It is important to establish a secretariat of some kind in the municipality at a early stage. The secretariat makes the first formal and practical steps towards initiating the project, and continues to push it forwards after initiation.
Political foundation is necessary for securing goodwill and the raising of funds for the project.
Recruiting companies There are different approches to recruiting firms to the programme. . In Kristiansand it is the Municipality that does the main job. This is done by inviting serious firms based upon the personal contacts of the Chief Officer For Economic Development, and his knowledge of which companies would be most motivated and most likely to be willing to do an effort for the environment. During these meetings the interested companies are connected to the consultant that will help them carry out the environmental analysis. Pioneer companies are recruited first.