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Description

Life Cycle Assessment: Scoping the Study, Modelling Flows and Interpreting Results

Conduct a defensible multi-criteria environmental assessment and draw conclusions that can be used

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Expert
  • Up to 6 participants

A life cycle assessment sometimes produces results that do not withstand scrutiny: a poorly defined functional unit, system boundaries adjusted along the way, secondary data used without verification and conclusions broader than the study can support. Any comparison between two products then becomes open to challenge.

Two days to strengthen your life cycle assessment practice: rigorous scoping, inventory construction, selection of characterisation methods, sensitivity analysis and the wording of conclusions. This session is intended for practitioners who have already conducted or contributed to a study.

Learning objectives

  • Define a functional unit and system boundaries consistent with the objective of the study
  • Build an inventory of flows while qualifying the origin and quality of the data
  • Select the indicators and characterisation method suited to the question raised
  • Conduct a sensitivity analysis and a contribution analysis
  • Word conclusions whose scope remains consistent with the perimeter studied

What makes this programme different

Scoping is reworked on the actual studies brought by participants
A comparative study is analysed to show how a scoping choice changes the result
Sensitivity analysis is conducted step by step on a supplied inventory

Programme

1Scoping the study

A result is only as sound as the question it addresses

  • Objective of the study and intended use of the results
  • Functional unit and reference flow
  • System boundaries and cut-off rules
  • Handling multifunctionality and co-products
  • Consequences of scoping choices on comparability

2Building the inventory

Controlling the origin and quality of data

  • Collecting primary data from sites and suppliers
  • Use of secondary data and selection criteria
  • Geographical, temporal and technological representativeness
  • Modelling energy, transport and end-of-life stages
  • Documenting the assumptions retained

3Characterising impacts

Selecting the indicators that answer the question

  • Families of indicators and levels of characterisation
  • Criteria for selecting a characterisation method
  • Impact transfers between categories
  • Limits of aggregation into a single score
  • Reading results by life cycle stage

4Interpreting and reporting

Stating what the study supports and what it does not

  • Contribution analysis and identification of hotspots
  • Sensitivity analysis and alternative scenarios
  • Critical review and associated requirements
  • Wording of conclusions and caveats
  • Communicating results to decision-makers and third parties

Who is it for

Environmental study officers · eco-design specialists · research and development managers · quality engineers and consultants already practising environmental assessment.

Prerequisites

Having taken part in a life cycle assessment or a working command of the fundamentals of product environmental assessment.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.