Designing Smart and Fair Neighbourhood Trials Ethically

At its heart, Project LEO has been as much about social innovation and equity as technical learning, particularly in relation to our Smart and Fair Neighbourhoods (SFN). So it was vital that participants in these trials and the communities involved were managed and treated respectfully and ethically.

This companion piece to our Learning from the Smart and Fair Neighbourhood Trials Report focuses on our approach to putting these ethical principles into practice, both in the delivery of the trials and in the design and delivery of equitable local energy service offerings.

Project LEO put measures in place to ensure ethical trial delivery, from principles to

practice and this piece outlines the areas covered by these principles such as:

• Accessibility of language and terminology used
• Clarity of roles and scope of the project 
• Ensuring a collaborative process throughout
• Taking communities on the journey with us
• Mitigating any potential risks to communities or individuals

This companion piece demonstrates how Low Carbon Hub tried to ensure participation in the SFN trials was rewarding for all and that everyone involved had full access to all the relevant information.

It highlights the principles and practices that we followed and sets out the key take-homes from the process and shares some of the challenges that were experienced on the way. We end with some conclusions as to how we delivered on our principles, delivering valuable insights and learnings for future trials and potential service offerings.