News Story Manager

Conflict Resolution and Publication Participation Center Reports on Corps Collaborative Capabilities

Published May 24, 2011

ALEXANDRIA, VA—May 24, 2011. IWR’s Conflict Resolution and Public Participation Center (CPC) published “The State of Collaboration in the Corps: A Field Perspective.” This is the final report of the Collaborative Capacity Assessment Initiative, an 18-month effort to evaluate the Corps capacity to collaborate with external stakeholders on water resources planning and management and synthesize field recommendations on how to improve this capacity.

The report presents findings and thirteen recommendations based on the results of an online survey and series of workshops across the Corps. During these workshops participants shared examples of collaborative initiatives and their successes and challenges. They also discussed the results of the online assessment and ideas for enhancing collaboration at individual and organizational levels.

The recommendations are organized around the five components of a system that supports, enables, and rewards the use of collaboration: institutional procedures; leadership, authority and empowerment; individual skill sets; time and resources; and organizational culture. These recommendations include documenting and disseminating success stories, lessons learned, and best practices regarding the use of collaboration by Corps personnel; developing a communications strategy regarding the Corps’ use of collaboration that meets the needs of both internal and external stakeholders; and establishing a professional development program to assist Corps personnel in enhancing their collaborative capabilities. Understanding the current state of collaborative capacity and the needs of field staff will help the CPC to improve the Corps collaborative abilities now and in the future.

More about the Conflict Resolution and Public Participation Center (CPC)

The mission of the CPC is to help Corps staff anticipate, prevent and manage water resources conflicts to ensure that the interests of the public are addressed in Corps decision-making. The CPC achieves this mission by developing and expanding the use of collaborative tools to improve water resources decision-making. The CPC provides training, consultation and resources to Corps personnel. It was named a Center of Expertise and Directory of Expertise in 2008.

Learn More