The Master’s Challenge: Ecotec’s ‘Green Op’ fund

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This is an example of an iso-morphically framed learning adventure that formed a component of Enterprise GreenWorks Episode 2011-01.


Ecotec Institute of Technology has determined to amplify its journey to sustainability begun almost two decades ago. Accordingly, the Chief Executive has allocated $500,000 to invest in several new initiatives such as improving energy and water resource utilisation. However, from this fund, $100,000 has been reserved to fund a portfolio of ‘Green Ops’ funded in the range of $5,000 to $25,000 each. All staff and students within Ecotec are invited to apply for the funds which will be allocated by a competitive process.

Your mission
Your team is to conduct an ‘eco-opportunity hunt’ identifying ONE project that could form the basis for an application to the Ecotec ‘Green Op’ fund.

You have been invited to present your Green Op at xx.xx hours in the format of a Dragons Den presentation to the Green Op Selection Committee.

Further information is provided in the APPENDIXES.


APPENDIX A: Green Op selection Criteria
A Green Op that would find high favour with the Ecotec Green Op Selection Committee is likely to posses these attributes:

  • Relevance to the aims and vision of Ecotec’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy (ESS)
  • Probability and feasibility of the project team achieving success (Does your team have the ‘right stuff’ to achieve success? Is the team realistic about the risks and obstacles and how they could be overcome?)
  • Magnitude of impact (e.g.: Total impact; Return on Investment; Benefit/Cost impact)
  • Scaleability (can the project be scaled up from a small beginning to a more substantial programme extending across and beyond Ecotec; What funds ($100,000 to $500,000 range) might be required beyond a pilot project?)
  • Time to impact (ideally within six to eight months; a two stage project over 18 months is also acceptable)
  • Innovation, creativity, and enterprise

 
APPENDIX B: Examples of project classes

Quick hit projects

  • Low budget ($2,500 - $25,000) projects that are intended to have a visible practical, symbolic, or motivational impact within a six to nine month time frame


Research and development

  • Pilot tests
  • Early stage prototyping
  • Market/customer/stakeholder research
  • Feasibility studies
  • Research (not eligible for funding elsewhere within/beyond Ecotec. i.e. “pre-search”[?])


Evaluation projects
Ex-post evaluations of existing and previous environmental sustainability initiatives. This type of project is intended to explore how current or past environmental sustainability initiatives could be resurrected, or amplified subject to a ‘large investment’. e.g. Vertical composter, Unitec’s organic gardens/sanctuary, Unitec’s recycling scheme. Why did they succeed? Why were they suspended? How could they be resurrected more successfully?

APPENDIX C: SUGGESTION on time allocation (35 minutes)

  •  Spend 5 minutes planning your team’s activities
  •  Spend 15 minutes ‘on reconnaissance’ within and around your company [Building 172] identifying candidate eco-opportunities.
  •  5 minutes: Select the the opportunity that you assess would most likely gain the approval of the Green Op Selection Committee given its assessment criteria.
  •  10 minute: Prepare to present the opportunity in the form of a Dragons Den pitch.

Here is an example of a very successful Dragon’s Den ‘Pitch’: the Bedlam Cube

Note: Unitec is an institute of technology that competes against Ecotec. Ecotec is not a real organisation…. it is a fiction created for this in-class exercise.

©LEFT Peter Mellalieu, 7 April, 2011

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