HOW TO GO ABOUT IT

1.

Make responsibilities clear

At the start of a project for eco-innovation, it is important to make sure responsibilities and ownership of tasks are clear, this will help to get engagement and commitment from project team members. As eco- innovation will involve new, and sometimes unplanned, activities it can be di cult to allocate all of the tasks to relevant personnel at the start of the project. However, as a minimum, you should request the on-going support of the Focal Point to coordinate and monitor the progress of the project. Depending on the situation, it may be that you as the Service Provider take on the Project Manager role. Alternatively, the CEO may appoint a Project Manager to the project from their own personnel. Either way, a key aspect of the Project Manager role is to ensure that tasks are allocated to individuals who then have the responsibility to ensure that the task is completed on time and in accordance with the specification. Where a project falls across two or more different functions within an organization (e.g. ‘Production’ and ‘Marketing’) it is particularly important to ensure that responsibilities and reporting channels are clear to avoid the project ‘falling down the cracks’ between the functions.

2. 

Establish ways to communicate

Communication is another important aspect of a project for eco-innovation in which the Project Manager will play an important role. The Project Manager should act as a central focal point for the project and make everybody aware that if they have any questions, comments or concerns about the project then the Project Manager should be the first person they speak to. This is true for both internal and external partners (for example where suppliers or research centres are involved in the project). Other ways to promote good communication include:

• Set-up a project notice board – This should provide key facts about the project such as the aims and objectives of the project, who is involved, how other people can contribute etc. The project notice board should also be used to record what activities each team member is working on and their progress. It is important that this information is regularly updated so that the notice board is viewed and credible and up to date source of information about the project.