Final Project: Climate Plan Audit
CEVE 421/521
Draft Material
This content is under development and subject to change.
Overview
Working in small teams, you will act as expert consultants to audit a real-world climate planning document. Your chosen document must be decision-relevant—it should contain identifiable decisions (Levers) and measurable outcomes (Metrics).
The project is built through two Audit Memos to ensure steady progress, culminating in an Executive Briefing presentation and a final Written Report.
Timeline
| Deadline | Deliverable | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Week 3 (Friday) | Topic Proposal | Submit document choice and confirm it contains identifiable Levers (L) and Metrics (M). |
| Week 8 (Monday) | Teams & Plans Assigned | Instructor assigns teams and plans in class. |
| Week 10 (Friday) | Memo 1 (XLRM Framework) | Map the plan’s Uncertainties (X), Levers (L), System Models (R), and Metrics (M). What is the complete decision framework? |
| Week 12 (Friday) | Memo 2 (Evidence & Robustness) | Critique the plan’s Valuation approach and Robustness. How strong is the evidence? How does the plan handle deep uncertainty? |
| Week 13 (Friday) | Slides Due | All teams must submit their presentation slides. |
| Week 14 | Executive Briefing | A 20-minute team presentation with 5 minutes of Q&A. |
| Finals | Written Report | A synthesis of your memos with a final recommendation. |
Team Formation
- Students submit individual topic proposals in Week 3
- In Week 8, the instructor assigns teams of 2-3 students based on topic overlap and interest
- Each team is assigned a climate plan to audit
Choosing a Plan
Your document must be:
- Publicly Available: The plan should be accessible online.
- Decision-Relevant: It should contain identifiable Levers (decisions) and Metrics (outcomes).
- Climate-Related: The plan should address climate hazards or climate change adaptation/mitigation.
Good examples include:
- City or regional climate action plans
- Flood risk management strategies
- Coastal resilience plans
- Infrastructure adaptation assessments
Grading
| Deliverable | Weight |
|---|---|
| Topic Proposal | 5% |
| Memo 1 | 15% |
| Memo 2 | 15% |
| Executive Briefing | 30% |
| Written Report | 35% |
Memos are progress checks that build toward the final deliverables. The executive briefing and written report together make up the bulk of the grade.