The following components of the programme evaluation strategy were intended to measure the impact of the workshops. Evaluation was ongoing.

1. Pre- and post- workshop survey

Participants completed the same survey immediately prior to and following the workshop. These surveys asked participants basic knowledge and awareness questions about climate change and energy efficiency. These tests were designed to assess the change in participants' knowledge and awareness of climate change and energy efficiency as a result workshop attendance.

2. Post- workshop evaluation

At the end of the workshop, participants also completed an evaluation form that assessed participants' reaction to the workshop.

3. Pledge- and follow up- monitoring

Participants were invited to complete a voluntary pledge form at the workshop, committing themselves to one or several specific actions to reduce their personal energy consumption. The pledge was on NCR (no carbon required) paper to allow participants to keep one copy for themselves, while leaving the other copy with trainers for follow-up purposes. Following the workshop, pledges were entered into a database, which tallied the estimated greenhouse gas emissions (kg and tonnes) pledged to be saved or reduced.

Follow-up & Monitoring Programme

The ABC programme developed and designed a follow-up and monitoring programme to track longer term behaviour changes as a result of the workshop and to encourage further action. Data collected during the workshop delivery (e.g. participant name, email, evaluation form and pledges) were entered into a sophisticated programme designed using Microsoft Access.

Two and six months after the workshop delivery, each participant was contacted by email. The email message reported the progress of the programme and asked the participants to click on a personalised website address where they could report what pledged activities they had completed. The hotlink greeted participants by name and reminded them about what actions they pledged to do at the workshop. The interactive website urged participants to answer a series of questions relating to their pledged actions and calculated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved as a result of their achieved actions to date. This site also included a survey that queried participants on the changes to their attitudes and behaviour as a result of the workshop. Those without email received a letter through mail or fax requesting participants to complete a hard copy of the pledge and fax back, the returned forms were also entered into the database.

The Access database was designed to track the actions that participants pledged to do, the actions they completed, and the estimated GHG savings of those actions. Workshop summary reports were also produced which included data such as the amount of greenhouse gases saved, the follow-up response rate, change in awareness or behaviour, etc. These reports could be produced on a programme basis (ABC or Count Me In!), or by company, province or individual workshop. The individual workshop and company reports were provided to the company contact, who could communicate the results to employees through newsletters, intranet sites, posters and/or company meetings.

A second follow-up letter was also sent to a sample of participants that had email.

Workshop trainers delivered over 175 workshops to over 3,500 participants between May 1999 and August 2000. Participants pledged to decrease an estimated 5,990 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year, an average of 2 tonnes/per participant that completed a pledge form. The top 5 actions pledged include:

1. Keep tires fully inflated (1,302 pledges)

2. Turn off lights when not in use (1,188 pledges)

3. Recycle more (1,154 pledges)

4. Reduce speed (1,006 pledges)

5. Reduce idling (879 pledges)

The workshops also proved successful in terms of raising awareness and providing new energy efficient ideas to workshop participants. The workshop duration was considered appropriate.

There was also a change in awareness following the workshop. Participants prior to the workshop scored an average of 81% on the presurvey, but immediately following the workshop, participants scored 89% on the same survey questions.

Two months after the workshop, almost 30% of participants responded to the follow-up request, and reported back on the actions they had completed as a result of the workshop. Of those that reported, a total of 1,333 tonnes of greenhouse gases were saved/year, for a total of over 2,300 kgs per person that reported.

A number of participants also completed the awareness survey on the ABC and Count Me In! Websites. Six to eight weeks after the workshop, participants reported the following:

• 83% were more aware of climate change
• 90% were more aware of personal energy use
• 44% were more aware of TV programmes on climate change
• 62% were more aware of articles in the newspaper and magazines about climate change
• 45% reported that they had attempted to take public transit since they participated in the workshop

Between the two follow-up programmes, more than 40% of the workshop participants reported that they took specific action as a result of the workshop.

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