of Capacity Building for Californias RCDs C a l i f o r n i a A s s - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Relevant, Excellent, and Visible: Five Years of Capacity Building for California’s RCDs C a l i f o r n i a A s s o c i a t i o n o f R e s o u r c e C o n s e r v a t i o n D i s t r i c t s a n d S o l i d G r o u n d C o n s u l t i n g

Sara Karen Mandy Amy Schremmer Buhr Parkes Stork Capacity Building Executive Director Executive Director Project Lead Program Manager California Association Inland Empire Resource Solid Ground California Association of Resource Conservation District Consulting of Resource Conservation Districts Conservation Districts

Building District Capacity • What does “capacity building” mean to you? • What are some of your district’s or your state’s most important capacity needs?

Building District Capacity • Board recruitment and development • Strategic planning • Staff leadership • Collaboration between districts • Communications • Advocacy at the local and state level

California’s Resource Conservation Districts • 98 RCDs • 10 regions • No baseline allocation from state • Some districts have local tax base funding

The Need • Proposition 68 funding expired – districts had been overly dependent on one funding source • Need for a new funding model for districts • Growing environmental need – drought, wildfire, etc. • Agencies starting to think more regionally

VISION AND STANDARDS • “There was serious variation in capacity to complete projects and that put us in such a horrible position to seek statewide funding … We had to circle the wagons in terms of who we were, who we wanted to be, and how to get out partners engaged.” • Mandy Parkes Inland Empire RCD

VISION AND STANDARDS • High-performing RCDs discussed ways to strengthen the statewide network. • Group developed a vision: “ RCDs will be Relevant, Excellent, and Visible ‘go - to’ hubs for natural resource conservation and agriculture on public and private land at the local, regional, state, tribal, and federal levels” • Standards developed for RCDs: Tiers 1, 2, and 3

Capacity Building Program Partners

Capacity Building For RCDs

5-year Capacity Building Program • Survey to determine needs • RCD leaders participated in design of program • Program design • Trainings • Customized assistance for individual RCDs • Collaborative planning • Internal work for CARCD – planning, revenue, board • Knowledge Transfer

Group Trainings: Leadership Academies • For district managers and board members • Goal: develop leadership mindset and specific skills “ F o r m e , i t b r o u g h t g r e a t e r a w a r e n e s s – I r e c o g n i z e d m y s e l f i n a l e a d e r s h i p r o l e , o u t • Intensive retreat followed by a n d a b o u t r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e R C D . A n d a f t e r g o i n g t h r o u g h t h e t r a i n i n g , I s e e l e a d e r s h i p distance learning and peer support c o n c e p t s a t p l a y i n v a r i o u s o t h e r a s p e c t s o f with 4 – 7 months of cohort calls m y l i f e .” - B r i n G r e e r, R C D o f Te h a m a C o u n t y

Group Trainings: Advocacy Academy • For district managers and board members • Goal: develop understanding and comfort with outreach to elected officials “ T h e A d v o c a c y A c a d e m y i n c r e a s e d m y c o m f o r t • One-day learning experience l e v e l i n t a l k i n g w i t h l e g i s l a t o r s .” - G o r d o n L o n g , D i r e c t o r, C a l a v e r a s R C D • Followed by immediate legislative visits “ T h e s k i l l s c o n t i n u e t o b e p a s s e d o n … I e v e n c o n d u c t e d a ‘ m i n i - A c a d e m y ’ h e r e a t t h e o f f i c e . E v e r y o n e u n d e r s t a n d s t h a t w e a r e a l w a y s l a y i n g t h e g r o u n d w o r k f o r f u t u r e p r o j e c t s w h e n e v e r w e t a l k a b o u t w h a t w e d o . - S a r a L e t t o n , W e s t e r n S h a s t a R C D

Group Trainings: Communications Academy • Goal: Build RCDs’ ability to think strategically about communications • Series of six online webinars “ S a n M a t e o R C D h a s b e e n t o a f e w • Based on a statewide message c o m m u n i c a t i o n s w o r k s h o p s a n d g o t t e n a l o t platform developed for RCDs o u t o f t h e m . O u r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s h a v e d e f i n i t e l y i m p r o v e d a s a r e s u l t … ” - K e l l y x N e l s o n , S a n M a t e o R C D

Group Trainings: Annual Meeting Capacity Day • For district managers and board members • Goal: “Choose your adventure” organizational skill building day • 8-10 sessions offered for all levels • Held day before annual conference

Individual RCD Assistance • Goal: Engage board and staff to improve key organizational practices • Assessments • Strategic planning “ F r o m a p e r s o n a l p e r s p e c t i v e , I f e e l I h a v e • Board development a m u c h s t r o n g e r c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e B o a r d a n d p e r s p e c t i v e o f B o a r d M e m b e r s t h a n k s • Staffing plans/team building t o o u r m e e t i n g s .”

Lessons Learned • Differing capacity levels require different trainings • Volunteer board members require different follow up than staff • Power of face-to-face • Even with attempts to make everything accessible, sometimes hard for very low capacity organizations to participate

Durable Collaborations • Goal: Strengthen the entire RCD network by developing a scalable model for collaboration that reduces unnecessary competition & improves the ability of districts to meet their objectives • Voluntary and accessible application process • 7 cohorts ranging from large (11 RCDs) to small (2 RCDs) with a spectrum of trust, ambition, and capacity

Durable Collaboration Examples • Information sharing • Cooperation on discrete projects • Equipment sharing • Staff sharing • Consolidation • Pursuit of joint funding opportunities

Collaboration Process “I wasn’t engaged with the other RCDs, or with CARCD in general, at • Pre-work to outline individual needs, that time. But I knew inherently that hopes, and concerns engaging with the larger group. • Facilitated quarterly all-day meetings and thinking at a larger scale, would be monthly conference calls to reach helpful. agreement around key decision points and next steps Thinking on a regional, watershed • scale, you can get more collective Each RCD’s Board of Directors reviews and bang for your conservation buck by approves collaboration plan collaborating. You see funders moving • Legal review of any formal agreements to work at a regional scale.” • Implementation of collaboration plan -Jill Demers, Humboldt County RCD

CARCD’s Role • Provide staff time for research, coordination, and other forms of support to the seven RCD cohorts • Seek diversified funding to cover costs of facilitation services and provide stipends for RCD participant staff/travel time • Review drafts of collaboration plans and legal contracts • Conduct outreach to partner agencies about funding opportunities for RCD regional entities

Results • At minimum the cohorts will produce a plan clarifying how they will work together • Improved trust amongst RCDs • For the first time, 2 RCD cohorts are pursuing funding opportunities as regional entities • 2 RCD cohorts have a formal contract currently “ W h e n i n o n e p h o n e c o n v e r s a t i o n y o u h a v e under (or close to) legal review n i n e d i s t r i c t m a n a g e r s s a y i n g , ‘ I ’ l l d o w h a t e v e r I c a n f o r t h e g o o d o f t h e w h o l e ,’ • Multiple rounds of match funding secured to t h a t ’s a b i g t u r n i n g p o i n t f o r t h e s e c t o r.” support the RCD durable collaborations • — D e v i n B e s t , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r Paradigm shift from competition to U p p e r S a l i n a s - L a s Ta b l a s R C D collaboration

Lessons Learned • Clear and consistent communication is everything • Funding is critical • Flexibility and inclusion are essential • Participant leaders must be willing to step forward to help drive the process • Project organizers must be willing to seek external support as needed

Capacity Building for CARCD

Strategic Planning • 5-year goals for board development, advocacy, staffing, and revenue development.

Board Development • Facilitated conversations led to re-thinking who serves on the board • Established positions for some District Managers and outside partners • Revised board member job description • Identified skills and connections needed on the board.

Revenue Plan • Developed a functional budget • Built the case for support through increased membership dues • Outlined targeted grants and pass- through funding from state agencies.

Communications Platform • Messaging for use with key audiences (funders, legislators, member districts) • Outline of outreach strategies, tactics, and tools