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The Mission of the USACE Conflict-resolution & Public-participation Center (CPC) is to help Corps staff anticipate, prevent, and manage water conflicts, ensuring that the interests of the public are addressed in Corps decision making. In its fourth year of existence (FY2012), the Center provided technical assistance to Districts, Divisions and other stakeholders on collaborative processes, including Shared Vision Planning, facilitation services, training, and courses on public involvement, risk communication and collaborative modeling. CPC staff also produced various references to serve USACE in the areas of Environmental Conflict Resolution and collaborative processes.
In FY12 the CPC benefited from direction from the October 2012 Field Review group meeting of District, Division and HQ representatives. CPC accomplishments in FY12 include:
CAPACITY BUILDING
- Expanded the Collaboration & Public Participation Community of Practice: The CoP expanded its membership to more than 340 members Corps wide and sponsored multiple webinars on: The Use of Social media during the 2011 Mississippi Flood Fight, Collaboration & communication during the 2011 Missouri Flood fight, Collaboration and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Environmental Conflict Resolution cases in USACE, and a panel of Collaboration Best Practices and Lessons Learned Cases in USACE.
- Growing USACE Facilitation Capacity: CPC co-designed and taught three Fundamentals of Facilitation & Conflict Resolution Training courses between June and September, reaching 75 individuals and growing the cadre of USACE staff trained in fundamental skills of facilitation. CPC expanded the Corps’ Facilitator Network to better serve Divisions and Districts with facilitation needs. This network is supporting SMART Planning charettes.
- Led three courses on Public Involvement and Teaming in Planning (PCC7/PITB), for South Pacific Division (SPD), Huntsville/PROSPECT, and Honolulu District (POH) reaching 62 individuals. This year we included panels on Planning Transformation. Also, a first this year was welcoming Corps stakeholders as fellow students into the POH class, which livened up discussions.
- Other Trainings: Risk Communication seminars for public affairs in SPD and for Flood Risk Managers at the Silver Jackets conference, and is developing project management-specific training to be delivered in FY13. In addition CPC conducted a Conflict Resolution webinar for the Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) Emerging Leaders, and delivered Shared Vision Planning trainings for international partners through both the Mekong River Commission and the Center for Water in the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean.
CONSULTATION SERVICES
- Designed a Shared Vision Planning and Public Involvement process in support of a “Responses to Climate Change” Pilot for the Iowa & Cedar Rivers Basin Watershed Plan.
- Coordinated the Missouri River Task Force (MRFTF), an organization stood up by Northwestern Division (NWD) to carry out recovery efforts after the Missouri River Flood of summer 2011.
- Conducted a public involvement assessment for the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin Interbasin Study for the Chicago District (LRC).
- Led the communications and public engagement team for the Congressionally-mandated “U.S. Port and Inland Waterways Modernization Study”, including websites, press releases, multiple webinars, listening sessions and making presentations to different stakeholder groups.
- Provided public involvement support to POH including workshop design and facilitation and developing a Public Involvement Plan for the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative.
- Supported Tulsa District on Other Social Effects in an instream flow study with Choctaw Nation.
- Supported California Water Planning through assistance for the Central Valley Round Table for Flood Protection, State Water Plan Update 2013, and Shared Vision Planning for IRWM.
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
- Disseminated a flowchart for USACE field offices on when the Federal Advisory Committee Act applies to collaborative activities.
- Used SharePoint and the mailing list the Collaboration and Public Participation CoP to identify experts for District needs and to share information on collaborative process issues.
- Led the Collaborative Modeling Steering Committee in development of interagency initiatives to promote and advance the field of Collaborative Modeling Building.
POLICY SUPPORT
- Assembled the annual report on the Use of Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR) in USACE for submission by ASA-CW to CEQ and OMB. Provided agency review for the update of the CEQ memo on ECR.
- Supported the Planning CoP to implement SMART Planning by identifying facilitators across the Corps to assist with national priority charettes, and assisting with PCoP-led training.
- Collected from and edited “Collaboration Vignettes” for USACE-HQ submission to CEQ
- Supported HQ in refresh of the USACE Campaign Plan for actions related to Collaboration.
RESEARCH
- Organized and served as Associate Editors for a Featured Collection on Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support in the Journal of American Water Resources Association.
- Published article in Conflict Resolution Quarterly on the Assessment of Collaborative Capacity of the Corps.
CONTACTS
FACT SHEET
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INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES
CPCX FY2012 Accomplishments
