In July and August of 2020 EU funded the EU4Environment Resource efficiency and cleaner production project implemented by UNIDO and National Implementing Partner (NIP), REC Caucasus Armenia has launched the circle of Coaching sessions for RECP national experts in Armenia as a preparatory step for RECP audits to be undertaken for SMEs, to improve their environmental performance and find out more resource efficient ways for organizing their production.
The general objective of the coaching programme was to extend capacity on RECP methodology and practices among national experts and demonstrate its implementation in 15 companies strengthening national expertise on resource efficiency and cleaner production. The coaching is called to assist local companies working in plastic, fish production, textile, paper, metal processing and food producers in carrying out RECP assessments and further on the development of RECP action plans improving efficiency and environmental performance of SMEs, reducing waste, using green technologies, improving energy efficiency and cutting material losses.
NIP Technical Experts Dshkhuhi Sahakyan and Tigran Sekoyan in close cooperation with UNIDO RECP International Expert, Gabriela Cordoba provided 4 half-day training sessions, with three modules per session. Sessions were enriched with Armenia’s RECP related experiences and case studies presenting best practices in installing RECP using energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, water use, reduction of material loss and improved economic benefits for producer companies.
Four coaching sessions have covered International and national context, Introduction to RECP - CP Basics - Eco-design/Life cycle analysis, Team, policy, motivation, Material flow analysis, Energy flow analysis, Innovation, creativity, and option generation, Chemicals and hazardous materials, Indicators and environmental controlling, Waste management and recycling, RECP Audits and final reports, and RECP to Environmental Management systems and circular economy.
In each training module, the trainees have received a list of tasks to be developed before the next session. The objective was to put in place learning techniques through a self-assessment conducted by the company trainees to identify improvement opportunities in the selected topic. A self-assessment Excel tool has been developed as part of the Coaching materials, which provides guidelines for applying a systematic analysis of resource efficiency to be used by the trainees in their companies.
One of the objectives of the coaching was to help RECP experts lead the training modules through on-site workshops deliver within companies, as well as coach and provide technical assistance for the evaluation of RECP options to have an RECP action plan in each company at the end of the assessment cycle.
