The challenge

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is dedicated to promoting reliable, clean, and affordable energy across 29 member countries. Its flagship publication, World Energy Outlook, is recognized as the gold standard for energy market analysis, but the peer review process that underpins the accuracy of this report was a major challenge. 

The IEA faced significant inefficiencies in managing the review process of the World Energy Outlook. Each year, about 400 reviewers would submit feedback in different formats, causing difficulties in consolidating and tracking comments. The manual process led to wasted time and made it hard to ensure consistency across the feedback provided. 

• Over 1,200 comments had to be processed for each review cycle. 
• Separate reviews were difficult to track, slowing down the process. 
• The team had limited time to consolidate and incorporate feedback before final publication. 

The solution

Seeking to improve the peer review process, the IEA adopted Ideagen PleaseReview to streamline their document reviews and ensure transparency and control throughout the process. The software's user-friendly interface and reporting capabilities made it an ideal fit for their needs. 

• The solution allowed for systematic and methodical reviews, enhancing feedback consolidation. 
• Ideagen PleaseReview improved communication with reviewers by providing a clear, centralized platform. 
• The software's ability to manage large review teams and cross-functional feedback made it essential for managing complex reports. 

The implementation

The introduction of Ideagen PleaseReview into the IEA’s peer review process transformed their ability to manage large-scale, multi-stakeholder reviews. The World Energy Outlook now undergoes a faster, more organized review cycle, with real-time visibility into reviewer comments. 

• The IEA now processes over 1,200 comments in minutes, down from days, significantly accelerating review cycles. 
• Real-time updates and streamlined processes enabled staff to focus on critical feedback, improving the overall quality of the report. 
• The audit trail feature ensures all changes and feedback are traceable, reducing the risk of missed or overlooked revisions. 

The outcome

With Ideagen PleaseReview, the IEA has significantly enhanced its peer review process. Faster review times, better tracking of comments and increased control over feedback have allowed the IEA to maintain its "gold standard" in energy market analysis: 

• Reduced review time, saving three full days per review cycle for a five-person team. 
• Efficiently processed over 1,200 comments, ensuring timely feedback incorporation. 
• Enabled better control over the peer review process with traceable feedback and real-time updates.