STRATEGIC PLAN

In 2005-2006, the Council revisited and revised its strategic plan adopted in 2000. The following reflects to results of the think of the NCSE board, its staff, and others.

VISION

The National Council for Science and the Environment envisions a society where environmental decisions are based on an accurate understanding of the underlying science, its meaning, and its limitations. In such a society, all citizens and environmental decisionmakers: 

• Receive accurate, understandable, and integrated science-based information, including uncertainties and limitations;
• Understand the risks, uncertainties, and potential consequences of societal and individual action or inaction; and
• Provide the necessary support for activities that generate and communicate scientific understanding.

MISSION

To Improve the Scientific Basis for Environmental Decisionmaking

APPROACH TO MISSION

The National Council for Science and the Environment is a bridging organization that spans the divide between science and its applications, finding scientific solutions for environmental challenges.

NCSE builds innovative and effective connections between those who generate, educate and communicate science relevant to the environment and those who seek to use science to guide decisions at global, international, national, regional, local and individual levels.

By basing itself in the impartial use of science, and fostering an interconnected culture among all parties, NCSE has the ability to gain the trust of communities in disagreement or conflict. NCSE assists communities in jointly finding acceptable solutions to seeming intractable environmental challenges by using expert facilitation, problem solving processes, and implementing projects. NCSE is a scientific catalyst for environmental solutions and more.

All sciences and technical areas relevant to decisionmaking are recognized as important, especially their integration. This includes physical, biological, and social sciences as well as engineering of all kinds. Also respected and utilized are basic and applied research, scientific synthesis and assessment, development of decisionmaking tools, technologies, formal and informal education, communication, humanities, and processes that bring communities together to understand each other and collaborate in developing solutions.

NSCE is a vigorous advocate for:

• expanded and integrated science, engineering and education on environmental issues;
• the creation and application of science-based, decision-making tools;
• the provision of targeted services for stakeholder mediation; and
• outreach to diverse public audiences.

While an advocate for science and its use, the Council does not take positions on environmental outcomes. Thus, the Council is able to provide a neutral forum for all.

NCSE provides value to society, with a programmatic emphasis on four broadly defined communities:

• Education and Research: NCSE has great strength to foster and lead strong partnerships as reflected in the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors.  NCSE creates programs and collaborations that improve academic scholarship, enhance the quality of training for those entering the environmental workforce and educate a more environmentally literate student on their path to being leaders of tomorrow.
• Government: NCSE science policy objectives are designed to guide governments at all levels toward effective environmental solutions through improved production and use of science combined with better connections to stakeholders.
• Businesses and environmental professionals: NCSE recognizes the novel challenges to environmental decisionmaking by this community and builds stronger scientific connections and understanding to enhance the opportunities for economic gains that improve the environment.
• Public:  NCSE works with broad networks of partners to build greater understanding of science relevant to the environment and improve the ability of the general public to make informed decisions in an ever more technical world.

While these four, broadly defined communities are emphasized, NCSE is committed to inclusion of all communities in its programs, recognizing and respecting their importance and roles. While NCSE is based in the United States and reflects this in its programs, international issues are a growing portion of its activities.

The programs of the National Council for Science and the Environment can be viewed as two types: those driven by clients/communities and those driven by public good.

• Public good programs, such as science policy, public education through the Earth Portal, and National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, are motivated by NCSE’s desire to advance initiatives with very broad impact.
• Client/community-driven programs, such as NCSE Science Solutions, the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, and minority programs are collaborations with specific communities to address challenges identified by them.

NCSE seeks a blend of programs driven by clients and those driven by public good. While recognizing the different operational styles and financial models that these different types of programs entail (e.g., restricted vs. unrestricted funds), all projects are rigorously managed according to timelines, budgets, deliverables, and in-house accountability through staff-wide commitment to project management tools.

The National Council for Science and the Environment has core competencies in:

• managing stakeholder interaction for complex processes leading to consensus and solutions;
• management of applied research, education and other programs drawing upon the talents of scientists and educators at large;
• coalition building and secretariat services;
• public education on science for the environment;
• organization of solutions-oriented stakeholder conferences and meetings;
• content synthesis and organization for the web; and,
• non-partisan advocacy of science for the environment.

OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT 3 - 5 YEARS (2006-2011)

• Expand the use of quality science in environmental decisions in government, business and by the public;
• Improve the level of funding for environmental science and programs that connect science to users;
• Educate the public and key communities about the relevance and importance of science to their lives and the environment and to finding solutions that meet environmental, social, and economic goals;
• Improve the quality and relevance of academic environmental programs;
• Build stronger relationships between universities and decision-makers in society;
• Design, test, implement and promote innovative and effective approaches to achieving science-based environmental solutions;
• Bring communities together to develop science-based solutions to environmental challenges;
• Provide the public a comprehensive science-based information resource in a manner most useful to them;
• Broaden the community who support NCSE to improve both its value and its financial stability.

INITIATIVE AREAS FOR THE NEXT 3 - 5 YEARS (2006-2011)

NCSE builds special programs as focal points for a few of the largest goals and works to achieve its other goals within the context of these focal programs.  The major focal points for implementing these goals over the next five years will be:

• Strengthening Education
• NCSE Science Solutions
• Science Policy
• The National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment
• Public Education - the Earth Portal
• Creating an NCSE Membership program

The first five of the initiative areas are reflected in the tool bar of this web site. Specific strategies and programs appear in the scroll down menu of the tool bar.

These six major programmatic foci allow NCSE to address its core goals and a related set of important goals that are embedded in the programmatic foci.  These embedded and cross-cutting goals include:

• Building strong relationships with the decisionmakers
• Enhancing the success of environmental professionals
• Building international collaborations
• Building on the theme of each annual meeting
• Creating an accessible synthesis of the knowledge required for environmental solutions
• Linking the special capabilities of our CEDD partners into every appropriate program
• Addressing the unique needs of minority communities
• Developing a more sophisticated approach to public relations to further all of the goals
• Enhancing K-12 education using environment and sustainability themes
• Connecting NCSE programs using the “solutions” vision
• Building value for NCSE members and supporters across all aspects of the organization

In addition to targeted programs, NCSE is committed to strategy of “embedding” outreach to various communities (corporate, minority, international) into all of its programs.  This strategy is one aspect of NCSE’s drive to build synergies between its efforts and strengthening its relations to various communities. The NCSE staff will consider these target audiences in their program design and help the board recognize the successful connections when they occur.

The NCSE strategic plan seeks to find a balance between a long-term vision and the realities of limited resources and time.  NCSE recognizes that doing a limited number of tasks very well is acceptable, and will allow the organization to grow strong and to fight bigger battles later.