead or has
abandoned it
3. an opening line of a paragraph that is also the last line
on a page, cut off from the rest of the paragraph by
the page break.
4. what the Opportunity Council was doing to it’s client
because they didn’t have systems of accountability
(Problem)
on the surface
• To many open projects
– (No established goal for project completions)
• Lots of calls from unhappy clients in progress
– (Gaps in quality assurance, incomplete system)
• Middle management always asking for more staff
– (No routine review of production goals, unclear expectations)
• To many trips out to each household
– (Lack of mentoring and monitoring by the director)
• Development of program came to a halt
– (Systems were not thought out well enough in advance to implement
new technology or new programs)
(Problem)
on the surface
• Vendors not getting paid
– (A parent agency problem that exacerbated the other problems)
• No one taking responsibility, people problem
– (Unclear roles and responsibilities)
Continuity
• Everyone was running their own program
–
–
–
–
No shared vision
Little accountability
Lack of discipline
Roles and responsibilities not clear
Power of many? or the thoughts
of a few?
• As a leader I wasn’t utilizing the biggest asset I
had, the power of group thinking.
• It was my responsibility to get things fixed.
• I didn’t want to go through this again.
Nice guy or leader?
Do you have to choose?
• Establish order and routine on the job so all
workers know where they stand and what is
expected of them. The discipline makes the staff
feel they’re in capable hands.
• Always keep the door open to your staff members,
and be generous with information that affects
them. Well-informed employees are more eager
and better prepared to participate.
Solutions through systems thinking
• Document individual roles and responsibilities
• Consolidate contacts with clients (project
coordinators and lead technicians)
• Develop a timeline for expected project closure
• Establish annual and monthly production goals,
review monthly
• Meet monthly and review every “open” project as
a group
• Track program expenses at the program level,
“real time accounting”
Communication loops
Monthly
• Safety meetings
• Technician roundtable mtg.
• Project Coordinators/Inspectors mtg.
• Weatherization & rehab No Orphans
• Emergency furnace repair No Orphans
• Building Performance Center No Orphans
Communication loops
Quarterly
• Energy & Home Repair Management Team mtg.
Every other month
• Energy & Home Repair all staff mtg.
Annual
• All day retreat with families
Op p o rtu n i ty Co u n c i l
En e rg y & Ho m e R e a p i r
Da v e Fi n e t
Di r e c to r
J o n M a rti n
De v e l o p m e n t M a n a g e r
Vi c k i L i p p i a tt
Fi s c a l C o o rd i n a t o r
Ga i l M c Do n a l d
.5 Ad m i n As s t.
Ch ri s Cl a y
Te c h n c i a l C o o rd i n a to r QA
Ta m a ra Ro l l i n s
Re h a b I n ta k e
Ky l e Wh i te
Pro d u c t i o n M a n a g e r
M a rk W i c k m a n
To m Bre n to n
L e a d Te c h n i c i a n L e a d Te c h n c i a n
Fre d Ku n c h i c k
Te c h I
J o h n Da v i e s
WX & Re h a b Pro g ra m M a n a g e r
Kl a y to n Wi l l i a m s
Te c h I
OP EN
Te c h I
To m Bu n g e r
Is l a n d C o W X
a n d Ho m e R e h a b
Co o rd i n a to r
Bo b Gro n h o v d
L e a d Te c h n i c i a n
J i m He n d ri c k
Te c h I
Da n Ce a s a r
WX Au d i to r
L e a d Te c h
Ad a m P o p a
Te c h II
De b b i e Pa tto n
En e rg y As s i s ta n c e Pr o g M a n a g e r
Op e n Po s i ti o n
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
Da n i e l H o o p e r
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
Pa u l Re a v l e y
Pro j e c t Co o r d i n a to r
IT L e a d
Se a n Sl o c u m
HQ S Sp e c i a l i s t
Cl a u d i a Ba s s o
En e rg y L e a d
Kri s ta n J o h n s o n
Ou tre a c h Co o rd i n a to r
To b y M a rti n e z
En e rg y Sp e c i a l i s t
Po l l y
Cri s c o u l a
En e rg y Sp e c i a l i s t
L o re n a
We i s e n b e rg e r
Ou tre a c h l e a d
Staffing rules of thumb
• Managers should supervise no more than 6
supervisors
• Construct a progressive skill set for staff to
achieve, so staff are ready for promotion
• Hire from within whenever possible
• Don’t put staff in positions they are not ready for
• Schedule regular meetings, don’t cancel
Quality Assurance
• Separate quality assurance and production
• Quality assurance staff are responsible for training
Their role is to not only identify quality issues
but to work with staff and management to
resolve them.
Roles and Responsibilities
• Objective:
ｷ
To communicate the team philosophy of Energy and
Home Repair Services Management.
ｷ
Clarify roles and responsibilities of team members.
ｷ
Build a common vision of how we need to work
together and interact to effectively deliver our services and
meet our goals.
Proje ct C oordiators
n
1) Develop a well thought out project plan that meets the clients needs, achievable
by the crews and reasonably within our funding parameters
2) Communicate the project plan t o the lead tech prior t o the start of the project.
3) Identify potential obstacles with the project, major repairs, lead issues ect.
4) Coordinate subcontract ors so they donÕt interfere with crew progress.
5) Check in daily with the lead tech on the progress of the project, see what you can
do t o help.
6) Solicit input on the project plan from the lead and QA, be thick skinned.
7) Be part of the job, support your lead tech, they may be out sick t omorrow, have
you kept up on the progress of the job well enough t o support the techs that
backup the lead?
8) Check in on-site at your projects with the lead when there are contentious or
complicated issues or difficult processes.
9) P re order any specialty items and check with the person doing invent ory and
purchasing t o make sure the necessary materials are in st ock.
10)Have an expectation you will receive training and technical assist ance, from
quality assurance, project coordinators and the program manager.
1) Communicate your needs t o the program manager.
Tools
• Spreadsheets that track monthly progress,
both financial and individual production
• Establish a rate
• Standardize and consolidate forms
Planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agency strategic plan
Energy & Home Repair strategic plan
Annual production plan
Annual staff plan
Individual staff plans
Budget development
Program accountability
• Every program should be able to answer….
•
•
•
•
•
How many units will you do this year?
How many units will you do this month?
What is your average cost per unit?
How many utility $ do you average per unit?
What is your program goal or timeline for
completing a project?
• If you have crews, on average how many days does
it take to complete a unit?
Dave Finet
[email protected]
bpc.oppco.org