For an EMS to be effective, the system must be designed, implemented and deployed with the participation of many people. At the NIH, we are doing this through a number of teams that have differing responsibilities. This figure illustrates the major NEMS teams and the flow of information. The primary responsibility for the continued maintenance of the NEMS falls on the cross-functional Implementation Team. They report up to the SMT which provides the overall leadership from senior management.

Working groups are the foundation of the NEMS. They represent particular functional areas at the NIH and their purpose is to address the activities within their functional area. The group looks at each of their activities and identifies ways to control the possible environmental impacts of the specific activities. The groups may form and dissolve as they are needed and so the number and types of working groups vary over time. The working groups rely on the participation and input from the employees within the functional group which they represent. You may wish to participate in one of the working groups or to contact one of them if you have a particular environmental concern.

• Sustainability Management Team
• NEMS Implementation Team
• Communications Advisory Group
• Sustainabile Facilities Working Group
• Sustainabile Office Practices Working Group
• Sustainabile Lab Practices Working Group
• NIDDK
• NIDCD
• NEI
• Rockville Environmental Working Group
• Children's Inn Green Team

• Energy Stewardship Advisory Group
• Sustainabile Animal Care Working Group
• Sustainabile Clinical Center Working Group