EVERSOURCE ENERGY COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

EWN CLIENT CASE STUDY

ABOUT THE CLIENT

Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES), a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor’s 500 energy company based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, operates New England’s largest energy delivery system. Eversource is committed to safety, reliability, environmental leadership and stewardship, and expanding energy options for its 3.7 million electric and natural gas customers. A company dedicated to its customers, communities, and employees, Eversource knows that success depends on the best efforts of an engaged team — diverse, talented, and dedicated individuals who take pride in their work, know and exhibit the value of teamwork and collaboration, and support each other in working safely every day.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2016, Eversource found themselves looking for a mechanism to better ensure the rigor, effectiveness, and integrity of its training content, test security, records management, and overall Operator Qualification (OQ) Program. Eversource had determined that the off-the-shelf model they were utilizing needed to be replaced. Eversource’s company leadership recognized the challenge would be to implement a program that would deliver both short-term and lasting results, while decreasing the likelihood of risks, accidents, and incidents due to human error.

Achieving this would require developing a new program, building the necessary infrastructure, and sustaining a culture of excellence, one supportive of adopting and successfully practicing new working methods.

Stakeholders agreed on the steps that needed to be taken towards creating a more robust program. By January 2018, processes and partnerships culminated in an executed, model program that exceeded regulatory guidelines and was industry-leading in its approach.

Key Partners

Texas-based training, auditing, compliance, and records management provider, serving over 1,000 clients throughout North and South America and Mexico.

Texas-based company and ENERGY worldnet’s premier third-party authorized training and assessment center (ATAC).

“EWN is proud to work with companies like Eversource Energy that are committed to making the world a safer place to work. Eversource’s goal in this change process aligned perfectly with our company’s vision.”

Coleman R. Sterling Chief Executive Officer,ENERGY worldnet, Inc.

EWN CLIENT CASE STUDY EVERSOURCE ENERGY COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

THE PROCESS

Through a voluntary, comprehensive needs analysis and audit, Eversource identified several immediate opportunities for improvement in processes and practices in its current OQ Program.

• The content and process for worker qualifications under the OQ Plan would need to be revised to align directly with the work being performed by employees and contractors based on their Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan.

• The integrity and security of the testing and Performance Evaluation processes would need to be upgraded to add accountability, transparency, and to meet increasing regulatory guidelines.

• The development of a model OQ Program would need to complement the company’s existing commitment to continuous improvement and to the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) model of carrying out organizational change.

“In cases like Eversource, a commitment to an OQ Program overhaul involves providing recommendations and guiding them as they create a customized program that takes advantage of EWN’s E3 (learning content management) system along with all the benefits it offers,” said Christel Stotts, EWN Client Success Engineer.

Eversource Energy identified three primary areas for development as it customized its OQ Program:

1. Customized training modules that would align Eversource’s educational content with the actual equipment, materials, and work being performed in the field.

2. Skill assessments that would align with Eversource’s O&M and commitment to security, integrity, and transparency.

3. The use of accountable, third-party subject-matter expert (SME) evaluators for unbiased, practical Eversource Performance Evaluations and assessments.

Developing a custom OQ Program is no small task. It involves establishing a complete task list, defining personnel training and qualification requirements, and ensuring that contractors and vendors comply with program requirements. It involves transferring thousands of data files and ensuring that personnel compliance records remain intact. It takes time, patience, resources — and, perhaps most importantly, a commitment from the most senior levels of the organization.

In Eversource’s case, its leaders were committed to addressing these opportunities for improvement head-on. The leadership’s pledge to change removed many obstacles associated with the creation of custom content. Their desire was to far surpass minimum standards. They were dedicated to supporting Eversource as it sought to redefine itself through an innovative, industry-leading OQ Plan — no matter the time or resources that might be required. Fundamentally, they believed it was the right thing to do.

Understanding OQThe Operator Qualification (OQ) Rule

requires pipeline Operators to develop a qualification program to evaluate an

individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform covered tasks and to

recognize and react to abnormal operating conditions (AOCs). OQ Plans are intended to help Operators communicate company qualification requirements, minimize risks,

and increase pipeline safety. The most effective programs are directly aligned with a company’s Operations and Maintenance Plan, standard operating procedures, and

the needs of the specific facilities and equipment being utilized by their workforce.

“Consistent with the forward-focused nature of their

OQ Program and desire to ensure a qualified workforce, Eversource engaged EWN to conduct an external audit of selected written assessment

questions. We recommended methodologies to increase

the quality and clarity of the questions Eversource utilized

to assess its workforce. This ultimately had a positive

impact on their overall program effectiveness.”

Mayra Maese Senior Vice President,

Education and ComplianceENERGY worldnet, Inc.

energyworldnet.com | 2019 © ENERGY worldnet, Inc. 2

EWN CLIENT CASE STUDY EVERSOURCE ENERGY COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

THE SOLUTION

One of the first challenges Eversource Energy encountered was in creating the content it would need to support its customized OQ Program. Time was of the essence — and Eversource imposed a strict timeline for project completion. Major project requirements included:

• Almost 70 training and assessment modules would need to be altered or created using EWN’s extensive library of customizable content as a baseline.

• Four instructional designers would need to modify and update instructional materials and create custom learning experiences that ensured educational best practices.

• Multiple data entry personnel would need to create and modify customized content using EWN’s E3 Learning Management System.

• More than 40 subject-matter experts would need to vet the content to ensure consistency and applicability to the unique needs of the company and the industries it served.

• Hours of pilot and quality-assurance testing would need to be performed.

Eversource recognized the need for greater security, integrity, and transparency, so it made the bold decision to secure third-party subject-matter expert evaluators to assess its workforce. Throughout the change process, Lone Star Consulting Services worked alongside Eversource’s internal experts to generate high-quality, practical Performance Evaluations that aligned with the newly-customized training modules.

Leading up to their decision about third-party evaluators, company management conversed with EWN, who provided compelling research that one-on-one, single-source, third-party Performance Evaluations for all covered tasks was an industry best practice. This recommendation was made in order to ensure operator and contractor continuity and to ensure verifiable worker qualifications. The company’s management agreed, realizing that utilizing internal resources for creating and conducting Performance Evaluations posed potential risks and might compromise the integrity of its new OQ Program.

EWN provided Eversource with a list of its approved, fully-vetted advanced authorized training and assessment centers. The company’s leadership ultimately selected Lone Star Consulting Services.

“LSCS had the opportunity to bring in our varied field expertise and review information that would be beneficial to SMEs, engineers, and management alike. One of our goals in working with Eversource was to break down the complexity of the language into field personnel terms. We carefully reviewed content to ensure that all training was consistent in its terminology,” commented Jack Cordry, LSCS President.

Eversource and EWN further collaborated to develop a technology solution to address its test security concerns. Company management worked with EWN to secure the services of a secure, third-party testing company who would serve as a proctoring location for Eversource employees and its contractors. Eversource, EWN, and the third-party testing partner worked closely with one another to facilitate the behind-the-scenes technology requirements and agreements that would make this arrangement possible. The technological infrastructure created for this project will make future ventures possible for other companies.

By the Numbers

9,000 one-on-one evaluations

65+ training & assessment modules

40+ subject matter experts

6+ months of proactive awareness

4 instructional designers

““Eversource’s outstanding management team is to be

commended. This expansive project could not have been accomplished without their

firm commitment to innovative planning and best practices.”

Dr. Matt JoinerExecutive Director, Education,

ENERGY worldnet, Inc.

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In only twelve months, LSCS completed over 9,000 one-on-one Performance Evaluations for Eversource using EWN’s best-in-class mobile app.

EWN CLIENT CASE STUDY EVERSOURCE ENERGY COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

THE RESULTS

Introducing new coursework and third-party norms presented its own set of growth opportunities.

To mitigate potential implementation concerns, Eversource issued a significant number of communications prior to the rollout of the new OQ Program. They held mandatory face-to-face and remote meetings in which all stakeholders were advised of the changes, the rationale behind them, and the advantages, objectives, and benefits. These connection points were mission critical as Eversource has over 800 gas employees in over 14 locations across the region.

In order to even better prepare workers for the changes to come, Eversource created an “Operator Qualification Awareness Program” online learning module, complete with need-to-know information, applicable company standards, videos, presentations, and other pertinent resources. This module served a dual role:

1. To educate existing individuals and prepare them for the changes to come, and

2. To improve the onboarding process for future contractors by clearly defining training, procedures, and equipment specifications.

Eversource Contractor Onboarding

Eversource executed an aggressive Contractor onboarding schedule over the last three quarters of 2018.

“Eversource Energy’s approach reflects their strong commitment to high internal and external standards. Their

results-focused responses are just what the industry has

been looking for.”

Geoff IsbellPresident,

ENERGY worldnet, Inc.

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EWN CLIENT CASE STUDY EVERSOURCE ENERGY COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW FOCUS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

CONCLUSION

Eversource’s journey is off to a very progressive start. Their commitment to continuous improvement has prompted them to routinely pause, take stock, and make plans for additional opportunities to redefine best practices in the industry.

Previously, employees had to prepare themselves to take written examinations and be mindful of the differences between the material on which they were being tested and the actual practices used when performing a task in the field. Now, assessments are aligned with the actual field practices, making it clear to all that there is only one way to perform and one way to test — and they are the same.

Eversource’s company management is pleased that learning content is now aligned with procedures, the testing environment is secure, and EWN’s platform is facilitating the quick review, modification, and deployment of course material and assessments. Employees, contractors, and management alike are more comfortable and engaged today than ever before.

“We’re hearing good things from the field. From LSCS’s vantage point, Eversource’s employees and contractors seem more vested and engaged than ever before. Given the large number of changes they’ve been asked to embrace, this is remarkable. To Eversource’s credit, feedback from all levels continues to play an invaluable role in their success journey. They have set the bar high in more ways than one, and it shows,” stated Jeremy Reicheneker, LSCS Director of Training and Logistics.

In summary, every operator across the United States should be looking at what Eversource has accomplished in such a short period of time. They were dedicated and deliberate in creating an O&M-based training and evaluation program that focused on the safety and proper knowledge transfer of both operator and contractor employees.

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“Eversource now has the ability to tailor their training material to their unique re-

quirements. This is one of the things regulators across the

United States are focused on. Their response has allowed

them to meet and exceed this specific request from the regulators. EWN is proud to play a part in their success.”

Crystal StrombergEducation Manager,

ENERGY worldnet, Inc.