# Presentation: 290006

## Building & Sustaining Collaborative Monitoring Councils

**Chattanooga 2004 workshop ****Monday, May 17**

- state/regional council workshop_NWQMC2004

## DRAFT OUTLINE FOR PART 1

| Time |  |
| --- | --- |
| 8:30-9:15 | Introduction to session—(45 minutes)
Introduction—Why are we all here?
Overview of framework and relationship to 3 Cs—what are the values of building collaborative monitoring councils??
Overview of state/regional councils (different models, goals, structures) |
| 9:15-9:45 | Identifying monitoring communities & stakeholders (large group discussion) |
| 9:45-10:45 | Building a monitoring map, Part 1 —What does monitoring look like NOW in my state/region |
| 10:45-11:15 | What’s in it for me...Beginning to address WIFM |
| 11:15-11:30 | Wrap-Up of morning session |

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## INTRODUCTION TO WORKSHOP...

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## Development of a national monitoring strategy requires that we create a framework for enhancing
 collaboration and comparability among programs 

-  ***collaboration*** and ***comparability***** **among programs

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**Notes:**

Critical differences in project design, methods, data analysis, and data management make it difficult for monitoring information to be shared by more potential data users.

## What is a Monitoring Framework?

**What is a Monitoring Framework?**

- The process of monitoring and assessment should principally be seen as a *sequence of related activities* that
- start with the definition of information needs and
- end with the use of the information product.

*UN/ECE Task Force on Monitoring and Assessment (2000)*

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## The Outer Circle Holds the Framework Together

**The Outer Circle**** Holds the Framework Together**

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**Notes:**
Coordination= particpants let each other know what they are doing
Cooperation= participants plan together for mutual goals
Collaboration= participats supply what they can to the benefit of each other
Partnership=participants plan and execute together for mutual benefit Coordination/Collaboration

National and regional monitoring conferences
State and regional monitoring council participation 
Partner identification 
Partner comparability studies
Monitoring data inventories
Conduct data and information swaps

## The Framework for Monitoring

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## Develop Monitoring Objectives

**Develop Monitoring Objectives**

- Why are you monitoring?
- Who will use the data?
- What will the data be used for?

**Increasing Time  -  Rigor  -  QA  -  Expense**

- Education/Awareness

- Assess Impairment

- Legal/
- Regulatory

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**Notes:**
Information expectations must be balanced with limitations:
      Monitoring budget
      Time available to obtain data and information
      Personnel skills and training
      Technology and equipment available
      Access to sampling sites

Who are data users
Legal requirements
Watershed assessments
How much data
Budget\
Time limitations
Existing data info available?
Info /data/e xpectations?
Data quality objectives
Budget
Time
Personnel
Technology
access

## Design Monitoring Program

- Identify the environmental setting
-  	and water-quality issues
- Articulate and document overall monitoring/information strategy
- Public participation process
- Communication strategy
- Sampling network design
- Site selection, what to monitor
- How often, for how long
- What methods to use for all aspects of program from sample collection to reporting results

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**Notes:**
Sample collection
Field measurements
Laboratory measurements
Data management 
Data analysis and interpretation
Communicating and reporting results

## Collect Field and Lab Data

**Collect Field and Lab Data**

- Identify optimal methods (NEMI)
- Sample management plan
- Train and certify personnel
- Document sampling site location
-  (GPS, photos)
- Coordination with partners
- Laboratory operations coordination
- Laboratory Analyses
- Data handling/Data audits/Meta data

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## Compile and Manage Data

- Capture field and lab data
- electronic/PDA or paper or both
- Spreadsheet or Database ?
- Database design / Security features
- Data validation/audits
- Meta data documentation
- Water Quality Data Elements (WQDE)
- Data swap with partners
- Raw data products
- Archiving data
- Data Verification

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**Notes:**
Determine data management requirements
d develop and document data handling and audit approach
Develop meta data requirements  
Use data checking programs to determine reliability of chemical data – data verification

## Assess and Interpret DataWhat Does It Say???

- Summary statistics
- Max, min, mean, range
- Parametric/non-parametric
- Meets State Standards?
- Threshold (action) levels
- Time series plots
- Indicators/indices
-  GIS
- Water quality models

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## Assess and Interpret DataWhat Are the Implications???

**Assess and**** ****Interpret Data*****What Are the Implications???***

- historical evaluation
- water quality relevance
- management relevance
- professional judgment
- information goals met?

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## Convey Results & Findings

- Data summary
-  Oral and written reports
-  to public and managers
- Water quality information displays
- News releases
- Fact sheet
- Web page
- Management plan
- Interested party review
- Professional, peer reviewed, journal paper

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**Notes:**
Conveying Information and Results
Determine audience
Determine media – internet, reports, news releases, oral, conference/meeting displays
Peer review of information

## Evaluate Program

- Did we meet our objectives?
- Identify monitoring problems?
- Evaluate cost
- Feedback from information users
- New opportunity to communicate, coordinate and collaborate
- Independent vs. internal review?
- “Lessons Learned”
- Adjustments? Redesign?

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## Getting Back to the 3C’s:

- The 3Cs:
- Communicate
- Coordinate
- Collaborate
- Integrating the 3Cs into the monitoring process is more likely to enable us to truly understand, protect, and restore our waters

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## State & regional Councils are institutional vehicles for the 3Cs

*What is the condition of our surface, ground, estuarine, and coastal waters?  *
*Where, how, and why are water quality conditions changing over time?  *
*Where are the problems and what is causing them?  *
*Are programs to prevent or remediate problems working effectively?  *
*Are water quality goals and standards being met?**  *

- The 3Cs within and among monitoring entities are necessary to effectively and accurately address our fundamental questions

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**Notes:**
Sustainable protection and restoration of our water resources  require the participation of all stakeholders in designing and applying strategies that recognize diverse interests and integrate sound science with social, economic, and cultural factors.   Monitoring is a key component of environmental protection .  Monitoring frameworks (as discussed in the Introduction) seek to organize a series of sequential activities to produce and convey water information. A unique—and deliberate--feature of the National Council’s monitoring framework is the inclusion of an “outer ring,” containing the “3c’s,”-- communicate, collaborate and coordinate—describing processes which are integral to each of the elements of this monitoring framework. 

## COORDINATE

- COLLABORATE

**SHARED GOALS**

- Participants identify and commit to shared goals and work collectively to deal with issues that they cannot solve individually; partnerships, alliances, teams.

- Participants link, harmonize or synchronize interaction and activities.

- Participants convey information; can be one way or an exchange of thoughts, messages, or ideas

- COMMUNICATE

**Relatively**
**simple**

**VERY**
**difficult**

**It is easier to tell you about my goals & activities than to coordinate our activities.  **
**Harder still is developing a goal together and implementing the activities needed to reach it!**

- Collaboration is hardest to get to

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**Notes:**
At first glance, the 3Cs seem synonymous; and they are often used interchangeably.  However, they are also steps along a continuum—communication can lead to coordination which can lead to collaboration.  The 3 Cs are also nested concepts—certainly, communication and coordination are encased within collaboration. 

## COORDINATE

- COLLABORATE

- COMMUNICATE

**SHARED GOALS**

- The 3 Cs are ***nested ***concepts—certainly, communication and coordination are critical elements of collaboration.

**What could you do collaboratively that you couldn’t do alone?**

- The 3Cs are a ***continuim***-- communication can lead to coordination which can lead to collaboration

**Councils are  vehicles for moving building the “nest” and moving across the “continuim”**

- Collaboration has the most potential benefit

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**Notes:**
A collaboration is often the result of answering the question, what can we accomplish together that we can’t do well on our own, or more simply, what can we do together that none of us can do alone?

## Types of Groups Working on the 3 C’s

- Watershed Groups or Networks – local efforts to improve a watershed
- Watershed Collaboratives – local or regional efforts to pool resources to respond to similar monitoring needs
**State and Regional Councils – efforts to develop monitoring approaches that allow effective use of information collected for differing purposes**

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## Assessment of State, Interstate, or Regional Watershed Monitoring Councils

- Council name, contact information
- Sponsoring organization(s)
- General description of your membership
- When was your Council created and why?:
- Charter, bylaws or other adopted written Council operating procedures?
- Meeting Schedule?

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## Assessment of State, Interstate, or Regional Watershed Monitoring Councils (cont.)

- Sub-committees?
- Funding?
- Staff Support?
- Products or Publications?
- Special Projects/Significant Accomplishments?
- Networking via Web, list serve, document sharing?

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## Types of Councils

- Legislatively mandated – **Oklahoma**, Texas, WI GW
- Organized voluntarily – Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, **Lake Michigan**, Montana, New England
- State agency organized – Kentucky
- Multi-State agreement – Chesapeake Bay

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## Common Council Themes

- Communication
- Coordination
- Collaborative Watershed Based Monitoring
- Document Monitoring Activities
- Efficient Use of Monitoring Resources
- Raise Public Awareness
- Inclusiveness

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## Common Council Activities

- Network design and coordination (6)
- Data Inventory and management (includes GIS) (6)
- Annual Conferences (5)
- Field and analytical methods and QAQC (5)
- Data Interpretation or Reporting (2)
- Issues Based Groups (3) – GW, TMDLs, etc.

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## Common Concerns

- Funding/Institutional Support
- Time - more meetings
- Efficiency – reinventing the wheel, time to build trust
- Capacity Building

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## Monitoring Councils Hierarchy of Needs

- Communicating

- Coordinating

- Collaborating

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## Monitoring Councils Hierarchy of Needs

- Charting What Monitoring Groups
- Are Active

- Tech Transfer -  How They Monitor

- Inventories -  How & When They Monitor

- Understanding How Monitoring
- Is Planned & Budgeted

- Collaborative Implementation

- Sampling
- Procedures

- Analytic
- Procedures

- Data
- Documentation
- & Storage
- Procedures

- state/regional council workshop_NWQMC2004

## Monitoring Councils Hierarchy of Needs

- Charting What Monitoring Groups
- Are Active

- Tech Transfer -  How They Monitor

- Inventories -  How & When They Monitor

- Understanding How Monitoring
- Is Planned & Budgeted

- Collaborative Implementation

- Monitoring
- Collaboratives

- Making Use of
-  Volunteers

- Planning
- Together

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## Oklahoma Water Quality Monitoring Council

- An advisory body to the Secretary of the Environment, the 25 member Council includes:
- 8 State environmental agencies
- 5 Federal environmental agencies
- 3 local government representatives
- 2 Tribal environmental representatives
- 2 environmental organization representatives
- 2 academicians from State universities
- 3 at-large members
-  J.D. Strong, Chairman, Office of the Secretary of Environment

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## OWQMC 

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## OWQMC Goals

- Provide a forum for effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration among individuals and organizations involved in monitoring
- Develop and implement collaborative, watershed based monitoring strategies
- Document monitoring activities using state of the art tools such as GIS-based mapping techniques
- Promote the use of quality assured procedures for sample collection, analytical methods, assessment, and data management

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## Lake Michigan Monitoring Coordination Council (LMMCC)

- Organized to support the Lakewide Management Plan (LAMP)  and respond to other Lake Michigan resource issues. Includes members from:
- 2  from states of MI, IN, IL, WI
- 7 from Federal Agencies
- 2 Tribal Authorities
- 2 Business, industry, consultants
- 1 Agriculture
- Local, volunteer monitoring groups
- Sea Grant/University-based Institutes
- Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan Forum
- Local Government/planning agencies
- Great Lakes Fisheries Commission

- state/regional council workshop_NWQMC2004

## LMMCC Structure

- Secretariat support provided by Great Lakes Commission - funded by US EPA Lake Michigan team
- Chaired by 2 members (1 Federal and 1 State rep)
- Media based Monitoring Network Workgroups (Tributaries, GW, Fisheries, Wetlands, Open Lake, etc) focused on addressing common considerations (monitoring objectives, network designs, methods comparability, QAQC planning, database sharing, and data analyses approaches). Use existing groups when possible (GLFC).
- Meet twice per year, interim conf calls for workgroups

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## LMMCC GOALS

- Document monitoring activities, ID data gaps
- Contribute to developing monitoring framework
- Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships linking organizations and initiatives
- Encourage comparable, documentable monitoring
- Support linked info networks
- Provide guidance/assistance to improve awareness of monitoring

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## Opportunities: NWQMC and State/Regional Council Connections

- Working together (virtual Council) toward common goals – Networks, Methods, Data, Interpretation, Reporting and Outreach
- Active involvement at Council meetings and as members of Council Work Groups
- Important not to duplicate efforts with NWQMC activities and to share results between Councils
- Help guide activities of NWQMC

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## MONITORING COMMUNITIES & STAKEHOLDERS...

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## People who are interested in, who are affected by, or who could possibly affect activities related to monitoring

- A group of people with a common characteristic or interest who interact together within a larger society.  Three broad categories of “community”
**geographic** (such as watersheds, towns, cities, states, regions)
**issue-based** (such as environment, economic and community development, human rights, the arts, education, human development, religion);
**affinity-based** (such as racial/ethnic, religious, ideas and values, classmates, coworkers).

- Stakeholders

- Communities

- WS #1

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**Notes:**
race, class, ethnicity, religion
urban dwellers, rural dweller
Government/elected officials
DEFINITION OF STAKEHOLDER

## Others??

*MONITORING COMMUNITIES?*

- Volunteer Monitors

- Levels of governments

- Waterbody types

- Geographic regions

- Academia

- Professional fields

*MONITORING STAKEHOLDERS?*

- Businesses & Regulated Communities

- STAKEHOLDERS are individuals, groups, and institutions who are interested in, who are affected by, or who could possibly affect activities related to monitoring

- Watershed & Environmental Orgs

- Levels of governments

- Residents

- Businesses & Regulated Communities

- Industries (Ag, Mining, Timber, etc)

- Industries (Ag, Mining, Timber, etc)

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## BUILDING A MONITORING MAP...

**BUILDING A MONITORING MAP...**

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## Building a monitoring map

- What does monitoring look like in your state or region?

- WS #2

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## Initial Mapping--Concepts/relationships to map—GETTING A PICTURE OF WHERE WE ARE...

- What does monitoring look like in your state/region?
- What kind of monitoring is done?  By whom?
- Where does the data go?  Who uses data?  What is data used for?
- How are decisions about monitoring made?

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## GETTING TO THE TABLE...WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

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## What's in it for me?

- Refer to your monitoring maps...What are some of the challenges/barriers you see to getting people to the table?
- Addressing most challenges/barriers will be related identifying “WIFM” for various components of monitoring community and stakeholder groups.
- HOW do we “frame” WIFM for different segments of the monitoring community or stakeholders?

**What's in it for me?**

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## MORNING WRAP-UP...

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## DRAFT OUTLINE FOR PART 2

| Time |  |
| --- | --- |
| 12:30-12:45 | Review of morning—where are we now & opportunity for participants to bring up any issues they want to make sure are addressed. |
| 12:45-1:15 | Visions & Missions...
In a perfect world... visioning the future, roles of Councils in getting there
30 min large group discussion |
| 1:15-2:15 | Roles to Goals & Activities
30 minute small group, 30 minute report back |
| 2:15-3:15 | Asset Mapping
30 minute small group, 30 minute report back |
| 3:15-3:30 | Wrap-up—What is everyone taking home with them—one tangible thing we can do when they get home |

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## VISIONS & MISSIONS...

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## In a perfect world...

***In a perfect world...***
***Where we were truly able to understand, protect, and restore our waters...***
***What would monitoring “look like”?  ***
***What would be different about your map?***

- VISIONS...

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**Notes:**
Timing—
15 min for people to re-construct maps
30 min for large group discussion of maps, Council roles--ID some roles that seem common to all groups  

## What role(s) can a Council play in realizing the vision?

- MISSIONS/ROLES

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## GOALS & ACTIVITIES

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## ...Thinking and planning strategically in the long term, while...

**Developing and delivering products in the short term**

**Activities**

**Goals**

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**Notes:**
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

## Specific projects MUST be tied to overall mission & goals
Everything you do should have a clear and direct connection to your mission & goals
Everything you do should be a step along the way to achieving your goals!!!

**Everything** you do should have a clear and direct connection to your mission & goals
**Everything** you do should be a step along the way to achieving your goals!!!

**ALWAYS **remember...

**GOALS**

- PROJECTS

- PROJECTS

- PROJECTS

- PROJECTS

- PROJECTS

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**Notes:**
What are some of your organizational goals?  --building membership, fundraising, recruiting/retaining volunteers, building the board...
How can this communication strategy help with any (or all) of those goals.

Strategies 

## Be able to ask and answer...
Why are we doing this? 
What do we want the project to accomplish?
How does the project further our goals? 
How can we use this project to further our goals? 

- Why are we doing this?
- What do we want the project to accomplish?
*How does the project further our goals? *
*How can we use this project to further our goals? *

**GOALS**

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**Notes:**
Does anyone have answers already for any of these answers??

## Defining Goals & Identifying Activities

| Council Role/Mission in reaching the vision | Goals | Activities 
(short & long term) |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |
|  |  |  |
|  |  |  |

- WS #3

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## IDENTIFYING & MAPPING ASSETS

**IDENTIFYING & MAPPING ASSETS**

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## What Is An Asset Map?

- A drawing that illustrates the ***skills and resources*** of each group or individual as they relate to a central issue or activity.

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**Notes:**
Asset maps identify the assets of a community that can be used to address a community or environmental problem.  Asset mapping identifies the skills and resources that exist within a community—individual, organizational, and institutional—and can help a community plan and strategize how best to draw on those skills and strengths to solve problems.  

Individuals, organizations, and institutions each have assets that can be drawn on to benefit the community.  Asset maps are centered around a community issue or resource.

## Benefits of Asset Mapping

- Identifies assets of individuals, organizations, or institutions.
- Identifies existing or potential partnerships.
- Identifies needs.
- Helps with long-term planning.

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**Notes:**
Asset maps serve three important functions:

First, they serve as a way to identify the assets of a community that can be used to create beneficial change in the community.  Asset mapping can reveal the wealth of resources that already exist within our communities. 

Secondly, asset maps identify existing or potential partnerships between individuals or groups in a community.  These partnerships can be used to garner resources or volunteers to address a problem in the community more efficiently.  Strong partnerships can help communities solve their own problems.

Thirdly, asset maps identify needs and resources that a community might be lacking, such as funding sources or ways of disseminating information. 

And finally, asset maps make long-term community planning much easier.  Constructing an asset map around an issue can identify the other citizens or groups in a community that have a stake in the problem and who may be willing to contribute their assets to address it.  This asset sharing can save time and money that the community can use for other priorities! 

## Asset Map Exercise

- The subject and center of your asset map will be one of the activities you identified.

**ACTIVITY**

- WS #4

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**Notes:**
The first step to creating an asset map is choosing the subject of your map.  The subject might be a particular organization in the community, a community issue, or a place. (In this example, the issue was making the park sustainable.)

The second step involves identifying a community category for the map. Depending on the subject of your map, you can select individuals, groups/organizations, or institutions within the community.  

In the third step you will choose specific entities to map. Entities are actual real life individuals or resources, e.g., geologists, 4-H Club, Garfield High School.

Next, you will need to list all the assets of each entity you selected for your map.  List of all the talents, strengths, and skills of each entity.  Many of the assets that you list will be unique to a particular individual, group, or institution.

In the last step, all the pieces of the puzzle come together.  

First you will draw the subject of your map in a circle in the center of a large piece of paper.  Then, write or tape labels for the specific entities (individuals, organizations, or institutions) of your map around the subject.  Draw arrowed lines connecting the subject with the each entity. Write the assets you’ve identified for each entity along the lines.  Solid lines represent existing relationships.  Dotted lines represent potential relationships.  Arrows indicate the primary direction of the relationship.

## Decide on an activity to map (this activity will become the “subject” of the map).
List the assets (skills, resources) that each member of the group can bring to the activity—individually and through their agency/organization. 
List the assets (benefits) of the activity.
Identify and briefly describe the mutually beneficial relationships that exist/can be built between the group members (selected in #1) and the subject based on their assets.
Map these relationships as shown.

- List the assets (skills, resources) that each member of the group can bring to the activity—individually and through their agency/organization.
- List the assets (benefits) of the activity.
- Identify and briefly describe the mutually beneficial relationships that exist/can be built between the group members (selected in #1) and the subject based on their assets.
- Map these relationships as shown.

- Asset Mapping

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**Notes:**
The first step to creating an asset map is choosing the subject of your map.  The subject might be a particular organization in the community, a community issue, or a place. (In this example, the issue was making the park sustainable.)

The second step involves identifying a community category for the map. Depending on the subject of your map, you can select individuals, groups/organizations, or institutions within the community.  

In the third step you will choose specific entities to map. Entities are actual real life individuals or resources, e.g., geologists, 4-H Club, Garfield High School.

Next, you will need to list all the assets of each entity you selected for your map.  List of all the talents, strengths, and skills of each entity.  Many of the assets that you list will be unique to a particular individual, group, or institution.

In the last step, all the pieces of the puzzle come together.  

First you will draw the subject of your map in a circle in the center of a large piece of paper.  Then, write or tape labels for the specific entities (individuals, organizations, or institutions) of your map around the subject.  Draw arrowed lines connecting the subject with the each entity. Write the assets you’ve identified for each entity along the lines.  Solid lines represent existing relationships.  Dotted lines represent potential relationships.  Arrows indicate the primary direction of the relationship.
Think about what you bring to this activity based on the pieces/steps involved in doing this project
What other skills, talents, expertise is needed to do this project?  How do we fill those gaps?

## Slide 60

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## What is one specific thing everyone can take home with them?

- Did their ideas about Councils change at all?

**WORKSHOP WRAP-UP**

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