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Institutionalizing Sustainability Performance Metrics. Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference 2013 Presented by Keri Enright-Kato Yale Office of Sustainability. Indicator
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Institutionalizing Sustainability Performance Metrics Smart & Sustainable Campuses Conference 2013 Presented by Keri Enright-Kato Yale Office of Sustainability
Indicator Signal that reveals progress (or lack thereof) towards objectives; means of measuring what actually happens against what has been planned in terms of quantity, quality and timeliness. An indicator is a quantitative or qualitative variable that provides a simple and reliable basis for assessing achievement, change or performance. Source: Handbook on monitoring and evaluating for results. UNDP, Evaluation Office, New York, 2002. Metric Standard of measurement Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary
Selecting Meaningful Sustainability Indicators Five Key Questions: What is your intended sustainable outcome? What do you value? Do the indicators you’ve selected measure progress toward your goal/outcome? Is your indicator clear and easy to understand? Is the indicator based on accessible data? Are you collecting too many indicators?
Selecting Meaningful Sustainability Indicators Objective and verifiable metrics that are represented by a number. Typically easier to collect. i.e. campus greenhouse gas emissions. Quantitative An indirect measure that can represent the impact. i.e. Number of people that subscribe to our campaign emails or number of green office certifications indicate levels of engagement. Proxy/Indirect Often considered unverifiable and subjective. However, if properly developed and interpreted, qualitative indicators play a significant role in identifying constraints to implementation and obstacles to success, which may not be readily apparent. i.e. conducting focus groups with targeted questions leading to insightful responses. Qualitative
Yale University: Sustainability Metrics Timeline First Progress Report & Transition metrics to a cloud based data software program Yale Office of Sustainability Founded Formal analysis of trends presented to AVP of Facilities 2010 2012 2005 2008 2006 2013 Metric collection commences Sustainability Strategic Plan Developed Second Progress Report and Strategic Plan 2.0 Yale Office of Sustainability 2012 2013 2005 2006 2008 2010
Tips for Standardizing the Data Collection Process Face to Face Meeting Email Request Automated System Frequency