SFEB Sustainability Spotlight

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The SFEB met in June 2012 with a focus on exploring new areas of cooperation on sustainability among federal agencies and with local government. From that meeting the SFEB Sustainability Task Group was assembled, as a sub-team of the SFEB agency representatives to further develop activities related to sustainability and collaboration between agencies. The vision was further refined to focus on the added value (monetized savings) of sustainability efforts.

In November 2012 the SFEB was nominated and subsequently selected in January 2013 as a Spotlight Community by the White House Center for Environmental Quality. The Spotlight added national recognition for the task group’s efforts, and adds a goal to package the processes, communications and tools from this effort in a way that can be replicated to other Federal Executive Boards.

The intent of the SFEB effort was to sustain and augment the Federal Green Chal lenge and GSA Green Teams as well as support Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. This effort was designed to demonstrate how Federal Executive Boards can play an integral role in coordinating regionally located Federal entities that are working towards shared of the federal government's goal of cutting cut costs, reducing our carbon emissions, increasing the use of renewable energy, managing our fleet of Federal vehicles, conserve water, and achieving other ambitious goals set by the Administration.

As of December 2013, the SFEB Business Case for Sustainability has achieved the stated goals. The Spotlight Core Team developed a method for story collection and monetized savings or efficiencies and executed two focused Campaigns in energy reduction and green meetings. Through webinars, conference calls, newsletters and a web site, the XX federal partners developed a network of experts and knowledge that will support the federal government’s efforts to meet the goals Executive Order 13514. In total the SFEB collected more than 50 stories that show how federal sustainability efforts are saving taxpayer dollars and helping the environment.

The SFEB found that sustainability efforts across agencies can be challenging. Federal agencies are already participating in national efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and meet stringent energy reduction requirements. There was a sense of duplication of efforts. Although the SFEB leadership representatives wholly embraced the Spotlight, those individuals responsible for the energy saving, water reduction, green meeting, and other programs were already committed to previously established systems and metrics. The SFEB also found that aggregating regional monetary impact of sustainability efforts varies widely among agencies and the process of monetizing the impact of these programs is more challenging than anticipated. Agency metrics and information technology systems present barriers to comparing and measuring impacts in a systematic and consistent manner

The one year SFEB Spotlight established a collaboration system that should be continued in a modified format. The SFEB plans to continue quarterly webinars and conference calls with agency leaders and sustainability program managers to continue sharing best practices, knowledge, tools, resources, and data In addition, the SFEB will continue to collect stories and determine ways to share the story with a larger community. The SFEB will also reach out to FEB’s across the nation to share best practices, templates and lessons learned.

1 BACKGROUND The SFEB met in June 2012 with a focus on exploring new areas of cooperation on sustainability among federal agencies and with local government. From that meeting the SFEB Sustainability Task Group was assembled, as a sub-team of the SFEB agency representatives to further develop activities related to sustainability and collaboration between agencies. The vision was further refined to focus on the added value (monetized savings) of sustainability efforts. From June through August of 2012 over 35 stories were gathered from Federal Agencies across the SFEB including both mission and operational changes that are resulting in cost savings and efficiencies for the government and taxpayer.

Spotlight Communities are teams of Federal agencies, non-profits, local utilities, and private companies working together to connect local efforts with the broad goals in the President’s Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance.

The Sustainability Spotlight was a local initiative through the SFEB to showcase how federal agencies in this area are saving taxpayer dollars and the environment with their sustainability efforts. It consists of easy to implement campaigns that protect the environment and save money.

The specific SFEB Sustainability Spotlight objectives were:

 Development of method for story collection and monetized savings or efficiencies  Focused Campaigns based on areas of interest as determined by SFEB Agency partners  Development of processes, communication strategy, resources and tools for other FEBs to replicate SFEB Spotlight effort

Building upon the sharing of sustainability activities and stories, the SFEB pursued two areas of focus: 1. Energy Challenge: Focused effort across agencies to reduce energy consumption 2. Green Meeting Challenge: Education, training and tracking of how we meet within our organizations and with our partners

PROJECT OBJECTIVES (What should be accomplished by the project)

PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND STRATEGIES IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT

 Energy Reduction  Water Reduction

2  Waste Diversion  Green Purchasing  Commute Trip Reduction  Greenhouse Gas Emissions / CO2

CORE PROJECT TEAM Name Agency Role Contact Phone Cynthia Tolentino GSA GSA Lead [email protected] 253-931- 7413 Viccy Salazar EPA EPA Lead [email protected] 206-553- 1060 Lori Danielson USACE Core Team [email protected] 206-764- Member l 6177 Stephanie Kenitzer GSA Communications [email protected] 253-931- 7873 Erika Mascorro GSA Core Team [email protected] 253-931- Member 7077 Paul Carlson SFEB Sponsor [email protected] 206-220- 6171

Core Project Team Duties Serve as the primary points of contact for Project Sponsors, SFEB ELC and Sustainability Task Group Ensure that team members know their responsibilities Track overall project performance Maintain an electronic project folder containing all pertinent project data Report project status to sponsors

PROJECT SCOPE

Phase 1 : INITIATION - COMPLETE Initiation phase includes development of sustainability effort by SFEB, obtaining commitment from agency participants and support of spotlight effort and plan

Deliverables:  Approval of Sustainability Task Group work by SFEB Executive Leadership Council (ELC.)  Successful submittal of SFEB as Spotlight Community  Development and presentation of Final Project Plan  Unanimous support by ELC of Spotlight effort and Plan

Phase 2: IMPLEMENTATION: SUSTAINABILITY CAMPAIGNS & COLLABORATION Implementation phase includes planning and development of various Spotlight Campaigns as determined by agency participants. Ongoing support, tools and resources will be sent out from team through various communication methods (newsletters, webinars, calls.) The format for campaigns is to allow for one month of planning, and one month of focused effort with close out and reporting at the end of each campaign. The team will continue to collect agency stories and sustainability efforts from a mission and operations perspective for use in newsletters. The intent of sharing stories is to replicate best practices as applicable across the federal community, to learn more about each agency, and to continue to build awareness about sustainability across the Federal Government and other partners.

Deliverables:  Newsletters sent out bi-weekly to POCs  Webinars scheduled monthly starting in May 2013  Planning and execution of Individual Campaigns per schedule

3  Ongoing capture of Agency stories and best practice information that can be shared across community  Ongoing capture of value: cost savings and efficiencies resulting from activities and effort  At the end of each campaign – measured results, tools and resources, campaign closeout  Mid-Point Check in with SFEB ELC in Fall 2013: Project status  Pilot for expansion to other FEBs – Oregon Federal Executive Board FY14, discussion in Sept

Monthly/weekly check in with CEQ Staff and other Spotlight communities August 27, 2013 National Webinar sponsored by CEQ: Team to give presentation on Spotlight effort Ongoing capture of lessons learned, best practices for project

Phase 3: CLOSEOUT Closeout phase will wrap up the Spotlight Community effort and allow the team to share results and conclusions. While the Spotlight allows us to focus on Sustainability with some national recognition, during the close out phase the SFEB will determine whether any activities should continue, or how best to transition to normal operations.

Finalization of project tools: Process, communication tools, templates, resources, structure Aggregated value of effort: Stories captured in consistent format Best Practices and Lessons Learned Examples of agency collaboration Cost Savings gained through effort Efficiencies with soft cost or savings

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Phase / Milestone Start Finish Initiation 6/20/201 Meeting with SFEB and David Batker to Brainstorm Sustainability effort 2 Story Collection and development of story template 7/2012 10/2012 11/7/201 ELC Meeting and Update, Refinement of Effort 2 11/16/20 Submittal of SFEB Sustainability Spotlight 12 1/16/201 Selection as Spotlight Community 3 12/201 Gathering of Agency Commitment forms 2/2013 2 SFEB ELC Meeting – Gain support for Spotlight Effort – Unanimous 3/12/201 approval 3

Implementation Core Team Planning 3/2013 5/2013 5/8/201 Continui Newsletter Publication (start date and bi-weekly thereafter) 3 ng 5/14/20 Continui Webinar for POCs (start date and monthly thereafter) 13 ng 6/1/201 7/30/201 Energy Campaign 3 3 7/1/201 Continui SFEB Monthly Updates 3 ng 8/1/201 9/30/201 Green Meetings Campaign 3 3

4 SFEB ELC Check-In, Project Mid-Point Check-in 10/2013 Pilot: Oregon FEB 10/2013 10/2013

Close Out Conclusion of Campaigns 11/2013 Report out of results to SFEB ELC and CEQ 1/2014 Finalization of processes, tools, resources 2/2014 CELEBRATION 2/2104

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Who Interest Tactic Frequency Responsibility

Core Team Meeting Team meetings Bi-weekly Leads to deliverable coordinate s Center for Project Weekly Phones Weekly CEQ to Environmental overview Call schedule, Core Quality team participates SFEB Spotlight Information Monthly Monthly Core Team POCs for webinars Member Campaign activities Project Strategic Monthly check- Monthly Core Team, Sponsors oversight in by leads to phone/face to coordinate face All stakeholders Ongoing Bi-weekly Bi-weekly Communications communica newsletter tions SFEB ELC Project Email Monthly Sponsor updates, communication particularly s through SFEB with regard monthly email to changes in plan/sched ule

Newsletter Schedule

Issue Focus Planned Publish 5/8/201 5/9/201 1: Welcome to our first newsletter 3 3 5/22/20 5/20/20 2. Energy Matters Volume 1 13 13 6/5/201 6/5/201 3. Energy Matters Volume 2 3 3 6/19/20 6/27/20 4. Energy Matters Volume 3 13 13 5. Green Up Your Meetings Volume 1 7/31/20 7/25/20

5 13 13 8/14/20 8/29/20 6. Green Up Your Meetings Volume 2 13 13 8/28/20 9/26/20 7. Green Up Your Meetings Volume 3 13 13 9/11/20 12/3/20 8. Green Up Your Meetings Volume 4 13 13

Monthly POC Conference Call

Complet Focus Planned ed 3/26/201 1: Welcome to our first Webinar 3/2013 3 6/11/20 6/11/201 2. Energy Campaign 13 3 7/9/201 3. Energy Campaign 7/9/2013 3 8/13/20 8/13/201 4. Green Meetings Campaign 13 3 8/27/20 11/6/201 6. CEQ Webinar 13 3

RESULTS

As of December 2013, the SFEB Business Case for Sustainability has achieved the stated goals. The Spotlight Core Team developed a method for story collection and monetized savings or efficiencies and executed two focused Campaigns in energy reduction and green meetings. Through webinars, conference calls, newsletters and a web site, our federal partners developed a network of experts and knowledge that will support the federal government’s efforts to meet the goals Executive Order 13514. In total the SFEB collected more than 50 stories that show how federal sustainability efforts are saving taxpayer dollars and helping the environment.

6 ATTACHMENTS (To be provided upon request)

Newsletters Presentations Facts Sheets Story Collection Template/Summary