Enhancing Collaboration and Outreach: Empowering Communication Strategies for State and Regional Councils

1. Collaboration & Outreach • Communication Strategy • State & Regional Councils • Next Conference • Framework/IMPACT article Showcase Successes,Be Up-front About Challenges,of Monitoring

2. Communication – Internal & External • We ALL need to focus on communication with our constituencies • Summarize meeting notes and get ‘em out • Compilations of tools to make it easier for members to communicate with their constituencies • Powerpoint, fact sheets, brochures, poster • Summarize session info in ppt while work groups meet – minutes aren’t enuf and aren’t effective • Update Web page

3. Communication – Internal & External • C&O meets when other work groups don’t • Each work group contributes a liason • Compile a list of upcoming meetings and who is going • Is there an opportunity to broadcast info about the Council? • Collect all presentations at meetings, post to Web site (with permission)

4. State and Regional Councils • Web Site/NWQMC should be a repository of information about Councils & help foster their growth • Specific examples (Colorado) • Templates (by-laws) • How to’s (meta-data swap) • Organize a meeting for Councils in conjunction with NWQ meeting (overlap) • Have a subcommittee focused on Councils

5. Next Conference-May 2004 • Have next Council meeting at potential location • Theme: “Expanding the Monitoring Framework” • Necessary elements • Workshops • Presentations • Discussions • Special group meetings • Plenary discussions • Vertical design

6. Next Conference • Need chairs, • May ’04 good time for a conference • Theme is fleshing out the framework • Length ok • More invited presenters • More blocks of time with fewer things (sub plenary) • Same amt or more discussion – framed creatively • Discussion session for ea piece of framework • Need outline of key elements for conference • Thematically use the framework • Plenaries throughout • What have we learned thruout

7. Lyle’s Proposal • Hypothesis is to explore whether federal agencies are working together as well as they should. • Id joint objectives and commit to work together • Are there duplications in core functions • Is there a middle ground? • Are each agencies objectives too different from each other to be useful • Not enuf upfront consideration of costs in designing monitoring program • Maximize monitoring for the available costs • Guarantee effective expenditures

8. Framework • Will try to keep as simple as possible • Linda will collate & finalize comments • Will email comments for final round • Then to graphic artist for revision

9. Impact Article • Use selected conference presenters to populate teams • Outline structure for article • Outer ring- 3 C’s- Linda and Abby will do their part • Should be up front not last • Sets the stage for whole process (after intro article) • Need to develop list of folks to develop and review • Communicate results-fits with track 6 – should include authors from sessions • C&O reps will be part of and on review team for it

10. Workplan • Will revise after present out • Will prioritze and send out for comments • Will summarize comments from Wed and will send out for review

11. Who will be the new Fred? • You will receive a draft 1 page factsheet about the group • You will receive lovely parting gifts from USGS • Linda will assist you (as co-chair) Jim Laine