Facilitation
Examples of Work
Drinking Water
Ground Water Stakeholder Involvement Process
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Convening, planning for and facilitation of
stakeholder meetings on issues associated with the
development of a national regulation on ground water
contamination.
Tucson, AZ Water Quality Consensus Building
Tucson Water Bureau
The City of Tucson faced ongoing controversy
associated with proposed use of Central Arizona
Project water to replace some of its reliance on
groundwater as a source of supply. RESOLVE assisted
the City in implementing a citizen initiative (Prop
200) setting limitations on what qualities of water
are acceptable by facilitating consensus building
project focused on the quality(ies) of the “product”
(glass of water) preferred by Tucson Water’s
customers.
“Water Infrastructure
Network” (WIN) on Funding Strategies
Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies
and other WIN partners
Facilitation of meetings of the Water Infrastructure
Network, an effort by about 30 national governmental
and professional associations to reach consensus on
a proposal to Congress to address the almost $1
trillion spending gap for the nation’s aging water
and wastewater infrastructure.
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Energy
National Wind Coordinating Collaborative
U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable
Energy Lab
NWCC is a
multi-stakeholder collaborative organization
supporting the development of an environmentally,
economically, and politically sustainable market for
wind energy. RESOLVE staffs and facilitates the
collaborative, assisting in identifying issues that
impact the use of wind power, establishing dialogue
with key stakeholders, and catalyzing action on
strategic issues. The collaborative has published
numerous consensus white papers and sponsored a
variety of technical meetings and policy dialogues.
Ohio Wind Working Group
Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy
Efficiency
A collaborative effort including environmental
advocacy groups, electric utilities, wind
developers, government, agricultural organizations
and universities is striving to increase awareness
of wind energy in Ohio. RESOLVE facilitates the
group’s quarterly meetings, with interim meetings
and calls of the Steering Committee and four action
teams focused on business, manufacturing,
environmental, and policy issues.
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Environmental Quality
Alternative Regulatory System for Vehicle
Manufacturing
General Motors and Environmental Defense
Two-year, multi-stakeholder effort jointly initiated
by a major car manufacturer and a national
environmental group. Participants reached consensus
on a proposed model for an alternative regulatory
system that would encourage car manufacturers to
find innovative ways of meeting or exceeding
environmental regulatory requirements (e.g., through
pollution prevention techniques) in exchange for
increased operational flexibility.
National Advisory Council for Environmental
Policy and Technology - Standing Committee on
Sectors
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Facilitation of a subcommittee of a federal advisory
committee composed of senior level representatives
from diverse organizations. Building on the success
of the Common Sense Initiative, U.S. EPA supported a
Federal Advisory Committee (NACEPT Standing
Committee on Sectors) to help the Agency focus on
regulatory and non-regulatory environmental programs
addressing industry sectors. Committee members were
charged with supporting and encouraging the
appropriate and successful integration of
sector-based approaches into agency functions to
improve the effectiveness of environmental programs.
U.S. Climate Policy Forum
Resources for the Future
The U.S. Climate Policy Forum brought together
companies from across the spectrum of the U.S.
economy, representing the auto, electricity
generation, oil and gas, transport, and chemical
industries, as well as large energy consumers,
insurance, and financial services firms. The goal of
the Forum was to provide legislators with
well-vetted, detailed policy options, important
criteria for policy assessment and well-articulated
concerns from which effective federal climate policy
might be crafted.
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Health & Biotechnology
Children’s Health Protection Advisory
Committee
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
RESOLVE facilitates the meetings of this federal
advisory committee. Participants have reached
agreement on several key recommendations on ways EPA
can address environmental health risks to children.
Global Biotechnology Advisory Committee
DuPont Corporation
Facilitation of Advisory Panel convened to guide the
Company’s actions, help it create positions on
important issues, and guide and challenge it in the
development, testing and commercialization of new
products based on biotechnology.
National Action Plan on Breast Cancer
Sponsored Workshop "Day of Dialogue"
The Keystone Center, funded by public-private
partnership of Dept. of Health and Human Services
Office of Women’s Health and private partners
Highly technical workshop sponsored by the National
Action Plan on Breast Cancer to address new theories
regarding breast cancer metastasis. Over 100
participants engaged in work group and plenary
discussions to fully explore this avenue of research
and its implications regarding future breast cancer
research, testing, and treatment.
Recontextualizing HIV Research
George Washington University School of Public
Health, Center for Health Research and Policy,
funded by National Institutes of Health Office of
AIDS Research
Facilitation of meetings convened by the Office of
AIDS Research and attended by a diverse range of
stakeholders to assess the environment within which
HIV research is taking place and the associated
implications for establishing and communicating
research priorities.
Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation
Program Stakeholder Involvement
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Stakeholder involvement process to provide
interested stakeholders an opportunity to offer
input on the design and implementation of a
children’s health testing program. Development of a
Preliminary Findings and Recommendations report,
followed by facilitation of three multi-stakeholder
public sessions and approximately eight
stakeholder-specific sessions between meetings to
assist in further defining areas of agreement.
USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural
Biotechnology
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Facilitation of federal advisory committee –
comprised of approximately 35 stakeholders
representing academic institutions, environmental
and consumer organizations, and industry
representatives from the entire food chain –
convened to provide advice to the Department of
Agriculture on policy issues related to agricultural
biotechnology. The Advisory Committee on
Agricultural Biotechnology (ACAB) was initially
established for two years, reaching consensus on
letters to the Secretary of Agriculture regarding
the public plant breeding program, research agenda,
and budget priorities. ACAB has since been
re-chartered and reconvened as USDA Advisory
Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology for the 21st
Century (AC21), with RESOLVE continuing to
facilitate its deliberations.
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Land Use / Transportation
/ Sustainable Communities
Environmental Justice Toolkit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice convened a
meeting involving the agency’s Deputy Regional
Administrators and several Deputy Assistant
Administrators at which participants reached
agreement on the context for and contents of a
resource document to guide EPA’s response to
allegations of environmental injustice. Based on
this meeting, regions developed strategic plans for
integrating environmental justice into the agency’s
programs, policies and activities.
Envisioning the Future of the Gulf Coast
BP
The economic infrastructure, ecosystem values, and
cultural heritage that exist in coastal communities
and across the fragile environment of the Gulf Coast
of the United States are of enormous importance to
the nation as a whole. Following the devastation of
hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 250 experts from
national and regional environmental NGOs, industry,
labor, government, and academia gathered in New
Orleans to shape a call to action to achieve a new
vision of the future for the Gulf Coast, one that
includes constructing and maintaining working
landscapes that will provide a greater degree of
safety for the people who live within them, protect
the infrastructure that is essential to our national
economy, and bring back the ecological values of
this unique region. RESOLVE planned and facilitated
this symposium in cooperation with a steering
committee led collaboratively by America’s Wetlands
and BP.
Green Highways Partnership Workshop
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3
RESOLVE facilitated a two-day workshop of The Green
Highways Partnership (GHP), a voluntary
public/private initiative that seeks to incorporate
environmental streamlining and stewardship into all
aspects of the highway lifecycle. The workshop
involved plenary sessions and small group
brainstorming sessions focused on various aspects of
green highways development including watershed
driven stormwater management recycle–reuse of
industrial byproducts, and conservation & ecosystem
Protection. Key GHP partners include US EPA, Federal
Highway Administration, and the Maryland State
Highway Administration.
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Natural
Resources
Alaska Glacier Bay Compensation Plan Public
Involvement Process
U.S. Park Service and the State of Alaska
Assistance to National Park Service and State of
Alaska on engaging the public in allocating $23
million appropriated to compensate parties affected
by closure of Glacier Bay National Park to
commercial fishing. Planning for and facilitation of
multiple public workshops in rural southeast
communities, facilitation of public conference calls
including parties from seven communities, and
management of activities associated with public
contact.
Future Challenges Initiative
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S.
Geological Survey
The Future Challenges Initiative was a joint effort
of the USGS Executive Leadership Team and the FWS
Directorate to strengthen the partnership between
the two agencies on shared long-term, science-based
conservation objectives. The goal of the initiative
is to position USGS and FWS to predict and respond
to significant challenges to biodiversity and
ecosystem function over the next 15-20 years in the
face of large-scale change predicted from invasive
species, biotechnology, climate change and shortage
of water for ecological needs. RESOLVE provided
facilitation services and assisted in the planning
for four joint, regional meetings in Denver,
Anchorage, Sacrament, and Atlanta, followed by a
meeting of the project’s National Synthesis Team.
Themes emerging from the workshop included the
importance of comprehensive monitoring programs,
need for systems-level understanding, value of
predictive modeling to guide proactive management
actions, and the need for effective risk assessment
and management.
Invasive Species Advisory Committee
U.S. Department of the Interior
Facilitation of initial Advisory Committee meeting
of 32 individuals representing academia, the
environmental and agricultural communities, trade
groups, states, tribes and private landowners. The
Committee was convened to address issues related to
development of the Invasive Species Management Plan
and mechanisms for communicating with the public.
National Oceans Conference Facilitation
Council on Environmental Quality and the
National Science Foundation
Facilitation of the first national conference on
U.S. policies related to the ocean, with panel on
ocean exploration, research, and education
co-chaired by heads of the Council on Environmental
Quality and the National Science Foundation.
Facilitation involved advance work with panelists,
facilitating stimulating and productive dialogue
between and among panel members and audience
participants, and follow-up work under tight time
constraints to prepare discussion highlights for
incorporation into talking points to assist CEQ
Chair in reporting to the U.S. Vice President on
live television.
National Wetlands Policy Symposium
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Convened and facilitated a one-day meeting, chaired
by former Administrator William K. Reilly, to
discuss progress made implementing the
recommendations of the National Wetlands Policy
Forum, including the national goal of “no net-loss”
of wetlands.
New York Ocean and Great Lakes Symposium
Pew Charitable Trust
Assisted the Office of the Governor, the State
Department of Environmental Conservation, and the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to plan
and facilitate a meeting of about 200 participants
to review relevant recommendations from the U.S
Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans
Commission and identify priority actions that the
state should take to strengthen protection and
management of New York’s ocean and coastal
resources.
Presidents’ Summit
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Facilitation of first ever national meeting of the
Presidents of the member societies of the American
Institute of Biological Sciences. The meeting,
involving about 90 participants, developed
priorities for collaborative action amongst the
societies.
Sound and Marine Life Workshop
International Oil and Gas Producers’ Association
Planned and facilitated a three-day, invitational
workshop in Halifax, Nova Scotia sponsored by the
International Oil and Gas Producers’ Association to
discuss options for industry sponsored research
related to the effect of sound from oil and gas
exploration and production activities on marine
mammals and other marine life and to create a better
understanding among the various stakeholders. The
workshop brought together about 70 scientists,
industry leaders, government and non-governmental
stakeholders from around the world.
Workshop on Submarine Cables in the Marine
Environment
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Multi-stakeholder process to develop guiding
principles for the laying and maintenance of
submarine cables, particularly fiber-optic cables,
in the marine environment. Process included planning
meetings, internal working sessions, a tutorial, and
the workshop, including representatives of
environmental groups, the telecommunications
industry, fishing interests, and federal agencies.
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Rivers and Watersheds
Mobile Bay, Alabama, National Estuaries
Program
Facilitation of three strategic planning
meetings to assist Mobile Bay National Estuaries
Program participants in reaching consensus on the
program’s multi-year strategic plan. Meeting
participants included approximately 60 members of
the Policy Committee and the Management Committee.
National Streamgaging Network Workshops
Interstate Council on Water Policy and the
U.S. Geologic Survey
Four national-level one-day workshops sponsored by
the Interstate Council on Water Policy. Involving
40-100 participants each, the purpose of the one-day
workshops was to discuss the U.S. Geological
Survey’s proposed National Streamgaging Information
Program goals and strategies for a coordinated
national, cooperative system involving states,
tribes and other cooperators.
National TMDL Listening Sessions
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Facilitated five interactive, national-level
meetings sponsored by EPA’s Office of Water,
involving 150-300 participants each. The purpose of
the listening sessions was to identify issues and
ideas for new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
regulations. Each of the first four meetings focused
on a different theme, with a wrap up session in
Washington DC. Participants were engaged in small
(8-12 person) roundtable discussions on specific
questions at three to four sessions during the
course of the meetings. Highlights were reported in
plenary, with thoughtful reflections from a
“listening panel” of EPA and other officials
reporting what they heard and the implications for
the rulemaking and program.
U.S. Stakeholder Meeting for the
Implementation of the Joint Declaration with Mexico
on the Colorado River Delta
U.S. Department of the Interior
National-level meeting chaired by the Deputy
Secretary of the Department of the Interior,
involving the Colorado River basin states, water
users, and environmental advocates. The purpose of
the meeting was to discuss criteria, options, and
next steps for proposals the United States could
make to Mexico for improving the Colorado River
Delta environment. Water Sustainability
Certification
The Nature Conservancy
RESOLVE assisted The Nature Conservancy’s
Sustainable Waters Program to organize and
facilitate a roundtable to explore the feasibility
of a water-related sustainability certification
program for drinking water utilities, similar to
what has been carried out in the forestry and marine
fisheries sectors. The Nature Conservancy engaged a
diverse group of water utility experts, public
interest groups, academics and government officials
in a dialogue about the potential of using
recognition programs as a means to encourage water
managers or providers to carry out their operations
in a way that would reduce potential impacts of the
timing and rate of water withdrawals on freshwater
ecosystem biodiversity. back to top |
