If an intervention does not take into account fragility, it risks leaving behind those who need it most.
For a just transition
ASSERT – Mentorship path for municipalities and intermediaries
The activity — Continuous technical assistance to combine energy and disability
Many policies and measures against energy poverty do not fully address the needs of people with physical disabilities, who may have higher energy needs and practical barriers in accessing available solutions. In this scenario, municipalities and intermediaries often find themselves without specific tools and skills to design truly inclusive, data-driven and impact-oriented actions.
ASSERT’s mentorship path was created to respond to this need as a very practical and constant form of technical assistance: continuous support that accompanies municipalities and intermediaries step by step in transforming needs and objectives into operational choices, tools and local interventions that can be truly implemented, integrating the energy and social dimensions.
How we work — Mentorship as ongoing technical assistance for municipalities and intermediaries
Thanks to expertise on energy poverty and the design of local interventions, together with capacity building skills and operational accompaniment, AISFOR has made mentorship a constant and very practical technical assistance, built on the real needs of decision-makers and those working in the field.
Technical assistance to municipalities
- The analysis of energy needs in the area was set up and carried out: collection and reading of evidence useful for understanding vulnerabilities and needs and for guiding priorities and local choices.
- Supported the definition of local policies and actions against energy poverty: integration of the energy dimension with the social dimension to build more inclusive interventions
- Co-designed interventions and operational tools with municipalities and local actors: translation of objectives into feasible measures, consistent with resources and territorial context.
- Co-designed and delivered training for staff and administrators of municipalities: content and sessions built on the needs of the entity to strengthen skills on the recognition and management of energy vulnerability.
- Set up monitoring and evaluation of actions: indicators and routine for reading the results to progressively improve effectiveness and replicability.
Technical assistance to intermediaries
- Co-designed training for intermediaries' operators: definition of contents, cases and educational tools adhering to disability assistance activities.
- Provided training and updating to operators: transfer of knowledge and methods to insert the "energy layer" into existing services in a comprehensible and applicable way.
- Operational tutoring in the field: practical and continuous support in daily activities to integrate energy (consumption, bills, comfort, access to measures) in taking charge.
- The adoption of "energy+disability" tools and routines was supported: definition of replicable working methods (what to observe, what to ask, how to orient and when to send).
- Facilitated exchange between peers and comparison between operators: peer-to-peer moments to consolidate skills and disseminate effective practices between territories.
- Collected evidence and feedback from the field: reading emerging needs and results to progressively improve tools and methods of intervention.
The AISFOR contribution — What remains: replicable method and tools to integrate energy and disability
For Municipalities
- Local energy needs analysis framework: evidence and useful readings to define priorities and data-based interventions.
- Setting up inclusive socio-energy policies and actions: operational logics to integrate energy vulnerability and inclusion in the planning of municipalities.
- Formats and training materials for municipalities: reusable content to strengthen internal skills and make the ability to respond stable over time.
- Monitoring and continuous improvement frameworks: indicators and routines to measure results, adapt actions and capitalize on experience.
For intermediaries
- Replicable field tutoring model: continuous coaching methods to include the energy dimension within disability assistance services.
- "Energy+disability" operational kit: practical tools and simple languages to integrate guiding questions, guidance and referral to solutions/services.
- Co-designed training course for operators: content and use cases that can be transferred to other organizations and territories.
- Peer-to-peer exchange method: peer-to-peer approach to consolidate skills and disseminate effective practices.
- Evidence from the field and lessons learned: a useful basis for refining tools and making the approach more effective over time.
Progetti
ASSERT
Energy/renewable communitiesOngoingPolicy developmentSocial inclusion
- 01.10.2024
- 30.09.2027
This activity took place as part of the LIFE Clean Energy Transition ASSERT project (LIFE23-CET-ASSERT/101167584, 01/10/2024–30/09/2027), funded by the European LIFE programme, with the aim of implementing a large-scale multi-actor training and mentorship programme to address energy poverty among people with physical disabilities, strengthening the skills of municipalities and intermediaries and improving the inclusive response capacity in the territories; for context and overall results, please refer to the ASSERT project page.
Do you want to activate a path of continuous technical assistance in your area that makes it more
policies and services against energy poverty? Contact us and let’s design together the most suitable path for your municipalities and the intermediary actors involved.