Print12.6 Technology Assessment Report and Implementation Proposal
The technology assessment report in this course is prepared in two steps:
- Blueprint Draft (Milestone 5) - this document will be a relatively short outline of your report. It will have the structure of the final document and statment of goals, but it would only include tidbits of information for each of the seacton. This is to show that you are on the right track.
- Final Report - this is the final deliverable, which include through technology assessment as well as the proposed implementation scenario for your locale.
Let me provide some more guidance for these steps.
At the Blueprint stage, we want to make sure that all the required sections and elements are in place, and nothing is missing. So the majority of the document will look like an extended outline, except for the Introduction and Implementation Scenario. I would like to see those two sections more developed, and at this point you should provide a clear articulation of your project rationale and goals. In the Implementation Scenario, the questions where, when, and how should get some answers. It is important to put your assessment in local context, and I will be specifically looking for that information when reading your Blueprint draft.
The key sections to include in the document:
- Title page - it should include your name, project title, course number (EME 807), year. At the bottom of your title page, please include the icons of the UN sustainability goals (up to 3) that are specifically addressed by your project.
- Executive summary (1 page, to be added for the Final submission only) – it should deliver your proposed idea in a concise and compelling way and present the main findings. Executive summary is a "snapshot" of your entire project, rather than a preface to the introduction. It should be readable as a separate document.
- Introduction – Explain what this project is about, what problem it solves, what the motivation and goals are, and where it would be implemented. This would be a good place to tie your project idea to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as local and State sustainability targets.
- Proposed Implementation Scenario - Provide information on the locale, facility, or community where this technology would be implemented. This is where you can express your reasoning why utilizing this particular technology is a good idea and how you envision it. Include information on any stakeholders that would be involved or impacted by it.
- Technical assessment - Select the most relevant technical information that supports your implementation idea. Provide comparison to the baseline technology via metrics showing the pros and cons of the new technology. Technology readiness would be relevant to discuss here if this is an emerging technology. Note: Do not simply copy the entire Technical Review here, as it may be too bulky and distract the reader from the main ideas of the proposal.
- Environmental assessment – Discuss both positive or negative impacts of the project, present a few key metrics to evaluate those impacts. If appropriate, you can present some elements of LCA. (Note that performing a full-scale LCA would not be feasible within the proposal limits and would probably make your message too bulky and less compelling). Once again, feel free to compare the proposed technology to the baseline and highlight its benefits.
- Economic assessment – Present any relevant cost information (if impolemetation goes forward, what budget is required?). Does implemetation bring financial benefits to the client / society? Elements of cash flow analysis (see Lesson 3) can be included if appropriate. You can tap into online resources to understand the costs of related materials and services.
- Social impacts - Think of local impacts first! Who will benefit and who will be at risk if the technology is implemented at the locale? You may conisder a few metrics that help demonstrate those impacts. It is important to consider your local social context here. How would implementation benefit the community and how it will affect the local life level and culture?
- Conclusion – Present a strong closing statement with your recommendation for the implementation of the chosen technology. Re-iterate the most important findings on how this technology will improve local sustainability and comment on how the goals set up front have been met. Do not underestimate the power of this section - some reviewers read the Conclusion first!
- References – Include the full list of citations for the sources used to build your proposal. Be sure to use the professional citation style (especially for web references - URL is not enough!)
On the general note, when preparing your proposal, think about a potential audience you are writing it for. It is not the most comprehensive but most compelling proposal that wins. Also be specific – tie your analysis to a specific locale – clearly, implementing a certain technology in the US, or Africa or Australia may have very different effects, promise, and final outcomes.
Your Final Report, which is submitted during the last week of the semester, should be an originally written document that summarizes your thorough assessment of a chosen technology and includes your implementation scenario. It will be evaluated based on a number of criteria, including idea justification, clear articulation of the technology feasibility as well as its social, economic, and environmental benefits. See final project rubric for more information on how the projects are graded.