10. Develop initial work plan

Overview

The preceding elements help to establish a strong starting point for initial work and a good set of working partners. Next, you should develop a work plan that all parties can support, that aligns with individual member capacities, and provides concrete actions to further your efforts. A realistic, action-oriented, flexible, and opportunistic regional work plan is crucial for success.

A regional adaptation collaborative may likely consist of stakeholders from disparate affiliations with different funding sources. These funding sources might not support collaborative work or align in terms of timelines. A strong regional adaptation collaborative will be mindful of this reality, and flexible enough to accommodate stakeholders’ respective capacities.

The approaches to developing a work plan for a regional adaptation collaborative can vary. A collaborative might meet for a limited time and develop a simple, short-term plan of action, or it might create a large-scale, long-term, and evolving framework.

Once you finalize your initial work plan, the task of implementing that plan through early stage activities begins. There is no single path to success, as is demonstrated by the examples discussed above. Defining a plan that works for your region is the key to success.

Tools & Resources

The Bay Area Climate and Energy Resilience Project’s 12-Month Action Plan created in March 2013 was a midpoint plan based on a climate adaptation needs assessment conducted for the Kresge Foundation and the Bay Area Joint Policy Committee. That assessment included interviews with more than 100 Bay Area adaptation stakeholders, plus four special reports on equity, governance, science information, and integrated “win-win” strategies. The plan was used to engage funders and supporters, and significantly accelerated and strengthened Bay Area adaptation planning.

The Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) is in the process of taking an ambitious and long-range approach to crafting their workplan. LARC is developing a countywide climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare the region to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Known as A Greater L.A.: the Framework for Regional Climate Action and Sustainability, this effort is a multi-year process to integrate numerous countywide and jurisdiction-specific efforts with best practices and model ordinances that ensure a resilient and vibrant future for our communities. The Regional Framework for Climate Action and Sustainability includes coordination between many projects. The process of producing the Framework is key to its success – that process is cross-jurisdictional, action-oriented, pragmatic, innovative, and inclusive. By providing best practices and coordination for the entire County, this plan will also allow economically disadvantaged communities to benefit from coordinated planning, inclusion in strategy and Plan development, and reinvestment in order to meet the Plan’s sustainable community goals. This framework is not a starting point, but rather a work plan resulting from a long development process created by an established collaborative. LARC’s efforts extend beyond those of the regional adaptation collaborative, creating a larger action plans for all parties in the region.