#BetterTogether Community of Practice – Engaging customers with lived experience

Practical ways to engage people with lived experience in our communities with insights and learnings from TasCollab – a co-designed cross-sector collaboration pilot.

In a ground-breaking collaboration for the energy sector in Tasmania, Energy Charter signatories Aurora Energy and TasNetworks along with Hydro Tasmania and Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) have partnered across sectors to collectively implement TasCollab.

TasCollab is a new cross-sector collaboration bringing together community service and research organisations, businesses, and community members to explore innovative and tangible solutions to societal issues in lutruwita / trouwunna (Tasmania).

A key factor to its success was bringing the community voice to the table.

Dr Lucy Mercer-Mapstone, Stakeholder engagement and policy officer at Tasmanian Council of Social Services (TasCOSS) and TasCollab lead said: “People are starting to realise that old engagement methods are not the most appropriate, inclusive or authentic. Often the structures created in those methods unintentionally exclude people with lived experience and those that are most at risk and vulnerable.

For TasCollab, we wanted to include community members in a way that these businesses had not done before that truly centred lived experience in the collaborative process.

We started a Community Voice Partnership Program which focused on lived experience advocacy that recruits, trains, mentors, and pays community members with diverse lived experiences to work with us. These Community Voice Partners all had an equal seat at the co-design table.”

Practical ways TasCollab engaged with people with lived experience include:

  • Equal seat at the co-design table – proportionally equal representation between Community Voice Partners, community sector and business.
  • Process orientated approach – equal importance placed on the process (co-creation, collaboration and relationships) as outcomes.
  • Collaborative foundations – a lot of time (3-4 months) was spent building collaborative structures & relationships including principles, terms of reference, resources, decision making tools, guidelines for addressing unconscious bias and safe spacing for sharing vulnerability etc. to ensure the way we worked together on a project was inclusive and effective.
  • Distributed leadership model – rotating facilitation role across partners where people led small subgroups with the support of TasCollab facilitator Dr Lucy Mercer-Mapstone. This enabled all partners to take on a leadership role with topic areas they were interested or had skills sets in. This saw community members working with energy business staff to co-facilitate co-creation sessions for example.

“This was a really powerful example of collaboration across diverse identities and positionalities” Lucy said.

Through the extensive co-design process, the TasCollab pilot will focus on a new lived experience advocacy program named ‘Community Partnership Program’ that sits within TasCOSS . The program will create paid opportunities and training for people on low incomes to influence services, policies, procedures, and decisions that affect them This is a formal program where people with lived experience are recruited ethically and paid, receive formal training and ongoing mentoring to prepare them to:

  • Work in partnership with a community service organisation to revise or create a new service.
  • Collaborate on projects.
  • Sit on interview panels for hiring roles in community service organisations or financial hardship teams.
  • Sit on boards, governance groups or working committees.
  • Speak at business professional development or media events.

When asked, why does this kind of engagement matter? Lucy said:

“Fundamentally, it comes down to the question, can we really keep doing our jobs ethically if we’re not engaging people with lived experience of the services that we’re offering? For me, it’s time to acknowledge that we can’t really be doing our jobs well in the absence of the customer groups who use the services that we’re delivering. Ultimately we’re here to support them to lead good lives and they know best what that looks like.”

TasCollab is reaching its twelve-month milestone and will be undertake a review and evaluation. To learn more about the program email Lucy via email lucy@tascoss.org.au

The Energy Charter + Water Services Association Australia (WSAA) #BetterTogether Community of Practice enables the opportunity for collaboration, co-design and knowledge sharing, particularly through the energy supply chain and across sectors. To learn more visit #BetterTogether

May News Update II Energy Charter future focus elevates #BetterTogether collaboration

Energy Charter future focus elevates #BetterTogether collaboration

We’re excited to announce that on the back of our recent 3-Year Strategic Review, the Energy Charter will place greater focus on cross-sector collaboration through our #BetterTogether initiatives to continue to deliver better outcomes for customers at a time of unprecedented change in the energy industry.
 
Feedback from customer representatives and stakeholders showed the Energy Charter has delivered value for customers and communities across the whole supply chain. The most valued aspects were collaboration, building trusted relationships and knowledge sharing. There was also a desire to see more and bigger outcomes from the #BetterTogether initiatives. Many thanks to everyone who provided feedback, it has really shaped the continued evolution of the Energy Charter.
 
Many of the challenges facing energy customers such as ensuring an equitable energy transition and improved support for vulnerable customers cannot be meaningfully achieved by individual energy businesses. 

Rather, we need the entire supply chain to come together and identify solutions for all customer segments.  That’s what the #BetterTogether initiatives enable us to do. To ensure that the Energy Charter is set up to meet the new challenges for customers, the elevated Energy Charter #BetterTogether program will enable a ‘whole-of-system’ collaborative approach to achieve this. With CEOs making a public commitment to Priority #BetterTogether initiatives, the Energy Charter will accelerate better customer outcomes into the future.
 
Importantly, Full Energy Charter signatories will continue to focus on accountability publishing annual signatory disclosure reports demonstrating how they performed against the Energy Charter principles. Building on the gains made over the last 3 years, the accountability framework will leverage existing business’ stakeholder consultation structures, rather than through the Independent Accountability Panel. We thank Clare Petre, Chair and panellists Andrew Richards and Cassandra Goldie for their hard work and commitment, and ongoing support for the Energy Charter.
 
The Energy Charter uniquely brings together collective and individual elements of the energy supply chain for whole of system alignment and action, while supporting individual businesses to do better for their customers. We’re excited to continue to work with all of you in this exciting phase of elevated #BetterTogether action and delivery for our customers and communities.

Rebecca Kardos
2022 Chair of the CEO Council
CEO at Aurora

Background

As Chair of the Energy Charter End-User Consultative Group (EUCG), made up of close to 20 consumer and business representatives from across Australia, I welcome the elevation of the #BetterTogether initiatives by the Energy Charter CEO Council.
 
The Energy Charter has achieved better outcomes for customers and community. The EUCG feedback throughout the 3-Year Strategic Review was to encourage Energy Charter signatories to do more. How? With a whole of supply chain focus on delivering customers outcomes through the #BetterTogether initiatives. It needs to be strategic and future-focused. It needs to prioritise emerging customer issues, particularly given the energy transition.

The core proposition of the Energy Charter is that customer representatives can engage with businesses across the energy supply chain, with a sharp focus on customers. We look forward to co-designing ways in which Energy Charter signatories can better support and build capacity within consumer advocacy. We are keen to collaborate on setting the agenda for #BetterTogether initiatives that align with consumer priorities. Finally, we encourage Energy Charter signatories to think strategically about how to resource meaningful consumer engagement through the new approach to decentralised accountability.

Cath Smith
Independent Chair of the EUCG

Energy Charter logo

A national CEO-led collaboration that supports the energy sector towards a customer-centric future. Our core values of “Be invested, make a difference”, “Be open, learn and improve”, and “Think big, be bold” are brought to life through #BetterTogether initiatives focused on delivering better customer outcomes for all Australians.

#BetterTogether Collaborator: SA Power Networks and Simply Energy.
Energy Charter Supporter: Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

Visit www.theenergycharter.com.au and follow us www.linkedin.com/company/the-energy-charter.

The Energy Charter April News Update

Message from the Chair of the CEO Council – Rebecca Kardos CEO at Aurora, #EN2022 Gas Evolution: The Customer Journey, Customer Voice – Joy Thomas at National Irrigators’ Council, #BetterTogether Know Your Customers & Communities National Customer Code for Energy Comparators & Energy Moving Services Stakeholder consultation concluding Read More

#BetterTogether First Nations Engagement – What’s authentic? Where do we start? How can we do it better?

Led by First Nations leaders in the energy sector, the #BetterTogether First Nations Engagement focuses on better engagement and collaboration with First Nations people, in partnership with the water industry.

Last month, Energy Charter signatories and collaborators, along with representatives from the water sector, had the opportunity to learn more about Horizon Power’s Aboriginal Engagement Strategy, enabled by the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2022-24, the Aboriginal engagement model and performance and reporting mechanisms, during a First Nations listening session.

“Horizon Power has the privilege to work, live alongside and provide electricity services to Aboriginal people across our region including remote Western Australia.

Our vision for reconciliation is embedded within our current corporate strategy with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commitment as one of our four guiding principles.

Aboriginal cultures, histories and participation should be seen, heard, respected and valued as an integral part of our business and we want to have a positive impact on Aboriginal customers, suppliers, employees and communities throughout.” – Aaron Matthews, Aboriginal Engagement Officer at Horizon Power

The Aboriginal Engagement Strategy has been designed to progress and embed better practice Aboriginal engagement across the business and focuses on strengthening their commitment to Aboriginal people with targeted initiatives.

Four key results areas across the business include:

  1. Operating on Aboriginal land
  2. Communication, engagement, and customer relations
  3. Commercial relationship and capacity building
  4. Recruitment, retention and the employment pathway

What’s authentic? Where do you start? How can we do better?

Guiding principles were unpacked with key questions to help demonstrate how principles could be applied to day-to-day business activities and bring them to life. For example:

  • Cultural Safety – Are you recognising & respecting Aboriginal people’s cultural rights & psychological safety?
  • Mutual Respect – Are you being honest and authentic?
  • Self Determination – Have you included Aboriginal voices both during consultation & decision making?
  • Social Impact – How does this impact Aboriginal people?
  • Valuing Culture & Heritage – Are you valuing and supporting the protection of Aboriginal culture & heritage?

The Aboriginal Engagement Strategy also aligns with broader national Aboriginal Closing the Gap targets.

To learn more, download the Horizon Power Aboriginal Engagement Strategy – First Nations Engagement information pack

#BetterTogether First Nations Engagement is Led by TasNetworks, Essential Energy, Energy Queensland, SA Water, Transgrid, EWON, Horizon Power and Greater Western Water with other water and energy businesses and advocates.

The Energy Charter March News Update

Message from the new Chair of the CEO Council – Rebecca Kardos CEO at Aurora, National Customer Code for Energy Comparators & Energy Moving Services, COVID Vulnerable Customer Support Update from Uniting Vic Tas, #BetterTogether Know Your Customers & Communities, and WE Lunch + Learn – Reframing Complaints Read More

#BetterTogether – Energy Brokers, Consultants & Retailers customer-centric approach delivers better outcomes

Signatories of the National Customer Code for Energy Brokers, Consultants & Retailers (Code) are saving commercial and industrial (C&I) energy customers significant time and money by transitioning from a traditional transactional role to providing tailored customer-centric energy support services.

“By ‘thinking outside of the box’ with a ‘customer hat on’ WiseUp Energy Solutions has provided a more holistic service for our commercial and industrial (C&I) energy customers. Critical to this has been connections, and ongoing relationships, with both distribution networks and retailers, with some made through the Energy Charter.” – Sharon Musker, WiseUp Energy Solutions

The National Customer Code for Energy Brokers, Consultants & Retailers is voluntary, and all energy brokers, consultants and retailers are welcome to sign up. In signing up to the Code, they are committing to:

  1. Customer centricity – putting customers at the centre of their business and making decisions based on what is in the customers’ best interests
  2. Transparency – providing clear, accurate and relevant information to help customers make informed choices
  3. Fit for purpose – ensuring that products and services are responsible, accurate and meet customer expectations
  4. Accountability – being responsive to customer needs and taking prompt, appropriate action if a customer makes a complaint to ensure continuous improvement

Through their client energy support services, WiseUp Energy Solutions has provided additional investigation and analysis for businesses unable to make decisions due to the impact of COVID-19. These have included reviewing alignment of seasonal tariff/budgets, value assessments, and seasonal consumption forecasting, enabling them to tailor energy saving solutions for their commercial and industrial (C&I) energy customers. 

Sharon Musker, WiseUp Energy Solutions said, “Better outcomes for customers have been successfully achieved through trusted relationships with energy distribution networks and retailers. Being a signatory to the Code has helped to advocate for these.” 

The National Customer Code for Energy Brokers, Consultants & Retailers was launched in December 2020 and aims to give large customers confidence that Signatories are working together in their best interests and delivering value to them. The Customer Code also addresses some of the concerns about third party intermediaries’ selling practices raised in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry Report 2018. To learn more visit: National Customer Code – Energy Brokers, Consultants and Retailers

New Energy Charter CEO Council Chair 2022

Energy Charter signatories have today welcomed the CEO of Aurora Energy, Rebecca Kardos, as the new Chair of the CEO Council for 2022.

“The Energy Charter represents a genuine collaboration across the energy sector to put customers at the front and centre. In committing to the five principles of the Energy Charter, businesses across retail, distribution, transmission and generation work together to deliver tangible customer benefits through #BetterTogether initiatives. I am thrilled to be chairing the Energy Charter CEO Council in its fourth year of operation.” Ms Kardos said.

In early 2022, Energy Charter signatories will conduct a strategic review to reflect on the customer outcomes achieved through the platform of the Energy Charter and identify areas for improvement. Signatories will also further respond to the recommendations of the Independent Accountability Panel last year: additional support for vulnerable customers and coming together to better plan the path to meeting customer and community expectations on net zero by 2050.The Energy Charter CEO Council acknowledged and thanked out going Chair, Managing Director of Jemena, Frank Tudor, for his outstanding leadership during 2021.

Background

Rebecca was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Energy in July 2014 and appointed as a Director of Aurora Energy in November 2014.Rebecca has significant executive experience in the utilities sector in Australia and New Zealand in both the public and private sector. Prior to joining Aurora Energy, Rebecca held the position of General Manager Retail at Synergy in Western Australia.Rebecca is currently a Board member of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (since May 2018). Rebecca has a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Computer Science and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Natonal Customer Code December News Update

2021 Annual Report, Customer Code Council Update, Code Champion Anthony Cooper, Executive Manager Energy Program at  Business Australia,  What’s On in 2022 and Call for Customer Code Council nominations by end of Jan 2022  Read More

Energy sector remains focused on transition and affordability

Affordable energy and transition to a decarbonised energy system, in ways that put customers at the centre and leaves no-one behind, have been identified by the Energy Charter as critical ongoing commitments in 2022, following a new report released today.

Energy Charter Full Signatories, made up of 25 energy organisations, including retailers, generators, distribution and transmission businesses, have pledged to work closer together over the next 12 months to focus on these key issues for the benefit of Australian customers and communities.

Following its annual review of Energy Charter signatory disclosures, the Independent Accountability Panel (IAP) released its third annual report today stating:

“The true test of whether Signatories are putting their customers at the centre of their business and the energy system is whether they work together, and with governments and market bodies, to address the clear challenges with ambition and urgency.”

Chair of the Energy Charter CEO Council, Frank Tudor, said 2021 continued to be an extremely challenging year for many energy consumers with the impacts of COVID-19 still being felt across the nation. The unique structure of the Energy Charter allowed organisations from across all areas of the supply chain to collaborate through #BetterTogether initiatives to support customers. This was recognised by the IAP as a critical innovative platform to support customers.

Key achievements through the Energy Charter over the past 12 months have included:

“The Energy Charter provides an open platform for the energy sector to collaborate on key issues for customers, and there is always more we can do,” Mr Tudor said.

“The Independent Accountability Panel’s message is clear. We need to come together with urgency to better plan the path to meeting customer and community expectations on net zero by 2050. We need ambition to do more to support households and businesses in vulnerable circumstances.

“We thank the Independent Accountability Panel for their report and recommendations. The Energy Charter signatories will continue to collaborate across industry and with customer advocates to deliver on these recommendations over the next 12 months to benefit customers.

“We are also proud to have welcomed four new signatories into the Energy Charter this year and look forward to building on that momentum to see more energy businesses joining in the years ahead, particularly retailers.”

During its review, the Independent Accountability Panel analysed the disclosure reports submitted by Energy Charter signatories, interviewed CEOs and held stakeholder and public forums. Led by Clare Petre as Chair, the IAP includes Cassandra Goldie, CEO Australian Council of Social Service and Andrew Richards, CEO Energy Users Association of Australia.

For more about the Energy Charter and the IAP report, visit theenergycharter.com.au

For media enquiries, please contact: Sabiene Heindl, E: director@theenergycharter.com, M: 0412 039 747

Strategies for change makers – Robyn Bailey

For me as a champion of change, it’s all about giving the ‘human’ element the same priority as the process element. In this short blog, I share with you some of the strategies and approaches that I have used to help deliver transformational change projects across large organisations.

Over the last 6 months, the Energy Charter teamed up with Good Shepherd’s Financial Inclusion Action Plan on a four-part series called Champions of Change. The series explored strategies to arm Changer Makers with the tools and insights to make change in and outside of organisations.

Robyn Bailey, previously the Executive General Manager, Transformation and Portfolio Management, nbn co., talked about how leadership and alignment were critical elements of enabling transformational change and the strategies that can be successfully used to drive such change.

My approach to change involves three simple, but key insights:

  1. Assume no bad intent – As human beings it is a requirement for us to constantly make assumptions because we rarely, if ever, have all the information at hand. It can be easy to assume that others might not support what we are working on, particularly when we are all working under time & budget constraints towards complex and ambitious goals. However, it is critically important to remember that we never really know exactly what others are thinking or what is going on in their world. More often than not over the years I have found that other people actually want the same or a similar outcome after I have taken the time to clarify my intent and demonstrated that I am open to hearing their considerations.
  2. Genuine collaboration – Do not underestimate the value of truly listening to others and making changes to incorporate feedback into the way that an outcome is being delivered. It can be easy to ignore the risks, concerns and suggestions that others raise in order to save time up front however ultimately it will end up costing more time at the end. Genuine collaboration is hard work but if it is done well, it saves time and reduces unnecessary frustration.
  3. Social capital – Business leader Margaret Heffernan in her “Forget the Pecking Order at Work” TED Talk challenges the roles of the workplace pecking order and suggests that a community focussed model will help achieve the highest levels of success in business and the world. How do you make sure outside your transactional work, that you are creating connections with other people in your workplace? I still recall the first time I saw Margaret’s video. It joined so many dots for me and I have been a strong advocate for social capital ever since.

From my experience you need to dedicate time towards getting to know other people beyond their roles in the workplace. It is a worthwhile investment which helps to build trust and empathy. Ultimately it enables change to occur more effectively because it is easier to drive and align behind the change agenda if you already have the human connections. After all, organisations don’t change, people do.

In my recent role we had a monthly meeting between senior leaders without any agenda except understanding others’ perspectives and what was going on for them. Open questions to get to know others are great at driving social capital and modelling this approach to others.

Ultimately, change involves people. Always remember: the human element is critical in any positive change process. Investing time in people and building connections is critical.

Robyn Bailey, previously Executive General Manager, Transformation and Portfolio Management, nbn co.