Agency-wide Employee Engagement Program at USFS

The U.S. Forest Service in partnership with Tripos Software announced the release of a “Green Information Technology/Power-IT-Down” online learning program to scale up its agency-wide Power-IT-Down (PID) Initiative.  The PID program will be featured at the 2014 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference (BECC)  December 8-10 in Washington, D.C.  

Simple Action – Substantial Results
The agency’s national PID program is a cost-saving initiative promoting the shutdown of computers and IT peripherals on evenings and weekends.  PID has the potential to save the agency $2.5 million a year as well as significant CO₂ emissions from reduced energy consumption.  As a conservation leader, the USDA Forest Service is one of the first federal agencies to comprehensively implement a program like PID. 

“The national PID program started as a grassroots effort in a subset of field offices and evolved into a national priority program to reach all employees and operating units.  The program uptake has been tremendous,” said Anna Jones Crabtree, Sustainable Operations Collective Executive Director.

Agency-wide Scale
The national PID program managers realized early in the implementation stages that maximum employee engagement would require raising awareness about power management issues and the potential cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions. All Forest Service employees have the opportunity to engage in the online learning program. 

An online, interactive learning experience allows employees to share the responsibility for the program’s success. By teaming with Tripos Software, the agency is leveraging the company’s established expertise in delivering a highly engaging program. Instruction topics include an overview of the agency’s PID program, issues and implications for effective computer power management, the business case for sustainability, and suggestions on how individuals and the Chief Information Office (CIO) can advance sustainable operations across the agency.    

The Forest Service’s national PID program and online learning module were jointly implemented by the CIO and Nationwide Sustainable Operations Collective and target the agency’s 28,000 full-time employees across multiple job functions. Doug Nash, Forest Service Chief Information Officer, sees the CIO as an important piece of the sustainability puzzle. “Because CIO actions often drive IT behaviors and usage habits, CIO decisions significantly impact both our environmental and economic footprints at an enterprise level,” says Nash. 

The national PID program has already yielded savings of $46,072 and 502,265 kWh with major ramp-up efforts to be implemented in the coming months. This is equivalent to CO₂ emissions from 31.6 homes’ energy use for one year. Such success is largely the result of internal stakeholder collaboration.   

Industry “Best Practices”
“This joint initiative is an excellent example of industry best practice where sustainability leaders collaborate with internal management teams and leaders to design and promote programs that have substantial impact on the organization at large. We’re proud to participate in this program,” said Grant Ricketts, Tripos Software CEO.

The national PID program managers will feature this effort during the upcoming 2014 Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change Conference (BECC) Poster Session the evening of Monday, December 8^th. 

Supporting Resources:

• Sustainability In Practice: www.SustainabilityInPractice.com

• USFS Sustainable Operations (SusOps): http://www.fs.fed.us/sustainableoperations/

• USFS Green IT Recycling Project (video): “Lighten Your Load” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggoKYWC7Y8g

About Tripos Software
Tripos Software (www.TriposSoftware.com) provides solutions for sustainability-minded organizations who want to drive improved results through broadened employee participation and engagement. Tripos offers content, software tools, and services to educate people and build awareness about sustainable business practices, engage people in sustainability initiatives, build sustainability centers of excellence, and provide visibility into sustainability performance.

Tripos Software, Inc.

Tripos Software, Inc.

Tripos Software provides solutions for sustainability-minded organizations who want to drive improved results through broadened employee participation and engagement. Tripos offers software tools, services and the online learning library, Sustainability In Practiceâ„¢, a role-based curriculum designed to help employees understand how key sustainability principles apply to their job so they are better able to see opportunities and take actions that contribute to the overall success of the organization.

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