1. Clean Water Minnesota Learning Community Summary + Evaluation
Presented to the Subcommittee on
Minnesota Water
Tuesday, August 20, 2019

2. Stakeholder Engagement Process
Research: Stakeholder perceptions of water priorities
Our process: Clean Water Minnesota
The road ahead: Stakeholder priorities

3. Research
Stakeholder Perceptions of Water Priorities

4. Same questions: How do you think about water in MN?
Research Overview
22 in-depth interviews
Diverse sectors
Same questions: How do you think about water in MN?

5. Key Findings Priorities:
Aging Infrastructure, Ground/ Surface Pollution
Few Understand Outside
Ag – Environment –
Local Gov.
Greater MN Challenge: Aging Infrastructure – Agriculture Double Bind

6. Speak With A Unified Voice
Our Resulting Strategies
Speak With A Unified Voice
Widen The Tent
Create Space For Relationships, Understanding

7. Clean Water Minnesota
A learning community designed to build relationships, understanding

8. Learning Community Engaging Across Sectors

9. Q: What were your goals for participating in the learning community?
Relationships Are A Motivator
Q: What were your goals for participating in the learning community?

10. Participants Rated the Process Worthwhile

11. Fresh Approaches To Water Issues Stood Out

12. Participants’ Stand-Out Lessons
“We are too fragmented to be effective right now…. We need to find a way to remove power structures and create a common ground.”
“Minnesota ag land is rented. Looking at success in terms of decreasing inputs to increase profits, rather than the traditional growth model, can help conservation land management be more successful.”
“Small towns are stretched for people and people are on the landscape because they love it.”

13. “Our existing government systems need a new paradigm.”
Participants’ Biggest Take Away’s
“The scale of change needed, and the importance of equity in decision making.”
“People have a lot more in common than we think. We just need to know how to better communicate our differences and shared goals if we are going to be successful.”
“Our existing government systems need a new paradigm.”
“We need to listen and not assume we have answers since we don’t know the question.”
“There is a real disconnect between urban and rural folks understanding water issues and solutions to those issues.”

14. The Road Ahead
Stakeholder Priorities

15. Perceived Barriers To Clean Water

16. Perceived Opportunities For Clean Water Policy

17. Support Needed To Achieve Success

18. Perceived Role For Funders

19. Key Lessons of the Learning Community
Assets For Future Work
Stories
Fresh Perspectives
Relationships

20. Continued Success Will Require…
Key Lessons of the Learning Community
Continued Success Will Require…
Deepen Trust With New Relationships
Deepen Connections Between NGOs, Public Sector

21. Questions?