PLANNING PROCESS & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT “Power is based on opinion. What is a government not supported by public opinion? Nothing.” -- Napoleon

Outline of Presentation Stakeholder Identification Overview of the Corps 6-Step Planning Process Collaborative Planning Public Involvement during the 6 Planning Steps Instructions for group exercise

WHO IS “THE PUBLIC?” “The public” changes from issue to issue “The public” consists of those who see themselves as having a “stake” in the decision

WHAT IS A “STAKEHOLDER?” Stakeholders are: –People or groups who see themselves as having rights and interests at stake – those affected –Indirectly and directly affected groups –Those who can affect –Clients are stakeholders, but not all stakeholders are clients

WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS? Questions to Ask: –Who might be affected? –Who is responsible for what is intended? –Who are representatives of the likely affected? –Who will be actively against? –Who can contribute resources? –Who are the voiceless? –Whose behavior will have to change?

STAKEHOLDERS, BY TYPE OF IMPACT Economics Use Mandate Values/ political philosophy Proximity

STAKEHOLDERS, BY SECTOR Public Interest groups (NGOs) IndividualsPrivate

STAKEHOLDERS. BY LOCATION Local National Neighbor countries International Regional

SELF IDENTIFICATION Describe the project in a news story, a newsletter, a brochure, or announce a public meeting and see who says they are interested

THIRD-PARTY IDENTIFICATION Draw up a list of people you know will want to be involved, and ask them who else needs to be involved Ask local elected officials Ask other agencies

STAFF IDENTIFICATION Intuitive/experiential Lists of groups or individuals Geographic analysis Historical analysis –Lists of participants in similar issues –Newspaper clippings regarding local issues –Correspondence files –Public comment sections of EAs, EISs

WHAT ROLE DO STAKEHOLDERS PLAY?

ORBITS OF PARTICIPATION Co-Decision Makers Active Participants Technical Reviewers Commenters Observers “Unsurprised Apathetics”

DIFFERENT ORBITS MAY BE INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Overview of the Corps 6-Step Planning Process

The Planning Process occurs during both the Reconnaissance and Feasibility Phases GAO’s Depiction of the Corps’ Planning Process Others may view our process differently than we do

Plus Step #7 – Adaptive Management! Scoping, Screening & Focusing Identifying Scaling, trading off Selecting, Qualifying Analyzing Trading off, selecting

EMPHASIS DEVELOPS OVER TIME Inventory & Forecast Formulate Alternatives Evaluate Plans Compare Plans Select Plan Formulate Alternatives Problem ID Formulate Alternatives Formulate Alternatives Formulate Alternatives Formulate Alternatives Evaluate Plans Evaluate Plans Problem ID Evaluate Plans Evaluate Plans Evaluate Plans Compare Plans Compare Plans Compare Plans Problem ID Compare Plans Compare Plans Select Plan Problem ID Select Plan Problem ID Inventory & Forecast Inventory & Forecast Inventory & Forecast Inventory & Forecast Inventory & Forecast Problem ID Time

POP QUIZ Which of the following is a step in the Corps six-step planning process? a.Analyze Sponsor’s Plan for Policy Compliance b.Brainstorming c.Organize tasks into the Project Management Plan (PMP) d.Select a Recommended Plan

POP QUIZ Which of the following is a step in the Corps six-step planning process? d. Select a Recommended Plan

Ingredients for Creating Change 1.Problem awareness and need for the study 2.Legitimate planning process 3.Exchange of information 4.Tradeoff analysis 5.Acceptance of the final decision  All of these elements require public involvement and collaboration in order to be done right!

EC : COLLABORATIVE PLANNING Provisions: Address All Four Accounts –NED-- NER –RED-- OSE Collaboratively planned projects (those that embrace the ***full range*** of federal interest - *** more than Corps Authority*** )have a higher budget priority Collaborative planning is encouraged for traditional project planning and essential for watershed planning Collaborative planning studies may result in a plan with components to be implemented by the Corps, other feds state and local agencies Aim for a broader perspective when planning Corps projects

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING “Any alternative plan may be selected and recommended for implementation if it has, on balance, net beneficial effects after considering all plan effects, beneficial and adverse, in the four P&G accounts (NED, EQ, RED, OSE) – current policies on cost sharing will apply Activities: –Seek input from the “public” –Identify other agencies’ interests –Identify opportunities to combine resources Final decision authority rests with the Corps

Revisions to Principles & Guidelines P&G is the backbone policy that governs the Corps Planning Process WRDA 2007 calls for 1 st revision since 1983 Among other changes, Collaboration is cited as one of the principles. Planning methods and guidance is not static, but evolutional in response to changing societal values. Its exciting to be a planner in the Corps – You are on the cutting edge of societal changes!

POP QUIZ EC , Planning in a Collaborative Environment states that: a. Collaborative projects have a higher budget priority b. Equal weight must be given to all four P&G accounts c. Adverse environmental impacts must be mitigated d. Evaluation criteria should be developed collaboratively

POP QUIZ EC , Planning in a Collaborative Environment states that: a.Collaborative projects have a higher budget priority

Public Involvement Information Needs During the Six Planning Steps

Public Involvement During the Planning Process At each stage of the planning process the interaction with the public will include: –Providing information TO the public So it can participate wisely –Obtaining information FROM the public So the project team can plan wisely

Linking Planning Steps to Information Provided to and Received from Public Planning StepInformation TOInformation FROM 1. ID problems & opportunities 2. Inventory & forecast 3. Formulate alternative plans 4. Evaluate alternatives 5. Compare alternatives 6. Select plan

Clear Understanding of the scope of the decision Full range of objective information about the issue to be addressed Clear understanding of the criteria by which the alternatives will be evaluated Balance alternatives that include stakeholder values, issues and concerns. Clear comparison of alternatives. Fair process of evaluation based upon stated criteria Clear understanding of who makes the decision and how stakeholder issues were considered Public Needs

Identify at each planning step: – Issues To Be Addressed –Stakeholders –Appropriate Techniques Information (Speaking) Interactive (Listening, Feedback) Linking Planning Steps to Information Provided to and Received from Public

By the time you select public involvement techniques you should know: Who the stakeholders are at whom the program is targeted What has to be accomplished with them at each step in the planning process What you’ll be doing with the information you learn from them Linking Planning Steps to Information Provided to and Received from Public

Specific Activities during the Six Planning Steps

1. PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES General: Problem definition should be broad enough to include all potential solutions Consider current and future conditions Problems and opportunities are reevaluated and modified in later steps Construction Period Study Period Period of Analysis Project Life

Planning Actions: Identify planning objectives –Use wide stakeholder participation –Define clearly Identify constraints Scope the level of detail for technical studies 1. PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Considerations: People have different definitions of the problems and opportunities How you define the problem/opportunity will impact plan formulation –Stakeholder involvement helps ensure comprehensive identification of problems and opportunities, and thus comprehensive alternatives 1. PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Potential Public Involvement Activities Team Gives to PublicTeam Receives from Public Site visits and meetings with Corps Team, customer, and stakeholder Coordinate with PAO for news release Shared Vision Exercise Public Scoping Meeting Develop website Visit with office historians and technical experts –How we can assist, e.g. programs, authorities –How they can participate –Planning steps and schedule –What are the problems and causes? –Who is affected and how? –What do they want/need? –How do they want to be involved/contacted –What are the opportunities for improvement? –How important is the issue? 1. PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES

2. INVENTORY AND FORECAST Planning Actions: Further define the problems Produce qualitative and quantitative description of the resources –Basis for identifying the impacts of alternatives (Step 4)

IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PUBLIC “Is it So?” TECHNICAL “Does Anyone Care?” EXPERTS

Considerations: People’s philosophies and beliefs dictate their image of future conditions Beliefs about future conditions can control the alternatives you consider – and your evaluation of the alternatives 2. INVENTORY AND FORECAST

2. INVENTORY AND FORECAST CONDITIONS Potential Public Involvement Activities Team Gives to PublicTeam Receives from Public Develop Newsletter Hold Open House Solicit input from resource management agencies, & others thru website –Inventory of affected area –Baseline conditions –Factors affecting the future –How they can participate –Whether we described baseline conditions accurately –Factors that affect future conditions –Assumptions to be used in making projections –Who would be affected, and how, by these changes

3. FORMULATE PLANS Planning Actions: Identify specific ways to achieve the objectives (management measures) Combine management measures into alternative plans

Considerations: Keep formulation separate from evaluation Avoid relying only on “variations on a central theme” Use alternative values or philosophies (e.g. NED, EQ, OSE), to drive alternatives formulation If people don’t see any alternatives that fit with their values or philosophy, they won’t consider the process legitimate 3. FORMULATE PLANS

Potential Public Involvement Activities Team Gives to PublicTeam Receives from Public Conduct public workshop on preliminary alternatives Update website –Future conditions without the project –Plan formulation strategy –Technical possibilities –How they can participate –Criteria for project success –Values that should drive formulation –Suggested alternatives

4. EVALUATE EFFECTS Planning Actions: Compare each plan against the future without-project condition Identify evaluation criteria using objectives Characterize beneficial and adverse effects of each plan e.g. benefit-to-cost ratio and incremental cost analysis

5. COMPARE PLANS Planning Actions: Compare beneficial and adverse effects across plans Document the tradeoffs between plans

Considerations Get agreement on important attributes before you begin evaluating plans (ie. If didn’t identify cost as important then you wont be able to compare plans on this issue) What you learn during evaluation often kicks off another round of plan formulation Stakeholders and study team members often approach the situation with a predisposition towards a particular alternative Steps 4-5: Evaluate and Compare Plans

Potential Public Involvement Activities Team Gives to PublicTeam Receives from Public Share results with team and other districts Develop Newsletter Assure NEPA coordination Conduct stakeholders meeting –List of alternatives –Initial assessment of feasibility –How they can participate Collaborative Technical Analysis –Input on evaluation and selection criteria –Acceptability of the various alternatives –Anticipated effects of the alternatives Steps 4-5: Evaluate and Compare Plans

6. SELECT A PLAN Planning Actions: Define selection criteria Select a plan from eligible candidates Document selection rationale Develop implementation plan for selected alternative

Consideration: Does the plan enjoy sufficient support such that you will be able to implement it? 6. SELECT A PLAN

Potential Public Involvement Activities Team Gives to Public Team Receives from Public Meet with customers to discuss outcomes Announce to public planning outcome Final newsletter Signing ceremony for FCSA or PCA News release (PAO) –Which alternative was selected –How the plan was modified in response to public comment –What happens next Willingness to accept/support the plan Recommend- actions for implementation

POP QUIZ Why would a COE PDT need a public involvement plan? a.To know if people were satisfied with a public participation program that has been completed. b.To learn what improvements should be made in future programs. c.To have solid information upon which to make comparative judgments. d.To develop an implementable plan to solve water resource problems.

POP QUIZ Why would a COE PDT need a public involvement plan? d. To develop an implementable plan to solve water resource problems.

Instructions for the Group Exercise

GROUP EXERCISE Identify Stakeholders (Choose 3 from different orbits) Organize Stakeholders and issues into the Six- Step Planning Process Identify Information Needs (TO and FROM Stakeholders) at Each Step Recall that the Ultimate Goal Is To Implement A Project To Solve a Problem

PICK 3 STAKEHOLDER GROUPS FROM 3 DIFFERENT ORBITS

Linking Planning Steps to Information Provided to and Received from Public Planning StepInformation TOInformation FROM 1. ID problems & opportunities 2. Inventory & forecast 3. Formulate alternative plans 4. Evaluate alternatives 5. Compare alternatives 6. Select plan

At Each Planning Step Public Interaction Will Involve: Providing Information TO Them (Enabling Stakeholders to Effectively Participate) Obtaining Information FROM the Public (So Outcome Will Be Accepted) DEVELOPING A PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN