Coastal Community Needs Assessment and Market Inventory Conducted for the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Georgia Coastal Management Program Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Mark Damian Duda Responsive Management

Introduction  Identify coastal issues to address in training and information  Identify strategies, technologies, and formats to educate and inform decision-making groups  Identify coastal decision-making groups to target for training and information

Methodology  Two multi-modal surveys , mail, and telephone questionnaires  Needs Assessment survey administered to decision-makers in 11 coastal counties in Georgia determine priorities for coastal training  Market Inventory survey administered to coastal training providers inventory of available coastal training programs  Public Meetings and Feedback From Local Coastal Decision-Makers  Comparison of Needs Assessment and Market Inventory  Implications and Recommendations

Needs Assessment

Market Inventory

Public Meetings

 Conducted to present summary of the needs assessment and obtain feedback from local coastal decision-makers.  Public Meetings attended: Long County (April 1) Bryan County (April 1) Charlton County (April 3) (presentation and feedback discussion cancelled) Wayne County (April 7) McIntosh County (April 8)  Bryan County meeting and needs assessment study received media coverage in local news article.

“It identified some areas of interest by all the decision makers in the coastal region and identified some critical shortfalls. I think the results may help develop more training for the coastal region. There is a lot of training done around the state, but I think there’s a consensus that not enough training is done specifically on the coast. This study should help get some of those training shortfalls met in this area.” – Bryan County Administrator Phil Jones

Comparison of Needs Assessment and Market Inventory

Comparison Equation  Compared need and supply to determine demand for each topic, delivery method, and target group.  Equation to determine demand: % of providers’ response minus % of decision-makers’ response  Example equation: % of providers offering topic for training - % of decision-makers indicating a high need for training on topic = demand

TOPICS FOR WHICH SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND—PERSONAL TOPICS FOR WHICH SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND—AGENCY/ORGANIZATION Invasive speciesNutrient enrichment Water qualityInvasive species Nutrient enrichmentNative plant and animal species SaltmarshesCoastal processes Habitat change Native plant and animal species Environmental aspects of land use Biodiversity Topics for Which Supply Meets Demand

TOPICS WITH UNMET DEMAND— PERSONAL TOPICS WITH UNMET DEMAND— AGENCY/ORGANIZATION Coastal constructionWater quantity Coastal construction Land use planning Renewable energyWastewater management Zoning Sustainable building Coastal community developmentDocks and piers Boat/marina management Renewable energy Low impact development Coastal community development Topics for Which There Is Unmet Demand

DELIVERY METHODS FOR WHICH SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND—PART A DELIVERY METHODS FOR WHICH SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND—PART B WorkshopsPresentations SeminarsLectures Conferences Information products and technical resources Delivery Methods for Which Supply Meets Demand

DELIVERY METHODS WITH UNMET DEMAND—PART A DELIVERY METHODS WITH UNMET DEMAND—PART B Individual consultationDemonstrations Certification programsOne-on-one instruction Continuing education classesHands-on activities Delivery Methods for Which There Is Unmet Demand

Implications and Recommendations

General Recommendations  Overall interest in coastal training is high.  Decision-makers more often disagree than agree that there are enough coastal training providers that offer training to decision-makers.  Attendance of coastal training may be enhanced through promoting future coastal training opportunities at each training event/session that is conducted.  Programs that include making technology more available to decision-makers should be considered.

General Recommendations  Lack of cooperation between agencies and/or organizations was commonly indicated as being a primary inhibiting factor preventing “change and advancement.”  There is disparity between decision-makers’ views on the quality of the environment in their communities and the corresponding views of coastal resource organization respondents.  Use the data in this report as an ongoing resource.

Logistics of Training Sessions  Decision-makers indicated the following optimal factors and preferences for training sessions: Winter (the leading season by far) Weekdays preferred over weekends Half-day to day-long sessions Notification of training via direct mail or Online registration preferred over mail or telephone

Coastal Training Formats  Training formats for which there is a demand not being met (previously listed) appear to be: labor intensive considered highly effective not widely offered  Low ratings of effectiveness for Web and distance learning programs should be further examined.  Decision-makers’ use of Web and distance learning should be enhanced because they can be very effective training formats.