Project Initiation Document

Project title Living Lab for Sustainability – Streamlined assessment and

opportunity identification
Project number
PID Author Claire Dixon
PID Owner (Project Principal) Claire Dixon
Document release date
Release Draft / Final

Revision History:
Document and Date of Summary of Changes Changes
version revision Marked
number
1.0 11 July  First draft for review
2019
2.0 1 August  Updates based on further planning and
2019 consultation.

Related Documents:
Document title Link and location Who has access

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1 Project Overview
Living Lab for Sustainability
Imagine. Make. Grow.

The Living Lab for Sustainability is a new initiative of the Swinburne Engineering Practice Academy.
It will be launched with this project. The Living Lab for Sustainability aims to engage Academy
Associates to develop strategies and projects to improve sustainability. The initial focus will be on
supporting Academy operations to become more environmentally sustainable. Associates will
explore and identify opportunities for improvements.

1.1 Project objectives

The objectives of the Living Labs for Sustainability Streamlined Assessment and Opportunity
Identification project (run during 2019’s sprint 3 and 4) are:

 To envisage what a sustainable Academy might look like (defining success)

 To build awareness of how broader strategic objectives can drive effective targeted action.
 To increase Academy staff and students’ understanding of the Academy’s current
sustainability practices.
 Identify project opportunities to increase the sustainability of the Academy
 Create a space for associates to explore sustainability and build new skills

1.2 Client success metrics

This project will be considered a success if there are at least 3 ‘hot’ opportunities pitched which
can be carried forward into next year’s Living Lab for further development.

1.3 Project scope

The scope of this project is limited to a streamlined sustainability assessment. This means that
fermi calculation techniques will largely be used to make estimations that can be compared to
benchmarking data rather than collecting data.

‘Hot’ opportunities will be identified and developed to a point where they can be pitched at the
conclusion of the project. Ideation, assessment, design and implementation of ideas will occur in
2020.

1.4 Project interfaces

The Living Lab for Sustainability will drive the Academy’s sustainability strategy development and
delivery by actively engaging Academy Associates through Academy community projects. By
engaging associates in real world sustainability projects within the Academy and empowering
them to start their own sustainability initiatives and / or spin off initiatives our associates will build
their skills and capabilities positioning them to become leaders in sustainability upon graduation.

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The Living Lab for Sustainability is intended to be an ongoing program within the Academy to
move the Academy towards becoming a sustainable organisation. This project will launch the
Living Lab with the some of the project opportunities identified this sprint being carried forward to
2020 Living Lab where they can be further developed and implemented.

As the Living Lab for Sustainability develops, opportunities for collaborative Industry projects and
research projects will arise. The Academy’s Living Lab for Sustainability was inspired by the well-
established Living Labs at the University of Malaya presenting short term research opportunities
exploring the implementation and effectiveness of Living Labs as learning opportunities for
university students.

1.5 Benefits and opportunities

One of the Academy’s values is ‘sustainability through practice’. The Living Labs provides an
opportunity for the Academy to enact this value while building sustainability, awareness,
knowledge and leadership within the Academy.

Future opportunities include collaboration with Industry Partners on sustainability projects in

addition to collaborative research projects.

2 Product Description
The key deliverables of this project will be a Streamlined Sustainability Assessment of the
Engineering Practice Academy and Opportunity Analysis identifying impactful ways that the
Academy can improve its sustainability.

The Sustainability Assessment will explore the following topics:

 Energy usage
 Water usage and disposal
 Waste management – organic
 Waste management – inorganic
 Consumables – maker space
 Consumables – office
 Food
 Transport
 Digital infrastructure and devices

Note: Associate teams will be given a choice of topic to work on. This may result in some topics
having multiple teams working on it and other topics not being chosen at all. A more
comprehensive Sustainability Assessment will be conducted in future years to fill in any gaps.

Completion of these deliverables will be divided into two phases.

Phase 1 – Sprint 3
Phase 1 will focus on data collection and estimations for a streamlined sustainability assessment
to be completed during sprint 3. At the conclusion of sprint 3 associates will produce a
Streamlined Assessment Report documenting their findings. The streamlined assessment will
involve interviews with Academy staff and students regarding sustainability behaviours in addition

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to using fermi calculation and benchmarking techniques to describe Academy’s current practices
in the topics listed above.

Phase 2 – Sprint 4
Phase 2 will involve a critical analysis of the data collected in sprint 3 with the purpose of
identifying key opportunities for the Academy to improve its sustainability. Phase 2 will be
completed during sprint 4 with associates compiling an options analysis report and pitching ‘hot’
opportunities to the Academy staff at the conclusion of the sprint.

3 Project Team, Stakeholders and Communication

Claire Dixon, Project Principal and Studio Facilitator
 Overall project leadership.
 Liaison with Project Sponsor and key stakeholders to scope and deliver project, including
alignment with Academy operations and facilitating data collection (where appropriate).
 Day-to-day contact for Associates. Ensure all project objectives and deliverables are
achieved to a high standard.
 Studio facilitation (co-facilitation).

Jenny Turner, Studio Facilitator

 Studio facilitation (co-facilitation with Project Principal).

Tim Smith (Operations Manager, Engineering Practice Academy), Project Sponsor

 Work with Project Principal to ensure relevant and timely guidance and information
provided to support project.
 Attend end of project pitch presentations.
 Support the further development and implementation of appropriate opportunities
resulting from this project.

Enda Crossin, Technical Adviser

 Provide specialist technical support to Project Principal and broader project team.

Project stakeholders include:

 Academy staff
 Academy associates
 Property and facilities

4 Project Milestones and Timelines

Table 1 – Project Milestones and Timelines

Date Activities
Jun-Jul 2019 Scope Project and prepare for Sprints
5 Aug – 15 Sep 2019 Sprint 3: Associates conduct streamlined sustainability assessment
15 Aug Sprint 3 Milestone 1: Proposed Research Plan
3 Sep Sprint 3 Milestone 2: Draft Streamlined Sustainability Assessment
15 Sep Sprint 3 Milestone 3: Final Streamlined Sustainability Assessment

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23 Sep – 3 Nov Sprint 4: Associates critically analyse data from the streamlined
sustainability assessment and identify project options
[Date TBC] [Interim milestones TBC]

[Date TBC] Associates pitch sustainability ‘hot’ opportunities to Academy staff

Nov – Dec Project Principals and Project Sponsors choose project ideas to carry
forward to next year’s Living Lab for further development

5 Project Risks

Table 2 – Project risks and mitigation methods

Risk category Risk Mitigation method

Financial No financial risks associated with
project.
Reputational This is an internal Academy project, so
no reputational risks associated with
project.
Organisational Data cannot be obtained in time – Some To manage this risk and
data, eg energy usage, might be difficult confine the scope fermi
to source during the project timeframe. calculations will be used to
estimate data, eg energy
usage.
Key insights and recommendations Specify a format of
from Sprint 4 deliverables are not deliverables that enables clear
clearly communicated and easily communication and easy
shared, making it difficult for associates sharing.
working on the Living Lab for
Sustainability in 2020 to build on the
2019 work.
Learning experience Scope of the project is too large – As To ensure that the associates
this project will be conducted in the can achieve tangible
community project stream there is outcomes the scope will be
limited time for associates to spend on limited as described above.
the project.
Associates lack motivation for project, Facilitators to integrate
and broader Living Lab initiative, due to examples/stories of inspiring
the data-intensive nature of activities. projects and visions for where
the Living Labs initiative can
go beyond the initial data
gathering and analysis
phases.
Studio Facilitators do not have specific Engage internal technical
technical expertise to support aspects expert to provide specialist
of the project scope. technical advice during project
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 (via Project Principal)
OH&S There may be some OH&S risks Associates to present
associated with data collection, research plans to Studio
depending on the methods used. Facilitators, including
consideration of OH&S risks.
Following discussion, if agreed
with studio facilitator,
Associates to prepare formal
risk assessment/s for approval
by studio facilitator and/or
FSET Safety Coordinator prior
to undertaking work.
This project may include research 1. Human ethics and
methods which require Associates to research methods to be
consider ethics, such as surveys of discussed during studio
Academy Staff and Associates. session that covers
research planning.
2. Associates to present
research plans to Studio
Facilitators, including
consideration of human
ethics.

6 Project Budget and Resources

This project:
Small budget may be required to purchase sensors depending on what data measurement is
planned.

Future projects:
As outlined above, this project is the beginning of an ongoing program at the Academy. As ideas
are developed and scoped further in 2020, we anticipate future funding requirements to
implement ideas. Business cases will be developed as ideas progress, including consideration of
funding options.

7 Human Ethics Requirements

This project may include research methods which require Associates to consider ethics, such as
surveys of Academy Staff and Associates.
No engagement with external organisations or individuals is required.

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8 Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and
Improvement (MERI) Plan

To be developed in Week 1 of Sprint 3

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