Placement Title: DMU Carbon Counter Frontrunner (Software and database management and Website development)
Faculty/Professional Service: Faculty of Technology
Team/Department/Section: Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Main Contact Name: Dr. Graeme Stuart
Supporting Teams and Colleagues: Dr. Leticia Ozawa-Meida (IESD) Karl Letten (Estates Department) Dr. Ian Murdey (Estates Department)
Hours: 10 hrs/week during term time
16 hrs/week during holidays Start Date: 27th January 2014
Placement Length: 9 months
Placement to cover: Term Time and holiday periods
Brief description of the placement: The role of these placements is to support DMU’s Sustainable Development Task Force on developing an integrated reporting system of sustainability indicators related to carbon management.
DMU has taken a comprehensive approach to measuring and reporting its carbon emissions. This includes emissions from staff and student travel, business travel, waste, water and procurement. Details of our carbon approach can be found here:-
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/dmu-
estate/environmental/carbon-management.aspx
The data for this carbon reporting is gathered from a variety of sources across DMU and the role of the Frontrunners will be to streamline and simplify this process and provide an integrated and automated reporting framework for carbon emissions at DMU by Faculty/Department. The framework will ensure that the emissions data is estimated accurately and the information is
communicated to staff, students and other stakeholders in an effective, attractive and clear manner to reduce the carbon footprint of the University by raising awareness and motivating behavioural change.
The selected frontrunners will have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and experience on the sustainability and carbon management fields as well as to develop their interpersonal and technical skills, such as team-work, communication and coordination with different DMU departments, data collection and analysis, software and website development. The placement will allow the frontrunner to develop these skills in a safe environment, under the supervision of IESD and support of staff from the Estates Department.
Number of placements requested 1
What graduate level career would the placement experience support/lead to?
Engineering or management positions related to IT development (programming, databases, systems integration, web development)
Engineering or management positions related to sustainability reporting, environmental management and Greenhouse Gas accounting
Sustainability practitioner in relation to carbon management and reporting Training to be undertaken during the placement:
Recommended Academic Professional Development training:
Corporate induction
Time management
Presentation skills
Introduction to Project Management On-site training:
Databases and Python programming (Graeme Stuart)
Web development (Graeme Stuart)
Energy analysis (Graeme Stuart)
Greenhouse Gas accounting (Leticia Ozawa-Meida)
Data and information systems within DMU (Karl Letten, Ian Murdey and Leticia Ozawa) Method of assessment of performance
Work plans (in the form of work packages) will be developed for each Frontrunner with specific objectives, tasks and time-scales. Monthly one-hour 1:1 meetings with the
Frontrunners’ supervisors will take place to assess the progress on the tasks (completing a monthly task sheet) per work package and a reflection of the skills acquired or developed.
Reflective report and exit interview at the end of the placement
The duties of the placement will include:
Duty Heading Duty Description
Review the existing data collection processes and information systems available in the university in relation to carbon management and GHG reporting (particularly related with business travel, energy and water use)
IESD and Estates staff will ensure that the frontrunner understands where the necessary data for carbon monitoring originates, how the data are collected and the information systems available within and outside the University (e.g. Databird, QLX, travel agency, etc.)
Develop databases and new software in Python that works with the existing information systems to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions.
The frontrunner will understand how the greenhouse gas emissions for business travel, energy and water use are calculated to be able to develop the software and databases. The frontrunner will build a platform for data management (i.e. a web service which provides access to a database).
The software will be developed in Python. It will store raw data obtained from the
university information systems in a database. It will estimate the associated emissions by sources (energy, business travel and water) and by Faculty/Departments using
established methodologies.
The necessary tools and knowledge will be provided by the frontrunner supervisor and supporting team.
Documentation of the information systems, data flows, databases and software
development
The frontrunner will document the data sources and design processes explaining how data are ‘digitised’, the data flows for all emission sources (description of the required input data and the generation of output emissions data) and IT architecture design of the integrated system.
Coordinate with his/her frontrunner fellow, IESD staff and other departments to
understand the best design for an integrated reporting system and provide the emissions data into a suitable format for the web development
The frontrunner will receive support and guidance from IESD and Estates staff to perform the duties of the placement. He/she will communicate with other departments, such as ITMS to understand how an
integrated reporting system can be designed and developed. The frontrunner will also be
Duty Heading Duty Description
in communication with his/her fellow ensuring that the programs and the output data are appropriate for the carbon reporting web page.
Skills associated with the placement
The skills developed as part of this placement will include:
Skills / experience developed Brief explanation Technical skills related to energy analysis,
carbon management and sustainability reporting
The frontrunners will develop skills and environmental awareness related to energy analysis, carbon management and
sustainability reporting as part of the duties required for this placement.
Data analysis and data visualisation The software development front runner will develop data analysis and retrieval skills through the collection and collation of data in relation to DMU GHG emissions from a variety of sources. They will use Python, mySQL and the HTTP protocol.
The web development frontrunner will develop skills in relation to the visualisation of environmental data in a way which is accessible to staff and students at DMU. They will use Javascript, HTML/CSS and the HTTP protocol.
Communication skills The frontrunners will require communicating with academic staff in IESD as well as with different departments at DMU to be able to collect data and understand the information systems within the university.
Team-working skills The frontrunners will require working not only among themselves to develop the data management platform and web service, but also with IESD academics as well as staff from the Estates, ITMS and Communication Departments.
Experience on working in a confidential environment
Some of the information that the frontrunners will be working with is of
Skills / experience developed Brief explanation
confidential nature. The frontrunners will need to understand how these data can be communicated internally or externally enhancing the University’s reputation or staff motivation.
Required Experience/Knowledge/Skills for the placement
Candidates for the placement will need to be able to reference the following experience/knowledge/skills as part of their application:
Area Essential Desirable
Remain a DMU student for duration of
placement.
Must not be on an existing Frontrunner
placement when this vacancy commences.
Computer and numerical skills
Relevant experience on working with databases Relevant experience and knowledge of
computer programming.
Demonstrate interest in learning Python to
develop the data management platform Excellent communications skills with
demonstrable experience of communicating with academics, administrators, technicians and students
Experience with the Python programming
language and/or mySQL databases.
Demonstrates interest on issues related to sustainability, energy analysis and carbon
management
