Delivery Unit for Energy Transition in Gorj County
Summary:
Pur și Simplu Verde will assist Gorj County Council in achieving its climate objectives and minimizing the negative economic and social effects associated with the energy transition by establishing a Delivery Unit. This unit, composed of a small number of individuals, will help the Council President focus on the region's energy transition priorities and access the necessary European funds to achieve a Just Transition.
Problem:
In the context of the Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism, Gorj County Council lacks realistic priorities and objectives to transition to a greener economy, human capital to design projects that can be funded through available European Funds, administrative capacity to implement green projects, and know-how to effectively communicate difficult decisions regarding the energy transition to various stakeholders.
How we plan to solve this problem:
Pur și Simplu Verde will help the Council establish a Delivery Unit, a small group of individuals who will assist the Council President in focusing on energy transition priorities. Such a unit will provide clarity regarding the Council's priorities, ensure the necessary staff for implementing energy transition measures, train the local team in data collection, create Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for measuring implementation, monitor implementation, and address challenges when measures encounter obstacles. The first Implementation Unit was established by the British Prime Minister in 2001, and since then, the concept has been used worldwide in local administrations such as the City of London, New Orleans, and Buenos Aires, for implementing energy projects, overseeing infrastructure budgets, and managing disaster funds.
Activities:
- Assessing the region's needs and identifying solutions (Month 1)
- Prioritizing necessary public policies (Month 1)
- Identifying quick wins that can be delivered and publicly communicated in a short time to maintain political and public support for the project (Month 1)
- Identifying data requirements for the project (Month 2)
- Creating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for measuring implementation (Month 2)
- Assisting the Regional Council in recruiting the Implementation Unit team (Month 2)
- Training the local team in the techniques established by the Implementation Unit (Month 3)
- Establishing implementation monitoring procedures (Month 3)
- Delivering and implementing communication techniques to effectively communicate the results of the Implementation Unit to various stakeholders (Month 3)
Period:
March-June 2023
Team:
Dr. Ioana Petrescu, Implementation Unit expert, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, former Head of Delivery Unit at the Prime Minister's Office in Romania, and international consultant on Implementation Unit-related issues.
Radu Puchiu, digitization and Implementation Unit expert, former Secretary of State and Head of Delivery Unit at the Prime Minister's Office in Romania.
Claudia Brânduș, renewable energy expert.
Dr. George Ștefan, energy transition expert, assistant at the Academy of Economic Studies in Romania, former advisor to the Minister of Finance in Romania.
Dr. Cătălin Nechifor, local public administration expert, former President of Suceava Regional Council and former member of the governmental team that developed the Sustainable Development Strategy, Agenda 2030.
Mălina Gonț, communication expert, external affairs expert at the World Bank, responsible for communication within the Delivery Unit at the Prime Minister's Office in Romania.
Previous projects with the Council:
Pur și Simplu Verde and Gorj County Council are partners in the AdJUST project - Advancing the Understanding of Challenges, Options, and Measures for Achieving a Just Energy Transition in Europe, submitted under the Horizon Europe program (HORIZON-CL5-2021-D2-01-12: Promoting a Just Transition in Europe - Specific Conditions). Other project partners include the London School of Economics, University College London, and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change. The research project aims to analyze the effects of the energy transition on businesses, households, and institutions in Europe.
Other Delivery Units established by Pur si Simplu Verde:
Pur și Simplu Verde has successfully implemented such an implementation unit at Hunedoara County Council and Mureș County Council.