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Public Involvement Network News
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
EPA Launches Collaboration Practitioners Network
Leanne Nurse, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation
The Network, we hope, will grow to be a Community of Practice to develop, evaluate best practices, tools and services.
More than forty people attended the first meeting of EPA’s Collaboration Practitioners Network February 21, 2006. This intra-agency community of practice will develop, examine and evaluate best practices, tools and services in the field. Meetings will be quarterly with information posted on an Intranet site.
During EPA’s 35 years, the number of people doing different types of collaborative practices has increased significantly. Most of EPA’s major laws now require some type of public involvement and collaborative work beyond standard “notice and comment.”
The Collaboration Practitioners Network will serve as a learning hub for anyone interested in collaborative methods to improve environmental protection. Some topics network members say they want to learn more about include:
- Definitions - shared terms of reference across different applications
- Evaluation - more ways to show that collaboration works
- Training - more staff and managers need to understand the strategic case for collaborating with other parties
There are plans to include other EPA practitioner networks (voluntary programs, environmental justice and community relations) in meetings which focus on specialized topics of mutual interest. The next CPN meeting is set for early May 2006. Contact: Leanne Nurse, 202-566-2207.