Abstract:

The research presents a new educational method for Environmental Engineering students focused on evaluation of European Union Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme projects. Within the study course on Climate Technologies, each student selects a Project from the IEE data base, provides an analysis of it and determines the possibility to transfer the Project implementation to another European Union country which did not participating in the original project.

Such a study method brings a multidisciplinary approach into the study course and, through one course assignment; students obtain knowledge and practical experience in all aspects of an evaluation process – technological, economic, social and climate aspects. During the study process the students analyse all the project evaluation phases: literature review and fundamental theory project evaluation theory, case study analysis and practice on screening of project analysis and evaluation, presentation, debate and defence of the results.

The overall method applied during the course work was developmental evaluation, in terms of the purpose of the evaluation, i.e. the evaluation was geared to provide an analysis of the applied technologies within the IEE projects and formulate recommendations on how to further apply successful innovation in other countries. Developmental evaluation is suited to innovation, replication and complex issues which conform to the situation with the IEE projects, as there is a broad range of complex technologies introduced in various countries. Contrary to the more typical developmental evaluation, however, the students’ work was not conducted internally within the IEE system and they did not have as broad as access to direct sources of information as one would in a typical developmental evaluation. The different tools used within this evaluation were: screening, calculations, desk review, peer review (including expert analysis).

Keywords:

Climate technologies, environmental engineering, evaluation of projects, screening.