Get Started: Establish a Local Coordinator

 

Local projects are highly dependent upon a person (or group of people) on the ground who can make things happen. He/She is responsible for ensuring ideas become realities. This person is the liaison with the local government, the community, Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) and outside resources. They are the ones tracking the project from its inception through to its implementation. 

 

There are various approaches to doing climate change adaptation with local governments including: 


1) Hiring consultants with experience.

2) Assigning tasks to an internal staff person.

3) Hiring a local coordinator who has links to outside expertise.

 

CBT's initiative was flexible, and as a result Elkford worked with a consulting team and Kimberley hired a local coordinator. The needs were determined by each individual community. The consulting approach brought in expertise from their contacts. The local coordinator approach used local expertise and input to help guide their process. 

When working in partnership with CBT, there is an additional responsibility to not only do a climate change adaptation plan but also to share, communicate and learn along the way with other Basin Communities. This requires additional work for the local government and their consultant/coordinator and needs to be considered in the work plan.

 

An example of the skills needed and responsibilities included for a local coordinator/consultant working on a CBT Communities Adapting to Climate Change project are: 


Responsibilities include

  • Working with the local government and CBT to create a work plan with clear goals, objectives and milestones
  • Working with CBT on monitoring and learning
  • Helping to form and coordinate a local steering committee
  • Engaging and communicating with people in X community via face to face, phone and internet regarding the project
  • Logistical support for organizing events, workshops and forums for discussion
  • Liaising with the regional coordinator to arrange for technical support, expertise and resources
  • Research as needed on various climate change impacts and adaptation subjects to share with the community and local government
  • Synthesizing documents and research on relevant topics to communicate with committees and the community
  • Liaising with planning consultants and technical experts as needed
  • Contributing to ongoing communications at the local and regional level in the form up updates, presentations and reports

Recommended Skills

  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Research via internet, publications, contacts, networks
  • Synthesizing, simplifying and communicating complex documents
  • Organized
  • Self-motivated individual that is also a team player
  • Desire to learn
  • Desire to share knowledge and collaborate with others
  • Interested in community development and resiliency
  • Flexible schedule
  • Flexible to changing needs of the project/community
  • Creative communicator
  • Knowledge of climate change impacts and adaptation desirable.
  • Experience in the field of sustainability

 

Lessons specifically from an OCP and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy coordination (advice provided from former manager of Elkford's OCP process): 


The OCP process is in-depth and in small, rural communities, people often will want to be very involved. In cases where the consultant will be working from a distance, one option to help facilitate a smooth process is to hire a planner to work directly in a community over the period of one year. This helps to avoid the unforeseen complications as well as logistical issues that come with distance work. It's also been noted that it's important to have a face in the community, ongoing support and communications; this can help maintain momentum. In addition, it may be the most cost-effective mechanism as travel can eat up a budget quickly.