FORKLIFT plan - Forklift Operator Certification Updated: 2024

This 10-week plan was designed by the experts at Runner's World for advanced runners who have averaged 35 miles per week or more for at least six months and who want to develop speed over a longer distance. Each week features one or two days of rest and five or six days of running. That includes race-pace runs, speedwork, and long runs, which start at 10 miles and peak at 13 miles. Not the right plan for you? Check out Runner's World's training plans for beginners and intermediate runners.

Plan Overview

Plan Length: 10 Weeks

Weekly Routine: 1-2 days of rest, 5-6 days of running

Weekly Mileage: 30–43 miles

Long Runs: Start at 8 miles, peak at 15 miles

Quality Workouts: Half marathon goal-pace runs (HMP), mile repeats

Ways to Purchase

This plan is available for purchase via the following three methods:

Printable PDF · $9.99
Sometimes the tried-and-true approach of printing out a training plan and sticking it on your fridge works best. get this training plan as a PDF that you can print out or save on your computer, phone, or tablet.

TrainingPeaks · $24.99
A Runner’s World plan on TrainingPeaks means you’ll get daily emails with your next workout to keep you on track; the ability to easily upload workouts from one of more than 80 training devices (or the option to record manually); displays that allow you to quickly see your genuine workouts compared to to your planned workouts; nutrition tracking to monitor your diet; support and answers on the message boards; and more.

Calendar Snapshot

Here's a sneak peek at what the plan has in store for you. This is week one:

Monday, Day 1 · Rest or Cross-Train
Welcome to week one of Runner's World's Half Marathon Plan for advanced runners. This 10-week plan is designed to help you finish a half marathon fast, fit, and injury-free. // Each Monday, you'll get a note describing your training for the week ahead. And every day, you'll receive an email reminding you about your workout, plus tips on training, nutrition, and injury prevention. // Each week throughout the program, you'll have three or four short runs, one or two days for rest or cross-training, and one long, slow distance (LSD) run to help you develop the endurance you'll need to cover 13.1 miles. You'll also have the option of cross-training (XT), which will help you build stamina and stave off burnout. You'll practice your goal race pace with workouts that call for miles at half marathon pace (HMP). To get faster, you'll hit the track for mile repeats. // Your training kicks off with a rest day. Mondays are usually reserved for rest so you can recover from the previous week.

Tuesday, Day 2 · 6 Miles Easy
Run at a comfortable pace, easy enough that you can hold a conversation. If you're huffing and puffing, you're going too fast. Don't worry about your speed. Just focus on covering the distance.

Wednesday, Day 3 · 4 Miles Easy
If you want to add miles, do it on an easy day. Don't extend any run by more than one or two miles, or add miles on Saturday (the day before your long run).

Thursday, Day 4 · 6 Miles with 2 Miles at HMP
2 miles easy running
2 miles at half marathon pace
2 miles easy running // Today is your first run with half marathon-pace (HMP) miles. This will help you practice the pace you hope to hit in the race. You'll incorporate goal-pace miles in the weeks ahead so that by the time you get to the starting line of your big event, that pace will feel like your natural rhythm, and you'll have the confidence that you can reach your goals. Warm up with two miles of easy running, then try to settle in to your half marathon pace and hold it for two miles. Cool down with two miles of easy running. // Need help setting a realistic goal pace for the race? Use our training calculator at runnersworld.com/tools.

Friday, Day 5 · 4 Miles Easy
Run at a relaxed pace today, or cross-train on a bike or an elliptical trainer for the same amount of time that you'd run. Just don't go so hard that you're sore tomorrow.

Saturday, Day 6 · Rest or Cross-Train
Ideally, you won't exercise at all on these days. But it's okay to do a no-impact activity like yoga, stretching, or swimming. Whatever you do, just take it easy.

Sunday, Day 7 · 10 Miles LSD
Today is your first long, slow distance (LSD) run. The long run is the backbone of your program. It builds your aerobic base, increases your endurance, boosts confidence, and helps you rehearse some of the gear and fuel strategies you'll need for the race. It also helps you prepare for the psychological challenge of racing for a few hours.

Not the right plan for you? Check out our other training plans. Our experts have designed plans for everything from 5K to the marathon at a variety of skill levels.

The proposal by the major cardiovascular societies in the US to form a new board of cardiovascular medicine to manage initial and ongoing certification of cardiologists represents something of a revolution in the field of continuing medical education and assessment of competency. 

Five US cardiovascular societies — the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) — have now joined forces to propose a new professional certification board for cardiovascular medicine, to be known as the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine (ABCVM). 

The ABCVM would be independent of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the current organization providing maintenance of certification for cardiologists as well as many other internal medicine subspecialties. The ABIM's maintenance of certification process has been widely criticized for many years and has been described as "needlessly burdensome and expensive." 

The ABCVM is hoping to offer a more appropriate and supportive approach, according to Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, a trustee of the ACC, who has been heading up the working group to develop this plan. 

Kuvin, who is chair of the cardiology at Northwell Health, Manhasset, New York, a l arge academic healthcare system, explained that maintenance of certification has been a Topic of discussion across the cardiovascular community for many years, and the ACC has a working group focused on the next steps for evaluation of competency, which he chairs.

"The Topic of evaluation of competence has been on the mind of the ACC for many years and hence a work group was developed to focus on this," Kuvin noted. "A lot of evolution of the concepts and next steps have been drawn out of this working group. And now other cardiovascular societies have joined to show unification across the house of cardiology and that this is indeed the way that the cardiovascular profession should move." 

"Time to Separate from Internal Medicine"

The general concept behind the new cardiology board is to separate cardiology from the ABIM. 

"This is rooted from the concept that cardiology has evolved so much over the last few decades into such a large multidimensional specialty that it really does demarcate itself from internal medicine, and as such, it deserves a separate board governed by cardiologists with collaboration across the entirely of cardiology," Kuvin said. 

Cardiology has had significant growth and expansion of technology, tools, medications, and the approach to patients in many specialities and subspecialties, he added. "We have defined training programs in many different areas within cardiology; we have our own guidelines, our own competency statements, and in many cases, cardiology exists as its own department outside of medicine in many institutions. It's just time to separate cardiology from the umbrella of internal medicine." 

The new cardiology board would be separate from, and not report to, the ABIM; rather, it would report directly to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the only recognized medical certification body in the US. 

What Are the Proposed Changes

Under the present system, managed by the ABIM, clinicians must undergo two stages of certification to be a cardiologist. First, they have to pass the initial certification test in general cardiology, and then exams in one of four subspecialties if they plan to enter one of these, including interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, advanced heart failure or adult congenital heart disease. 

Next, clinicians enter the maintenance of certification phase, which can take three different forms: 1) taking another recertification test every 10 years; 2) the collaborative maintenance pathway — a collaboration between ACC and ABIM, which includes evaluation, learning and a certified test each year; or 3) longitudinal knowledge and assessment — in which the program interacts with the clinician on an ongoing basis, sending secured questions regularly. 

All three of these pathways for maintenance of certification involve high stakes questions and a set bar for passing or failing. 

Under the proposed new cardiology board, an initial certification test would still be required after fellowship training, but the maintenance of certification process would be completely restructured, with the new approach taking the form of continuous learning and assessment of competency. 

"This is an iterative process, but we envision with a new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, we will pick up where the ABIM left off," Kuvin notes. "That includes an initial certifying examination for the five areas that already exist under the ABIM system but with the opportunities to expand that to further specialties as well."

He points out that there are several areas in cardiology that are currently not represented by these five areas that warrant some discussion, including multimodality imaging, vascular heart disease, and cardio-oncology. 

"At present, everybody has to pass the general cardiology test and then some may wish to further train and get certified in one of the other four other specific areas. But one Topic that has been discussed over many years is how do we maintain competency in the areas in which clinicians practice over their lifetime as a cardiologist," Kuvin commented. 

He said the proposed cardiology board would like to adhere to some basic principles that are fundamental to the practice of medicine. 

"We want to make sure that we are practicing medicine so that our patients derive the most benefit from seeing a cardiologist," he said. "We also want to make sure, however, that this is a supportive process, supporting cardiologists to learn what they know and more importantly what they don't know; to identify knowledge gaps in specific area; to help the cardiologist fill those knowledge gaps; to acknowledge those gaps have been filled; and then move on to another area of interest. This will be the focus of this new and improved model of continuous competency."

The proposed new board also says it wants to make sure this is appropriate to the area in which the clinician is practicing.

"To take a closed book certified test every 10 years on the world of cardiology as happens at the current time – or the assessments conducted in the other two pathways – is often meaningless to the cardiologist," Kuvin says. "All three current pathways involve high stakes questions that are often irrelevant to one’s clinical practice." 

Lifelong Learning

"The crux of the changes we are proposing will be away from the focus of passing a test towards a model of helping the individual with their competency, with continuous learning and evaluation of competency to help the clinician fill in their knowledge gaps," he explains.

He described the new approach as "lifelong learning," adding that, instead of it being "a punitive pass/fail environment with no feedback, which causes a lot of discontent among clinicians," it will be a supportive process, where a clinician will be helped in filling their knowledge gaps. 

"I think this would be a welcome change not just for cardiology but across medical specialties," Kuvin said. 

He also pointed out the ABMS itself is considering a continuous competency approach, and the proposed new cardiology board aims to work with the ABMS to make sure that their goals of continuous competency assessment are matched. 

"The world has changed. The ability to access information has changed. It is no longer imperative for a clinician to have every piece of knowledge in their brain, but rather to know how to get knowledge and to incorporate that knowledge into clinical practice," Kuvin noted. "Competency should not involve knowledge alone as in a closed book exam. It is more about understanding the world that we live in, how to synthesize information, where we need to Strengthen knowledge and how to do that." 

Kuvin acknowledged that asking clinicians questions is a very helpful tool to identify their knowledge base and their knowledge gaps. "But we believe the clinician needs to be given resources – that could be a conference, an article, a simulation - to fill that knowledge gap. Then we could ask clinicians some different questions and if they get those right then we have provided a service." 

Tactile skills for cardiologists needing to perform procedures – such as interventionalists or electrophysiologists may be incorporated by simulation in a technology-based scenario.

On how often these assessments would take place, Kuvin said that hadn't been decided for sure. 

"We certainly do not think an assessment every 10 years is appropriate. We envision, instead of an episodic model, it will be rather a lifelong journey of education and competency. This will involve frequent contact and making sure knowledge gaps are being filled. There are criteria being set out by the ABMS that there should be a certain number of touch points with individuals on an annual as well as a 5-year basis to make sure cardiologists are staying within specific guardrails. The exact nature of these is yet to be determined," he said. 

Kuvin added that it was not known yet what sort of hours would be required but added that "this will not be a significant time burden."

What is the Timeframe?

The application to the ABMS for a separate cardiology board is still ongoing and has not yet received formal acceptance. Representatives from the five US cardiovascular societies are in the initial stages of formulating a transition board. 

"The submission to the ABMS will take time for them to review. This could take up to a year or so," Kuvin estimates. 

This is the first time the ABMS has entertained the concept of a new board in many years, he noted. "It will be a paradigm shift for the whole country. I think that cardiology is really at the forefront and in a position where we can actually do this. If cardiovascular medicine is granted a new board, I think this will help change the approach of how physicians are assessed in terms of continuous competency not just in cardiology but across all specialties of medicine."

He added: "We are confident that we can work within the construct of the ABMS guidelines that have been revised to be much more holistic in the approach of continuous competence across the board. This includes thinking beyond rote medical knowledge and thinking about the clinician as a whole and their abilities to communicate, act professionally, work within a complex medical system, utilize medical resources effectively. These all have to be part of continuous competence."

How Much Will This Cost?

Noting that the ABIM has received criticism over the costs of the certification process, Kuvin said they intend to make this "as lean a machine as possible with the focus on reducing the financial [burden] as well as the time burden for cardiologists. It is very important that this is not cumbersome, that it is woven into clinical practice, and that it is not costly." 

But he pointed out that building a new board will have significant costs. 

"We have to think about developing initial board certification examinations as well as changing the paradigm on continuous certification," he said. "This will take some up-front costs, and our society partners have decided that they are willing to provide some start-up funds for this. We anticipate the initial certification will remain somewhat similar in price, but the cost of ongoing continuous competency assessment will be significantly reduced compared to today's models."

Kuvin said the collaboration of the five participating US cardiovascular societies was unprecedented. But he noted that while the transition board is beginning with representatives of these individual societies, it will ultimately be independent from these societies and have its own board of directors. 

He suggested that other societies representing other parts of cardiology are also interested. "Cardiology has recognized how important this is," he said. "Everybody is excited about this."

Hoping to run your first half marathon but not sure how you’ll manage it? Put any concerns aside, as our 12-week half marathon training plan for beginners will help you to build up to the 13.1-mile distance comfortably and confidently, so you can perform your best on race day. Developed by Runner’s World experts, the plan will see you run three or four day a week and is ideal for those who can already complete a long run of six miles or more.

Why run a half marathon?

The half marathon is a fantastic distance – long enough to be a true challenge, but not so far as to knock you for six in the same way that the marathon distance can.

That said, if you want to complete all 13.1-miles – or 21km – of a half marathon, you’ll need to be serious about your training and bear various other things to consider if you want to get it right on race day. First, you’ll need to slowly and sensibly develop your running endurance without overdoing it and getting

Top half marathon tips

Given everything you need to consider, it's understandable that many beginners may feel a bit daunted by the half marathon – but the payoff outweighs the challenges. ‘Many beginners actually find running a half marathon to be life-changing,’ says Jenny Hadfield, co-author of Running for Mortals. ‘They never imagined they could go that far.’

So, before you get cracking with your training, here are our best half marathon tips to help you prepare for that life-changing journey…

Appreciate the distance

The half marathon distance deserves respect and several months of training. Our half marathon plan for beginners – which you can see below – is 12 weeks long, so it's not something to jump into at a moment's notice if you never run 13.1 miles before. ‘This is one test you can’t cram for,’ says Janet Hamilton, running coach and exercise physiologist. ‘For this distance, you’ve got to put in the work.’

Do easy runs at a slow pace

While it may seem counterintuitive when your goal might be to run as fast as you can, running slowly can in fact be your ticket to improvement. Running hard all the time can lead to burnout, injury and a training plateau, which can damage your motivation as much as your body. ‘From our research, it’s clear that elite athletes train around 80% of the time at what we’d call low intensity, and just 20% of the time training hard,’ says Dr Stephen Seiler of the University of Agder, Norway – one of the world’s foremost exercise physiologists.

Even though you may not be an elite runner, it is a universally accepted running rule that the majority (the 80%) of your runs should be completed at a comfortable, conversational pace, where you finish each run feeling like you could still run a bit more. Only the minority (the 20%) of your runs should be executed at a harder, quicker pace – we’re talking intervals, sprints and fast tempos.

The biggest mistake first-timers make is running too many miles, too fast, too soon. Fast-paced running fatigues the body, which heightens your risk of injury and demands longer recovery periods. ‘If at the end of your run you’re gasping for air, or in pain, then you’re going too fast,’ says Hamilton. Basically, the slower you go on your easy runs, the better. If you run with a friend, use it as an opportunity to have a good chat – talking will naturally moderate your effort to an easy pace!

Hit the hills

Hill running gives you great bang for your buck – even if you’re training for a fast and flat race – as it helps to boost both your leg and lung power. ‘Start by incorporating hills that take 60 seconds to run up,’ says Hamilton. ‘As you train and those 60-second hills become easier – and take less time – you can then challenge yourself with steeper or longer hills.’

Where hill work is indicated on our half marathon training plan below, try to plan hilly routes where you can weave in climbs of different gradients. You can of course just run up and down one hill, but that might get boring quite quickly!

Build endurance with long runs

If you’re preparing to take on your first half marathon, you’ll need to build your endurance with a weekly long run. Our half marathon training plan for beginners steadily guides you from a long run of four miles in week one to a long run of 10 miles in weeks nine and 10, the aim being to familiarise your body with running for extended periods of time. And believe it or not, long runs can help to Strengthen your shorter, faster efforts as well – you’ll be able to complete a few more reps on your hill sessions, for example, or maintain a slightly quicker pace.

Listen to your body

When you push your body to run further or faster than you have done before, you’re likely to get some muscle soreness – particularly in the calves, quads and hamstrings. Expect to take around two days to recover from hard workouts during your half marathon training. If you’re still sore on the third day, rest again. If the soreness persists beyond four or five days, it may be worth checking in with a physio, if you can.

The key thing is to listen to your body. As you become more used to running, you learn to distinguish between stiffness that will ease off and pains that should be rested, as well as moments where you simply feel sluggish or lazy and times where you really need to rest.

Cross-train for variety

As you’ll notice, our half marathon training plan for beginners includes optional cross-training or rest days. This means it’s up to you whether you put your feet up and chill, or get on the bike or hit the local swimming pool for some easy laps instead. Integrating cross-training into your schedule can help to optimise your running gains, work different muscle groups, reduce your injury risk and – quite simply – keep things interesting.

Invest in a good pair of running shoes

It might go without saying, but to successfully run 13.1 miles you’ll need to wear running shoes that are comfortable, supportive and fit your feet properly. We always recommend investing in a decent pair that offers just enough cushioning and push-off to protect your body from impact with the ground, and which keep you going strong mile after mile. We've tested a whole host of running shoes – from beginner-friendly shoes to super-fast road shoes to dependable trail shoes – to help you find something that suits you and the terrain on which you run.

Plan early for race day

It’s not unusual to be panic about race day – it can feel a bit like sitting an exam! But to help quieten the nerves, focus on the minutiae of your race day logistics. This could be checking your travel plans to the start area, making sure your bib is pinned securely to your race top or arranging to meet up with friends once you’ve crossed the finish line. It's also important to remember all the hard work you've put in to get to the start line – and to congratulate yourself on that.

Once the start gun has sounded, try to control the urge to set off too fast. Instead, aim for a negative split, where you gradually quicken in pace and run the first half of the race slower than the second. This conservative pacing strategy will help you to finish feeling strong and in control – starting too fast could make the final few miles feel pretty unpleasant!

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The training plan

Ready to get going? You can find and follow our 12-week half marathon training plan for beginners below. Good luck!

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:59:00 -0600 en-GB text/html https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/half-marathon/a25887045/beginner-half-marathon-training-schedule/

Under the new program, a solution provider with a passing grade on a Symantec security test plus an approved vendor-neutral certification can earn one of Symantec's certifications, said Allyson Seelinger, Symantec vice president of enterprise and consumer channels. "This will help us get new partners into the program and help them get certified quickly," she said.



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Symantec's Allyson Seelinger says partners will be certified more quickly.

For example, the Symantec Product Specialist (SPS) certification requires a Symantec test plus either the Security++certification from CompTIA or the System Security Certified Practitioner certification from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2.

Symantec overhauled its certification program in response to feedback from partners who expressed "angst" with the growing number of vendor-specific certifications in the security industry, Seelinger said.

Other vendor-neutral certifications that Symantec accepts include the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from (ISC)2 and certain types of the SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Global Information Assurance Certification.

NEW PROGRAM FEATURES

>> Recognizes vendor-neutral certifications.
>> Tests a broad security knowledge instead of specific products.>> Free instructor-led training for tier-one and tier-two Symantec partners.

Cupertino-based Symantec also reduced the number of certification exams to four in broad security areas such as firewall/VPN technologies and intrusion-detection, from 12 mostly product-specific tests.

In addition, the vendor is offering instructor-led training for free to its Enterprise Security and Enterprise Solutions Partners. That training usually costs about $1,000 to $2,000 per class, depending on length.

"With the large number of different certifications available, it's refreshing to see a company like Symantec build its certification process on top of robust, industry-recognized certifications," said Andrew Brinkhorst, a Lexington, Ky.-based independent security consultant and certified Symantec Technology Architect. "Customers will benefit from the more strategic or holistic approach to security that the new certification process will emphasize."

Chris Ellerman, vice president of professional services at Meridian IT Solutions, Schaumburg, Ill., said the company already has many Symantec certifications but agreed that the vendor is making the right moves.

"It makes a lot of sense because it's not just a certification that you understand Symantec products but [also] that you understand Symantec products in relation to security concepts," he said. "The security world is a process, not just a product."

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 04:37:00 -0600 text/html https://www.crn.com/news/security/18822747/symantec-retools-certification-plan No result found, try new keyword!Here, we share our most popular cycling training plans and how to find the best one for reaching your goals. Plus, we explain how to identify if the plan isn’t the right fit for you and answer ... Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:25:00 -0600 en-us text/html https://www.msn.com/

This page offers specific guidance on our sustainability requirements, what to submit and useful resources.

It's vital to us that environmental sustainability is embedded in the way our programmes are made and that production processes support our ambitions to be a net zero broadcaster. We work with the BAFTA albert consortium and use the albert system to track this.

We have a wealth of additional resources to help productions be more sustainable on and off-screen including an end-to-end production guide, top tips for reducing carbon emissions, ideas for how to reflect environmental bahaviours on-screen, production case studies, a guide to the science behind climate change and advice on budgeting for sustainable productions.

Requirements and exemptions

albert certification is mandatory for all new commissions and recommissions of TV broadcast content including content from Television, the Nations, Children’s and Education, BBC Film and non-News related Sport.

For digital video content, eg content commissioned for YouTube or iPlayer only, certification is encouraged but not mandatory, but an albert carbon footprint is required.

In all categories limited exemptions apply for very short, low budget or acquired content.

Exemptions

We and albert understand that each production is unique and what can be delivered in terms of sustainability will vary. The nature of individual titles, the location and size of the company, and the surrounding production infrastructure will all affect the availability and viability of certain actions. The below is a rough guide to exemptions:

• Where the total programme rights license fee (PRLF) for the entire project (all episodes) is £50,000 or less.
• Where the PRLF is over £50,000 but the total, aggregated duration of the programmes or entire series is under 15 minutes.
• Acquisitions.
• Programmes made entirely from archive footage and reversions involving post-production only, with no specially shot material.
• Co-productions where the BBC is a minority funder (providing less than 50% of the budget): certification is encouraged but not mandatory.
• Foreign based indies: are encouraged to use albert or an equivalent local scheme if available in their territory, but certification is not mandatory. Find out more about albert international.
• Fast-turnaround and live programmes: can be certified, but we advise productions to get in touch with albert as soon as possible to discuss. If the speed of production means any of the criteria prove difficult to meet then they will be considered as part of albert’s 'best efforts' approach (see below).

Programmes which are exempt at the point of commission maintain their exemption, even if they subsequently fulfil the criteria for mandatory certification (for example by extending their length), as certification cannot be applied for retrospectively. For that reason, BAFTA’s albert advisors certify each production on a title by title basis according to how the company have delivered on that specific title, and the certification process allows for a 'best efforts' approach. This will be based on the producer influencing outcomes where they can and making the strongest sustainability choices possible, but understanding that ultimately there may be limitations that are outside of the producer’s control.

albert will not penalise producers for the following:

• A lack of facilities, or other restrictions, in a particular location where a production or company is based.
• Scenarios where clear barriers to emission reduction measures are the responsibility of others (or resolving these barriers would be part of a bigger infrastructure change).

In these cases, certification will not automatically be withheld. Instead, where the sustainable action is mandatory, evidence will be sought to demonstrate the producer has taken all measures that are reasonably within their control to address the barrier.

Albert certification

There are three core components to albert certification, all of which must be completed before certification can be granted:

1. Completing an albert carbon footprint to measure your emissions
2. Developing a carbon action plan to reduce your emissions and providing evidence of the actions taken
3. Productions commissioned before 2 January 2024 and delivering the final episode before 2 June 2024 must offset any residual emissions that can’t be eliminated.

When a production attains albert certification the albert logo can then be used in their programme endboard.

Both the carbon footprint and action plan should be discussed with the BBC commissioning representative as part of the commissioning process, and we encourage productions to include a line for sustainability in the production budget. As a minimum this should be the production’s estimated carbon footprint x £10.50 p/tonne of CO2e. Find ideas and advice about how this budget can be used to reduce the production’s environmental impact on the Commissioning website and see our specific Budgeting for sustainable productions page for further information.

We expect the senior members of a production team to lead on environmental sustainability. The albert process should be started as early as possible and the carbon action plan submitted before filming starts. Failure to do this risks the production’s ability to achieve certification. We recommend setting up a company albert account when a production is at the development stage and/or goes through the commissioning process.

Contact albert to set up an albert company account and logins for staff and see the resources section below for more information and useful contacts.

Once the production company has an albert account, one member of staff should be nominated as the main liaison for all things albert. This person can also develop the knowledge to guide successive productions.

Live or fast-turnaround programmes should contact albert for advice as soon as they can re the best process.

The albert carbon footprint is the first stage of gaining albert certification.

The carbon footprint form requires the input of data such as a production’s travel, accommodation, energy use in studios or on location, staffing and time in post-production. It's created using the albert carbon calculator.

Getting to know the information required in advance will make it easier to complete the final form.

We recommend completing the draft carbon footprint as soon as possible during pre-production, no matter how small the initial team. This will help when discussing sustainability plans with the BBC commissioning representative, inform decisions on how best to cut the production's carbon footprint, and when completing the final footprint form. It can be based on the draft budget and is an initial estimate only and can be refined during the production process.

The carbon footprint can either be regularly updated throughout the production process or completed in one go at the end. However, collecting the information throughout the production process will make it significantly easier to fill in the final form.

The calculator can be found at https://calc.wearealbert.org.

The completed carbon footprint form must be checked and approved by the production company’s nominated albert reviewer for accuracy. It will then be automatically directed to an external auditor for a standard assurance review. Once audited and approved, the nominated albert reviewer will receive an automated email from albert@bafta.org with 'Final carbon footprint has been approved' in the subject line.

It is then the production company’s responsibility to forward this email to their BBC delivery contact. This must be done within six weeks of the final episode delivery, and ideally at the point of delivery.

Completing the carbon action plan

The carbon action plan helps productions identify how they can reduce their emissions. It should only be submitted to albert once the programme editorial is confirmed, as it can’t be updated.

Producers must begin the albert carbon action plan process in pre-production or they are unlikely to gain certification, resulting in a failure to achieve the BBCs mandatory requirement.

To begin, the senior team in the production should talk through the list of yes/no starter questions. These should be considered and answered based on what the senior team judge to be achievable actions. These answers will help identify where environmental actions can be embedded and will form the basis of the production’s carbon action plan. Find advice, ideas and tips for reducing carbon emissions and the environmental impact of your production on the Commissioning website.

Please note, albert does not certify productions that use domestic flights within mainland UK, unless under exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances include medical emergencies, child safeguarding issues, and unavoidable disruptions to alternative transport such as strikes or extreme weather. Where a production believes it may be impossible to deliver a project without the use of domestic flights this should be discussed with the commissioner as soon as possible.

Once a title has been commissioned/green lit, but before filming has begun, the completed online carbon action plan is submitted to albert. albert will then respond with a request for evidence of the decarbonisation actions taken, which needs to be gathered during the production process. Providing evidence is a key component of the albert carbon action plan process, and not doing so will result in failure to achieve certification.

We therefore recommend that productions set up a shared ‘green evidence folder’ which can be accessed by the whole production team. All evidence can then be uploaded in one place by the different members of the team, reducing the burden of gathering any outstanding information at the end of production, which can often be hard to find retrospectively.

The carbon action plan can be found at https://calc.wearealbert.org.

Submitting the carbon action plan evidence

The completed online carbon action plan must be submitted to albert before filming has begun. albert will then respond with a request for evidence of the decarbonisation actions taken.

A minimum of 60% of the evidence should be submitted before the end of the offline edit so albert can check it and issue the logo in time to include in the programme’s end credits. Note, albert typically require a minimum of two weeks between the receipt of evidence and the issuing of the albert logo, though there is some flexibility specifically for fast-turnaround programmes if discussed in advance.

Up to 40% of the carbon action plan evidence can be provided after post-production and after the carbon footprint has been submitted.

Offsetting

Productions commissioned before 2 January 2024 that are already in production and due to deliver their final episode before 2 June 2024 must offset their emissions. Productions commissioned after 2 January or delivering their final episode after 2 June are not required to offset their emissions and are instead encouraged to include a specific line for sustainability in their budgets. We recommend that as a minimum this is the amount that would previously have been ringfenced for offsetting, ie the production’s estimated carbon footprint x £10.50 p/tonne of CO2e. Find ideas and advice about how this budget can be used to reduce the production’s environmental impact on the Commissioning website and see our specific Budgeting for sustainable productions page for further information.

To estimate a production’s carbon footprint use one of the methods below:

1. Use the draft carbon footprint figure and a cost of £10.50 per CO2e tonne of emissions.
2. Use the estimator tool on albert’s Creative Offsets website.
3. Base it on the average figure of 0.1% of a production’s overall budget (this % can vary by genre).

For those productions still in scope for offsetting, when the final footprint is completed at the end of the production the accurate offset cost can be calculated, recorded in the production budget, and paid.

All independent production companies should either pay their offset via BAFTA albert’s Creative Offsets programme, at a cost of £10.50 per tonne CO2e, or by choosing a Tested offsetting scheme of their own. Productions will be eligible for certification when the offset cost is paid and receipt provided as evidence to albert.

Gaining certification and albert logo

Once the carbon footprint and carbon action plan evidence have been submitted for review and the offsetting costs are paid productions will be assessed by albert based on:

• How many of the agreed actions in the action plan have been implemented.
• The quality of their evidence.
• The level of sustainability achieved - indicated by the star rating awarded based on questions answered (between one and three stars).

After receiving albert certification productions can use the albert certification logo on their programme endboard to show that sustainable best practices have been embedded in the production. A production must have completed the entire albert certification process (footprint, carbon action plan and offsetting) to be eligible to use the logo. To enable this the carbon footprint and action plan should therefore be completed and submitted before the final offline edit.

The logo will be provided by albert. Please see the Credits and branding page for logo positioning.

Productions must forward the albert certification confirmation email to their BBC delivery contact within six weeks of final episode delivery.

Contact the albert team at BAFTA on albert@bafta.org. If your production is struggling to understand the process or over specific requirements please consult the albert on-line resources or contact the albert team at BAFTA directly.

The BBC’s Sustainability team is also here to help if you have any questions. Contact the team on albert@bbc.co.uk. 

We have a wealth of additional resources to help productions be more sustainable on and off-screen including an end-to-end production guide, top tips for reducing carbon emissions, ideas for how to reflect environmental bahaviours on-screen, production case studies, a guide to the science behind climate change and advice on budgeting for sustainable productions. See the sustainability homepage for further information.

Best practice guidance, recommendations, case studies and useful tips for making productions sustainable can also be found on the albert website, along with information about how to document and evidence the sustainability within a production and how to complete the albert carbon footprint calculator.

The BAFTA albert Consortium offers free training covering the big picture of climate change, what it means for the TV industry and what individuals can do to make a difference. Book a place via the albert website. We recommend the free online training courses 'sustainable production' or 'sustainability in editorial'. These two hour courses can be booked via the albert website.

Find general delivery contacts at the BBC on the contacts page.

Please note the BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0600 en text/html https://www.bbc.co.uk/delivery/sustainable-productions

The plan lets HISD begin its school year before the fourth Monday in August, allowing for it to have an extended academic calendar.

HOUSTON — On Thursday night, HISD's appointed Board of Managers unanimously approved a new plan that turns HISD into what's called a District of Innovation.

It was approved with a unanimous vote of eight in favor and none opposed.

The status means the school district will be exempt from certain statutory requirements. It'll also get more flexibility in how the district is run.

One of the exemptions in the plan would allow for a longer school year. The district has proposed starting the 2024 25 school year in mid-August. The plan would also allow the school district to hire teachers who do not hold certifications in order to fill vacancies.

The plan would modify attendance requirements for juniors and seniors who spend the time visiting colleges and universities.

It would also allow for disciplinary actions to be taken at students' home campuses for some offenses. One example would be if a student was caught vaping, he or she would not be automatically sent off to an alternative education program.

It would also create with the district calls "a rigorous teacher appraisal system" that it says would allow the district to retain the most qualified teachers.

"It's been widely adopted across the state of Texas to allow for more flexibility. In this district, it's been considered before. We wanted to give the district sufficient flexibility," HISD School Board President Audrey Momanaee said after the meeting.

The Houston Federation of Teachers issued a scathing statement in response to the board's approval of the DOI plan, writing, "Approval of this plan is a misuse of the public trust given to people responsible for the education and future of our children."

HFT specifically takes issue with the plan to allow uncertified teachers to instruct students. It also said the proposed teacher evaluation plan will create a punitive and subjective system.

Some people at Thursday's meeting weren't happy about the adoption. It seemed that their biggest concern was that it would lead to more job cuts. We'll have to wait and see what happens next to find out if that proves to be true.

Superintendent Mike Miles was absent from the meeting Thursday, however he did thank the board for approving the plan.

"HISD is a District of Innovation," he said in a news release. "We are making the bold changes required to Strengthen instruction and help students develop the competencies they will need to succeed in the future. Having the DOI designation is long overdue and will allow us to accelerate our work in important ways. I want to thank the School Board for its vote tonight. In addition, I’m grateful to the District Advisory Committee for approving the measure, the DOI Committee for developing a thoughtful plan, and our staff and community for supporting Houston’s kids every day."

We're expecting to hear from him sometime Friday afternoon.

A DOI allows more than 60 exemptions from state laws over school operations. Those exemptions include teacher certification and contracts, teacher benefits, and student discipline provisions.

More than 960 school districts across the state fall under this process.

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