Yesterday, Exchange members attended the second of four members-only community engagement workshops. Facilitated by Katherine Baer and April Ingle of the River Network, the workshop set out to teach participants how to support the growth of authentic and equitable relationships between community organizations and water utilities. Trusting, authentic relationships between water utilities and communities are more important than ever to ensure equitable, affordable access to clean, reliable water and stormwater services. Examples exist in communities across the country, and offer crucial lessons about centering communities to leverage mutual benefits and build trust. The session explored best practices for leadership to create trust-based utility-community partnerships outlined in River Network and WaterNow Alliance’s report, Building Blocks of Trust: Creating Authentic and Equitable Relationships Between Community Organizations and Water Utilities, and discussion of strategies for putting these building blocks of trust into practice to advance green infrastructure, sustainability, and community-centered engagement.
A number of exercises were shared to get participants involved and thinking about how to build trust and the River Network highlighted the building blocks they’ve used in successful approaches. For the sake of time, they did a deeper dive into (a) Prioritize Transparency and Accountability, (b) Include the Community as Part of Utility Decision Making, and (c) Highlight Shared Goals to Leverage Mutual Benefits.
When asked, “What interesting insights or revelations came to you in these discussions?” towards the end of the workshop, participants answered:
- “Level of community engagement pursued needs to reflect what we can offer.”
- “Determining the best way to offer child care for evening meetings.”
- “Confirming that community-centered outreach is vital to successful projects.”
- “Strategic Partners are irreplaceable.”
- “Identify community ambassadors and work with our outreach consultants to think about how to bring them to the table effectively.”
You can view the full slide deck from the Community Engagement Workshop: Trust Building designed by the River Network here.
This work would not be possible without the generous support of the Kresge Foundation that has enabled us to deepen our commitment to building the leadership skills of current and future local government leaders. If you’re an Exchange member, please be sure that you’re subscribed to our members-only newsletter so that you don’t miss out on future workshops.
Reach out to Jasmine Harrison, jasmine@giexchange.org, with any questions.
