[Date of this version is April 17, 2001]

Overview

All elements of the MAFPE Communication and Outreach Plan ("the plan"”) should emphasize partnership activities that should be conveyed using broad, understandable messages that highlight outcomes of the various partnership activities.  The plan should address the needs and benefits of internal and external communication. The plan will include the following elements that will be implemented in the appropriate time frame as activities evolve and resources are provided by the partners.

Committees should develop charters and articulate processes and decisions to ensure all MAFPE partners understand and concur with the planned activities. Each committee should identify members, the committee chair/co-chair, and decisions and action items from meetings. Such information should be posted on the committee's Internet pages.

At appropriate milestones, MAFPE committees should identify someone to prepare a news release or short communication product that can be used by each MAFPE agency to promote awareness of MAFPE-sponsored activities and outcomes. News releases and other communication products will be posted on the MAFPE home page so that each agency can readily obtain the material and apply it to their own agency process.

Email list-serves will be used to ensure open communication with the Executive Committee, other active or interested agency representatives, and other committees. Committee chairs/co-chairs should identify a representative to establish and maintain an email list-serve. Email list-serve information should be maintained on the MAFPE home page to ensure effective use of email list-serves.

Much can be gleaned from the Communication Plan of the Midwest Natural Resources Group (http://www.mnrg.gov/about.htm) regarding communication goals, general targeted audiences, and specific communication messages that are applicable to the MAFPE.

A public home page will be maintained by a MAFPE agency representative. The pages will be used to facilitate internal and external communication. The Communication and Outreach Committee will work with the Webmaster to continually evolve the content. MAFPE committees should identify a member to work with the Webmaster to ensure effective processes to post committee plans, activities, and outcomes on the MAFPE home page. MAFPE committees are encouraged to maintain their own Internet pages, hot-linked to the MAFPE main pages, so that workloads for the Internet pages can be distributed among agencies.

Elements of Internet pages should include:

• A "What's New" section to highlight new postings of broad interest
• Charter, contact, and membership information for each committee
• An organization chart of MAFPE to show the relationships among the committees
• Basic information on each email list-serve
• Information on future Executive Committee meetings and notes for past meetings
• Basic information on committee activities and outcomes
• Hot-links to other pages of interest
• Possible on-line discussion groups
• Possible information on GIS/remote-sensing data and hot-links

The following communication products will be considered for elements of the plan:

• News releases
• Brochure about MAFPE
• Letters to other agencies and groups to provide overview of MAFPE or special-purpose contacts
• Electronic discussion groups
• Fact sheets
• Photo library posted on the WWW
• PowerPoint file about the MAFPE purpose, members, and activities available on the home page
• Hotlinks to GIS pages pertinent to the Mid Atlantic
• Newsletter and Internet articles that could be used by other agencies and groups (and hot links)
• Field trips
• Congressional and agency briefings
• Sponsorship of workshops, watershed groups, and water-quality monitoring councils

Such additional products will depend upon (1) relevant accomplishments (outcomes) of MAFPE partnerships that warrant outreach efforts; (2) resources contributed by MAFPE agencies; and (3) identifying liaison representatives to link with other agencies and organizations to broaden and diversify the foundation of collective MAFPE resources.

Elements of the outreach component of the plan would include reaching out to other appropriate agencies to join MAFPE, and developing a framework for effective dialogue with other agencies and groups. The following is a list of current MAFPE partners and potential MAFPE partners. The list below was prepared April 17, 2001; an "X" indicates the respective agency has signed the MAFPE MOU and/or the MAFPE MOA regarding partnership activities with selected Counties in the Mid-Atlantic region.
 

It is recommended that the MAFPE Executive Committee assign a representative to be an advocate for a specific potential new partner, and to report contacts and progress at future meetings so that agency solicitations and decisions can be documented for future reference.

MAFPE Partners should develop various communication avenues to have a dialogue with the following agencies and organizations. This effort is the objective and goal of the Regional Watershed Roundtables.
 
American Forests
American Heritage Rivers Initiative: River Navigator and Community Contacts:

• Hudson River
• New River
• Potomac River
• Upper Susquehanna–Lackawanna Watersheds

Appalachian Regional Commission
Canaan Valley Institute
Center for Watershed Protection
Chesapeake Bay Program
Coastal America (a dialogue has already started)
Delaware River Basin Commission
Eastern Region Federal Mine Drainage Consortium
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Maryland Water Quality Monitoring Council
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
National Water-Quality Monitoring Council
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
Additional NY/NJ groups should be considered

The following sister regional CWAP groups should also be considered:
Midwest Natural Resource Group
New England Federal Partners for the Environment
Southeast Natural Resources Leaders Group

Various outreach models should be considered to establish dialogues and linkages with other agencies and groups. These include presentations at meetings; applying communication products (as listed previously); considering collaborative projects, etc. It is recommended that the Executive Committee assign a MAFPE liaison representative to specific other agencies and organizations to facilitate dialogue with that group. A framework plan should be developed by the MAFPE partners to guide the implementation of this component of the outreach plan.

Charter of the Communication and Outreach Committee
Mid-Atlantic Federal Partners for the Evironment

[Date of this version is April 16, 2001]

Introduction

This committee was established based upon action of the MAFPE Executive Committee at their meeting on September 19, 2000. The paragraph below are notes from that meeting and represent the original assignment to the committee:

"Action: A second ad hoc committee was established to compile a list of appropriate partners and a catalogue of other organizations with which MAFPE might have fruitful communication. This committee will also draft a communications and outreach strategy. Committee members are Cyndy Belz, John Hnedak, John Forren, Marc Koenings, and Jeff Underwood. Report due in draft 30 days prior to the next meeting."

Purpose

The purpose of the committee is to develop, implement, and evolve the MAFPE Communication and Outreach Plan.

Elements of the Charter

The committee reports to the Executive Committee who will determine the duration of the committee. The initial duration of the committee is for one year (January 2001 to January 2002) to fully develop and implement the Communication and Outreach Plan. For this reason the name of the committee shall be the Communication and Outreach Committee.

Activities of the committee will be closely linked to activities of other MAFPE committees. Although the committee is to function on a proactive basis, direction from the Executive Committee is expected. Activities of the committee will be dependent upon adequate resources made available by MAFPE partner agencies.

At appropriate milestones the committee will report plans and outcomes to the Executive Committee and interested parties during meetings of the Executive Committee, by email reports, by postings on the MAFPE home page, or other appropriate means.

Membership

Members of the committee will be selected by the Executive Committee. Participation of each MAFPE agency is encouraged. Members of the committee will identify a chair or co-chairs. Liaison positions between this committee and other MAFPE committees will be established to help implement elements of the plan. Members of the committee include the following people:

MAFPE home page URL: http://water.usgs.gov/mafpe/

To send email to members of the committee, send email to: GS-W-NR_mafpecom@usgs.gov
If you are a USGS employee, send email toGS-W-NR mafpecom

Initial Goals of the Committee for the First Quarter of Calendar Year 2001

Present the draft charter and communication/outreach plan at the January 2001 meeting of the Executive Committee. Request comments on the draft material by the end of February 2001. Revise the draft charter and communication/outreach plan based upon comments received and submit a proposed final versions to the Executive Committee 30 days prior to the meeting following the January 2001 meeting.

Implement basic elements of the plan for the urban growth, NY/NJ harbor, Delaware River basin activities, and take initial steps to contact 1-2 other Federal agencies to join the MAFPE.

Finish developing the MAFPE home page, establish hot-links to other sites, and present it to the Executive Committee at their meeting following the January 2001 meeting for their approval.

Determine how to best integrate the existing groups and possibly discuss the liaisons.