Objectives:

• To increase understanding for community groups and EVALOC, about the role of community groups in changing energy behaviours and reducing energy use

• Specific community research questions:

• What are the effects and impacts of the LCC projects, and how sustained are they?

• Are there limits or barriers to the approach of social learning and community action in energy demand reduction, and if so, can these be more effectively communicated to the appropriate agencies to address?

• How can community-based organisations best monitor and communicate their own effectiveness at energy demand reduction, and learn from their work?

• What tools and approaches can effectively be used to enable social learning within and between organisations, and allow the transfer of knowledge to other organisations and communities interested in undertaking similar activities?

 

Key Outputs:

• Open Source toolkit of activities and approaches for energy demand reduction in communities

• Evaluation toolkits: tools for evaluation and monitoring that can be used and developed by communities

• Specific tools/trainings for communities to be determined in collaboration with the groups involved

 

Focus Groups

Objectives:

To explore the role of community groups in their local community

 

Methodology:

• Three focus groups of 8 participants each in each community over three years

• Same 8 people for each focus group

• Include participants from the core LCC team, local beneficiaries, projects, people/organisations the LCC would like to work with in the future, other stakeholders

• 2 hour session with a professional facilitator

 

Community Events

For community events in your area, check out our events page

 

Objectives:

• To stimulate further energy reduction/behaviour change by community groups

• To investigate the role of community events in promoting social learning

• Develop a guide on social learning through community events

 

Research Audiences:

Audiences and participants at community events; who may or may not be part of the LCC group

 

Data Collection Method:

• Short feedback sheet at community event, plus request for contact details for follow up surveys

• Follow up postal survey with community level research questions

 

Feedback to Communities:

Follow up discussions with key stakeholders during focus groups and project meetings to feed-back learning about the effectiveness of the different engagement and learning methods, in promoting changes in energy awareness, behaviour and use, and the wider research.