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Evaluate the program!
Before any real conclusions, expansions, or reorganizations
occur, the watershed approach must be evaluated formally
by RI DEM or an outside contractor. The pilots have
been around long enough to be able to draw some conclusions
about their effectiveness. Questions remain as to the
success or failure of the approach so far and to its
feasibility for expansion and extension:
- How does the regional approach in South County compare
with the watershed-specific approach in the Woonasquatucket?
- How much have we spent (in time, resources, personnel,
etc.) on the watershed approach so far and what are
we getting back?
- How much are we willing to invest (in time, resources,
personnel, etc.) in the watershed approach?
- How much control should DEM have over watershed
activities?
- What are the measurable goals that DEM has set for
the watershed approach and have they been met?
- Can we say that the water is cleaner, the wildlife
is happier, the communities are more livable, etc.
because of the watershed approach than it would had
we operated in business-as-usual?
If RI DEM decides to continue and expand the program,
the following concerns should be taken into account:
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Organizational
structure and budget of DEM
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The Watersheds
Partnership and its staff are suffering due
to lack of financial resources (to hire more personnel,
for the most part). If the watershed approach
is to expand, there must be a comparable expansion
in the organizational structure and budget of
DEM itself.
Three staff members is not enough to coordinate
all divisions, departments, agencies, and local
organizations in the State of Rhode Island.
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Work assessment
and evaluation into the process
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The RI Watershed Approach Framework outlines
a 5-stage cycle that begins with "Outreach
and Scoping" and ends with "Evaluation."
These beginning and closing steps have either
been formally absent or squeezed into a few weeks
or months.
An increase in funding should be justified by
a formal evaluation.
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Work out
measurable goals
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Decide what measurable
goals the program has and make sure everyone signs
on to them. |
Research is currently underway in some parts of the
country to attempt to solve this assessment problem.
Sabatier, et al in a presentation entitled "Making
Watershed Partnerships Work: Trust, Time, Conflict,
Structure, Process"* indentifies
indicators including:
- Social capacity-buillding
- Extent of agreement
- Projects and policies
- Monitering (proxy for impacts)
- Perceived impacts
- Achieved partnership goals
- Overall/composite
It could be worth DEM's while to undergo such a study
as was conducted by Sabatier et al to evaluate some
of the partnerships developing in Rhode Island.
*Sabatier, Paul, et al, "Making
Watershed Partnerships Work: Trust, Time, Conflict,
Structure, Process," Department of Environmental
Science & Policy, University of California, Davis;:
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University: May
3, 2001
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