Where is the money?

The federal government has plenty allocated to jump start energy and weatherization programs in numerous States but where is the money? Weatherization programs have spent time and money to prepare for the boom that they will experience as a result of the stimulus but at least several States have not received their allocation. Officials are still reviewing plans and preparing to roll out the dough but have not officially released the funds. This is leaving many energy and weatherization programs, as well as contractors and supply chain manufacturers wondering - where is the money?

Weatherization Training

Weatherization training programs are in full swing as many state operated agencies have received funding necessary to cover operational costs. Many centers and agencies have an intense focus on developing technical skills necessary to cover the increased demand and expectations over the next 2 to 3 years. In April of this year Appreciative Strategies announced an array of training programs targeted at soft-skills otherwise known throughout this sector as "people-skills." These programs cover topics such as customer service, effective communications, and supervisory training. While often not immediately identified for "front-line" technicians, these skills form the backbone of all successful interactions with the public and workplace teams.

If you operate a weatherization program or otherwise provide services to this sector, have your employee teams received the necessary soft-skills training? Appreciative Strategies urges organizations to act now before a breakdown in communication, customer service, or supervisory skills causes an unwanted and unnecessary problem.

Weatherization Marketing

As programs launch with stronger funding than perhaps ever before will they find enough homes to serve? Agencies in many States have been preparing to train more field technicians and energy auditors and quickly get them into the field. When they are ready, will they have homes to serve? In some cases there may be a waiting list, but in still other cases homeowners may not realize that they qualify under the new standards. It seems feasible that there should be a marketing effort associated with the launch of this seemingly “stimulus related” activity.

Do you own a home that qualifies? If you are an agency, do you have homes to serve?

32 Czar's, No Weatherization Czar

Should there be a Weatherization Czar? We have an Energy Czar, Urban Czar, and Stimulus Accountability Czar. Perhaps weatherization is falling under one of those categories? To be honest, I think there should be a few less Czar's.

Weatherization and Supply Chain

It appears that much of the cash flow for weatherization programs will begin to circulate on July 1, 2009, or shortly thereafter. As training programs start to produce a strong workforce of energy auditors and field crews what demand will be placed on the supply chain for consumables? Are the supply chain vendors gearing up? In an era where manufacturing survives with very small pipelines of raw materials and finished goods how will the basic economic factors of supply and demand come into play?

Weatherization Czar

The Obama administration has appointed numerous czars in recent months. Perhaps a weatherization czar should be appointed to carefully monitor the use of millions of dollars targeted for weatherization and energy efficiency programs. What do you think?

Change is coming to Weatherization Programs

Many leading experts report that most change efforts fail. Consider this recent quote from the Toronto Globe & Mail (Canada) "A 2008 McKinsey & Co. survey of more than 3,000 executives revealed that only 33 percent of change efforts succeed, which is close to the 30 percent rate that Harvard University professor John Kotter discovered in 1996." In addition a 2008 book: Change The Way You Lead Change, (Herold, David M. and Fedor, Donald B.) suggested that fewer than 20 percent of all change efforts succeed.

Are you prepared? Is the agency that you work for (your agency!) prepared? As the the money comes rolling in to assist weatherization agencies it is time to consider - are you ready?