Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

Using the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Rating Tool for Stage 2 Ratings
Here are the steps for using the Envision Stage 2 Sustainable Infrastructure Rating Tool.

Downloading the components

1. Enter the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) website home page, http://www.sustainableinfrastructure.org. 2. Go to the Login to the Download and Comment section on the home page. Login with your Username and Password. If you do not have a Username and Password, then go to Request Portal Access. 3. Read the Portal Disclaimer. If you agree to the Disclaimer, then click on the Click to Continue button at the bottom of the page. You will then be routed to the Envision Tool Portal page. 4. Click on the Documents button. You will then be routed to the Downloadable Documents page. Download the Envision Stage 2 Scoring Module and the Envision Stage 2 Guidance Manual.

Exploring the Envision Stage 2 Scoring Module

5. Open up the Scoring Module spreadsheet. There you will find an opening menu with links to the relevant sections of the module. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Stage 2 Scoring Module, Menu page

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Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

a. The Instructions link provides an overview of the operation of the scoring module. b. The Project Information link allows the user to enter information about the project to be assessed. c. The Section Totals Summary link presents an overview of the scores for individual sections. It shows the scores achieved compared to maximum scores available (before and after exclusions), both in table and chart forms. Note that some rating system objectives may be excluded if they are not required for or applicable to the project. Some objectives are required and therefore not excludable. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: Stage 2 Scoring Module, Section Totals Summary page

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Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

d. The ten sections below the first three links are links to the rating system sections to be assessed and scored. These refer to the sections described in the Envision Stage 2 Guidance Manual. Each section contains one or more sub-sections, and each sub-section contains one or more objectives. There are 80 objectives. See Figure 3.

Rating System Sections

Figure 3: Menu page showing the Rating System Sections

6. Open up one of the Rating System Sections. Under the Section title, you will find a table containing a list of objectives associated with that section. These objectives are grouped by subsection and are numbered in a legal numbering system format, e.g., 4.3.2, referring to the Section, Subsection and Objective respectively. a. The Objectives column contains the objective title and a short description b. The Required?/Applicable? column notes whether the objective is required or whether it can be excluded from consideration if it is deemed not applicable to the project. Excluding objectives that are not required is a decision made by the Assessor. This is a drop down menu that allows the user to choose whether the objective is included or excluded. If the Assessor decides that the objective should be excluded, the Current Level of Achievement, Current Score and the Max Score columns are greyed out. See Figure 5. c. The Current Level of Achievement column is where the Assessor scores the project against the objective. In this column, the Assessor is given the choice of the five levels of achievement: Improved, Enhanced, Superior,

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Envision User Guidance

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2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

Conserving, Restorative. Sometimes one or more (but no more than 4) of these five choices could be dropped if all five levels are not delineated in the guidance. See Figure 4.

Evidence for rating the objective for this project as Restorative

Drop down menu for rating level of achievement

Figure 4: An Example of a Rating System Section

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Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

d. The Current Score column generated a weighted score based on the level of achievement selected in the previous column by the Assessor. The weighting is based on the objective and section weightings shown in the guidance manual. e. The Max Score is the maximum point score achievable for the objective. f. The Evidence column (last column to the right) is a place where the Assessor can enter evidence for scores given or reason for excluding the objective from consideration.

Figure 5: A Required Objective

This objective is required cannot be excluded

Using the Envision Stage 2 Scoring Module and the Guidance Manual
7. Open the Envision Stage 2 Guidance Manual. The Manual provides detailed guidance on each of the objectives: how to judge and rate each level of achievement, measures of achievement, and guidance on evidence needed to demonstrate achievement. 8. The detailed guidance for each objective is shown on two pages in a consistent format for ease in usability. a. The first page consists of a table displaying the objective and the various applicable levels of achievement. Suggestions for what the user might do to advance to the next level of achievement are also provided. Additional information on conventional performance and deficient performance is also shown when applicable. Finally, information on the circumstances when an objective may not be required is also given. See Figure 6.

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Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

b. The second page contains additional information about the objective as well as guidance on the sort of evidence that will be required to demonstrate achievement. Additional information is provided on possible technologies and strategies to be used to achieve the objective, along with sources and references for additional information. See Figure 7.

Figure 6: An Example of a page in the Guidance Manual

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Envision User Guidance

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD VERSION July 2011

2011 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

9. To score a particular objective in the scoring module, the user should consult the specific objective guidance in the manual. Specific guidance and associated point score is provided for each level of achievement. 10. Once the user completes the scoring exercise, he/she can consult the Section Totals Summary in the Scoring Module. A graphic representation of the Assessors score versus maximum score is provided.

Figure 7: An Example of a Second Page of Guidance for an Objective

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