REDI- digital meetings for the public sector in Sweden

REDI is a project run in co-operation between the Energy Agencies of Sweden focusing on meeting without travelling aiming for an energy-efficient transport system, with help from digitalization. The background to the Swedish national REDI project is the REMM project, led by The Swedish Transport Administration. For 7 years, it has successfully improved the utilization of digital meeting alternatives among government agencies in Sweden. Using a 10-step process, the participating agencies have been able to show tremendous results when it comes to climate impact from reduced travels. With the positive results, the idea was born to apply the same methodology to municipalities, counties and municipal-owned companies – the REDI project.

At the core of the REDI methodology is the realization that a transition to digital meeting alternatives can never be a purely technological process. Countless are the examples where organizations have invested in costly conferencing installations that have been left virtually untouched. Or similarly, where efforts have been made to increase employee utilization of digital meeting alternatives, while management maintains an intense travel routine. What is needed is a shift in attitudes and behaviours within each organization, a shift in organizational cultures.

The REDI project process aims to support the strategic implementation of digital meetings starting point and conditions, following the 10-step methodology, and it leans heavily on its five core approaches:

Regional teams – in which participating organizations team up with their regional energy agency as team leader. The team gathers all interested stakeholders and helps them with to start and improve their digital meetings processes. It is also beneficial for the energy agency that improves their contact and relation with stakeholders and partners.

Networks – between participating organizations with similar interests/challenges. The themes and needs of the networks are decided by the participants. The networks serve a peer to peer learning and experience sharing purpose.

Trainings – Physical and online training opportunities for participating organizations, including regularly occurring “Bootcamps” where participants can practice the ins and outs of digital meetings (connecting/disconnecting, turning mics and cameras on and off, experiencing bandwidth fluctuations etc). These trainings will be adjusted to fit different levels of knowledge and experience.

Monitoring and Evaluation – REDI provides participants with best practice examples, contacts to relevant researchers and institutions as well as concrete methods to assess and evaluate digital meeting initiatives.

Advice – regarding software and hardware solutions, REDI brings options to meet between different systems as well as on how to work with meeting and travel policies.

Aim: The aim is to reach 50 Swedish municipalities, county councils and municipal-owned companies within the first two year, and to scale up from there.

Project duration: June 2018 – October 2020

Budget: 5,000,000 SEK

Funding: The Swedish Energy Agency

Status November 2019: 41 participants so far and more coming in,  4 regional teams, 6 regional energy agencies engaged, working together and with stakeholders within their region. 10 held webinars and training sessions. One network started on how to measure and follow up digital meetings in organisations.