Southeast Natural Resource Leaders Group (SENRLG)
Field Environmental Leadership Workshop, Atlanta, Georgia
January 21-22, 2003

SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS
(including Work Group Reports and Agency Action Plans)

I. Principals' Opening Remarks on Agency Mission and Importance of SENRLG Principles to Agency Mission

Department of Defense
George Carellas, Regional Environmental Coordinator, Region 4, Regional Environmental Office

Sustaining our Military, our Environment, and our Communities
Federal Highway Administration
Gene Cleckley, Director of Field Services, South

The Guiding Principles: CATALYST for making Government work the way it should work

Tennessee Valley Authority
Bridgette Ellis, Vice President, Resource Stewardship

Guiding Principles: To provide "Public Services" and have an IMPACT on the quality of life in the Tennessee Valley.

Environmental Protection Agency
Jimmy Palmer, Regional Administrator, Region 4

The Guiding Principles and collaboration with other federal agencies as well as state and local agencies and other stakeholders are essential for EPA Region 4 to carry out its mission of protecting the human health and safeguarding the natural environment (air, water, and land) in the Southeast.

National Park Service
William Schenk, Regional Director, Southeast Region

Guiding Principles are essential for:
Productive Partnerships
Early and Effective Involvement
Ensuring Resources.

Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate to achieve conservation.

The Guiding Principles reinforce our mission and foster interagency communication needed to bridge the diverse cultures and missions among SENRLG partners.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Peter Madsen, Division Engineer, South Atlantic Divi" Opportunity.

Guiding Principles permit agencies to work as a Federal family and problem-solve.
Guiding Principles result in more "Random Acts of Excellence."
Applying the Principles enable an agency to become a learning organization.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Jon Andrew, Chief, Southeast National Wildlife Refuge System

FWS will implement the Guiding Principles proactively. Use of the Principles will result in better resource management for taxpayers and a safer, healthier, cleaner environment for citizens and communities.

U.S. Forest Service
Bob Jacobs, Regional Forester, Southern Region

The USFS mission focuses on Multi-uses/Best use of Public Lands for American People. The Guiding Principles help agencies overcome jumping to conclusions regarding negative motives and working together; agencies provide leadership to the American people.

U.S. Geological Survey
Tim Hale, Acting Regional Hydrologist

We CAN and WILL provide better service to our target customers and to the public in general using the SENRLG Guiding Principles.

II. Day 1 Afternoon Cross-Agency Breakout Sessions: Understanding and Supporting the SENRLG Guiding Principles

Why Support the Guiding Principles

1. Work together to protect quality of life
2. Win-Win Solutions to accomplish the Extraordinary
3. Do more with less - Time/Resources of essence
4. Breakdown barriers to enhance relationships and results

1. Principle 1 (Treat Everyone with Dignity and Respect) builds trust, value, and better decision making
2. Principle 2: Recognize and respect differing perspectives and mandates, while building upon common interests
   • Common goals and objectives
   • Leverage resources
   • Unified Federal image (positive)
   • Bottom-line results
3. Principle 3: Increase communications and learning to overcome challenges that result from differing perspectives and mandates
   • More communication þ less conflict
   • Include all stakeholders early in the process - fewer surprises and roadblocks
   • Leverage resources
   • Make wise and better decisions

1. Better product
2. Enhanced Efficiency
3. Beneficial Spin Offs
4. Cross Cultural Awareness

1. Principle 1: Respect and Dignity - listen, fight negative perspective, build trust, raise awareness, right thing to do, from top down, not just face-to-face but how we talk about federal partners to other stakeholders
2. Principle 2: Recognize and Respect Differing Perspectives/Mandates (build on common) Interest - achieve best balance, reflect views of people we serve, best value for tax $
3. Principle 3: Communications - overcome challenges of Principle 2
   • focus on common goal
   • seek way to NOT say no
   • know who the players are
   • perceived cooperation
   • culture/mandates differ - communicate to understand
   • step back when stuck and see if it is worth the effort
   • avoid formal letters which back agencies into corners
4. Principle 4: Responsive and Coordinated Process and Decision-Making as "Standard for Good Government"
   • invite agencies early on and invite everybody (not just federal agencies)
   • give opportunity to speak minds and set priorities and tie to missions
   • build in one-entry point for customers
   • create "issue teams" with expertise
   • take off agency "hats" for consensus
5. Principle 5: Resolve issues within region to maximum extent for "Best Solutions are Local"
   • limited resources - share vision - listen - prioritize
   • publish individual contacts in each agency
   • identify where agencies can contribute the most without compromising responsibilities science success is contagious and opens other doors
6. Principle 6: Seek to integrate programs, resources, and capabilities to maximize federal responsiveness
   • Place people at another agency - co-location
   • synergy
   • compromise rather than elevate

Group 5

1. Three R's = Respect, Responsibility, Relationship
2. Not always what we say but how we say it - must be aware of others' points of view Example: Tribal Relations - cultural importance of respect
3. Need to get to know individuals/groups prior to trying to solve issues Examples of successful collaboration: FHWA project and COE western experience

1. Some times differences are perceived, not real
2. All differences aren't of equal significance
3. Some times focus too much on differences rather than shared views, purposes
4. Look for comprehensive win-win rather than competitive win-lose
5. Leadership is key

Principle: Communicate to Overcome Challenges - Listening is a key element of communicating effectively.

1. Starting projects well is important to success - start on right foot
2. Preconceived notions are often disruptive
3. Work to define common understanding of good public policy
4. Responsiveness needs Priority Setting

1. All the best ideas aren't always local
2. Local involvement is, however, critical to success

1. Common Sense
2. Fundamental Teaming
3. Improve teaming by broadening
4. Should be done by moral individual
5. Professional Ethics
6. Required for us all to be effective individually and corporatively
7. Public expects it
8. Clarifies individual responsibilities
9. Empowering Employees

1. Leveraging $
2. More efficient use of time
3. Avoid duplication of effort
4. Engaging leadership avoids roadblocks
5. Set vision for future
6. Responsibility to Public
7. Improved communication

Public Involvement
Recognition of Public Service
Timeliness - Responsiveness

Higher it goes the more politics, less chance for innovation
Early involvement of Senior Leadership to obtain buy-in
Early wins at local level

Building on Interagency Strengths
Working down in Organization

Group 9

1. Data Sharing - often difficult
2. Staff/Team Sharing þ pick significant projects
3. Identify agencies with overlap and discuss to understand and find better ways to share data

1. Don't restrict to just the legal mandate
2. Flexibility within the law
3. Win-win for all feds and the environment
4. Understand each agency better
5. Levels of coordination and innovation will change on each project
6. Establish relationships þ trust

Examples of Successful Collaborations

Group 3

1. Sensitivity training
2. Identification and exchange of expectations
3. AAR - after action review of specific problems and review of successes
4. Identification of all stakeholders up front
5. Area for future collaboration - Homeland Security

• Key West Dredge Project
  • Improve water quality
  • Recover utilization

Group 7

• 10-12 Agencies and Public (TVA leadership)
• Many volunteers - many hours - local economic benefits: drove process

• Addressed short-term and long-term solutions
• Short-term Hot Spot Resolution led to Long-Term Solutions and Follow-on Studies

• Viewed as one process
• NEPA 404 (4 Federal and 3 State agencies)
• Permit Process Improvement Teams

• Protect resources
• Promote sustainability
• 14 Federal & State Agencies

Group 9

GP 6: TVA success - Heritage Database = cooperative agreement with 7 states and FWS for 2 year data share

III. Day 2 Morning Cross-Agency Breakout Sessions: Cascading Principles Through Organizations, and Turning Principles Into Action

How to Cascade Principles through Organizations

1. Front Load Engagement of all Stakeholders
2. Work as a Team
3. Empower Team
4. Senior Management Statement of Support - Principals and Field Leaders lead by Word and Example
5. Overcome Reluctance to Take Risks
6. Encourage Innovation - Incentivize Innovation (recognition, awards, use/tout successful innovation
7. Think long term vs short term
8. Training at multiple levels
9. No surprises policy - talk rather than firing letters

1. Train agency personnel on agency mission and other agencies' mission
2. Try to lead by example - Walk the talk
3. Ask people to revisit printed documents from Leadership Workshop
4. Hold all employees staff meeting to introduce principles - perhaps have other agency staff and/or success story or SENRLG video
5. Lower level gathering of various agencies (similar to leadership workshop)
   • state level, including state agency counterparts
   • sub-regionally within state (like NW region of a state)
   • beyond natural resources, but include land management, and perhaps agencies with related mission but outside environmental (such as HUD, economic development)
6. Web Site with partnering examples, contacts
7. Seek opportunities for successful partnerships and communicate and reward successes
8. Co-locating joint responsibilities
   • joint office with liaison for multi-agencies

     New Orleans - 5 Federal agencies and 2 Louisiana agencies
     Atlanta - COE with 2 agencies invited to be part of Leadership Development Group

   • allowing staff to work on details with other agencies FHWA & EPA staff in Atlanta detail with other
9. Share benefits of working with SENRLG - use marketing tool to explain
10. Use communication pack for internal use and to promote interagency collaboration in public perception
11. Cross-training with other agencies
12. Communication - abolish stove-pipes

1. Facilitated organization workshops (like this Leadership Workshop)
2. Engage middle managers buy-in - this is key to staff buy-in
3. Continually make principles regular business - what do other think? their priorities? roles?
4. Reward flexibility and innovation - confirm/encourage to staff
5. Understand correct status by top
6. Interagency meetings and internal meetings to talk about other agencies priorities
7. Put in performance standards
8. Use principles as ground rules for interagency meetings
9. Have other agency reps at internal meetings
10. Implement efficient action plan and make managers accountable for implementing
11. Create opportunities to interact with other agencies

1. Memos from senior management
2. By example - walk the talk
3. Empowerment (flexibility and decision making)
4. Rotational Assignments
5. Relationship Building
6. Skills Training, including joint agency training
7. Professional Development (training, exposure, awareness, understanding of other agencies)
8. Avoid stereotyping and agency prejudices
9. Cross-agency briefings
10. Periodic Reinforcement of Commitments
    • cross-agency recognition
    • cross-agency management briefings
11. Lead and get out of the way
12. Co-location of staff (conserve resources, improve relationships)
13. Interagency teams/task forces (for specific issues or areas)

1. "Know'em before solving issues" - encourage staff to get to know other agencies and their missions and perspectives
2. Don't dwell on differences
3. Focus on results
4. Leading by example (rather than directive) works better
5. Establish an identity - invest in group visibility
6. Develop regional councils - interact on issues and chart a course (strategic plan?)

1. Interagency Communication
   • Throughout Chain
   • From Top Down (leadership by example)
2. Find Candidate Projects for Interagency Cooperative Project Starter - Success Project
3. All Employees get Guiding Principles and Importance
   • Desktop, framed, or wallet cards, and on web site
   • Impacts þ Provide staffing and funding
   • Tie to performance
   • Provide performance incentives
4. Develop Public Affairs Plan for SENRLG
   • Success Stories
   • Share Lessons Learned with SENRLG Agencies

1. Enthusiasm and Leadership (true buy in and by example)
2. Employee Orientation/Training
3. Performance Standards - accountability and real rewards
4. Targeted Initiatives Example: Stakeholder Meetings
5. Staff Feedback/Interaction
6. Communicate Principles
7. Facilitate Interagency Communication
8. State/Regional/Local/Ecosystem SENRLG Concept Workgroups

1. Lead by Example
2. Merge Guiding Principles with Agency Guiding Principles -- use when making all project or major organizational decisions
3. Training
   • Agency Specific Case Studies
   • S.I. type visuals with obstacle strategy
   • Evaluation and Feedback
4. Do 30-second info-mercials
5. Distribute conference video, Sandy Island Video with one-page synopsis of key points related to overcoming obstacles
6. Key Points write up from Leadership Workshop and Distribution
7. Hold State-level info sharing meetings (Field Chiefs/Section Chiefs)
   • Senior leadership participation
   • Ensure all agencies participate
   • Track follow through on commitments
8. Write up key points from Leadership Workshop and distribute throughout the organization
9. Follow up to all agencies' commitment

1. Set agency priorities to SENRLG
   Actions
   • Make it SOP to identify potential agency partners at the beginning of each project
   • Each quarter 1 year at start of program, meet with other agencies to discuss projects and all potential partners
2. Training Actions
   • Interagency
   • Webs, brochures
   • modules (agency and or issue)
3. Have info sources in each agency
   Actions
   • Each agency has staff to monitor and coordinate info sharing
   • Have "champions" for guiding principles identified
   • "Allow" communication between agencies without "chain of command" issues
4. Reinforce Principles using rewards
   Actions
   • Reward behaviors that support Principles
     • non-monetary awards
     • recognition at meetings (sharing successes)
     • recognition by senior leaders
   • Joint performance objectives on SENRLG role
   • Higher management must start the cascading to lower staff levels as to work priorities.

1. Senior Leaders must lead by example (walk the talk)
2. Lower-level gathering of agencies (perhaps by area/state and bringing in staff from Atlanta where agencies don't have a state/local presence)
3. Creation of communication package (video, brochure, web site)
4. Inventory - crucial need for knowing skills, capabilities, projects of other agencies
5. Employees get agency message on Guiding Principles - picture framed - put in job description, put on Intranet, recognize employees focusing on Guiding Principles
6. Formal Exchange
7. Public Outreach Plan for SENRLG which includes success stories

Obstacles to Cascading and/or Implementing Principles and Ways to Overcome

1. Obstacles
   • Policy
   • Law
2. Enablers
   • State-Level Meetings to review responsibilities, capabilities, priorities
   • Keep focus on interstate relationships
   • Seek local solutions
   • More field awareness
   • Look for opportunities for innovation
   • Data sharing - especially GIS

• Obstacles
  1. Personalities/attitudes
  2. Territoriality
  3. Loyalties to agency vs to federal government need to redefine missions
  4. Institutional baggage
  5. Loyalties to individual office vs to the agency
  6. Different language/culture of organizations
  7. Agency protocol or policies
  8. Lack of willingness to empower staff
  9. Focusing inward vs outward
  10. Lack of resources (staff and financial and time)
  11. Statutory responsibilities/realities
  12. Lack of common vision/picture of multiple agencies in an area
  13. Lawyers
  14. Different goals
• Ways to Overcome
  1. Senior leader commitment
  2. Persistence
  3. Communication - early and often
  4. Develop relationships
     • need face-to-face
     • between agencies
     • if done when there are no problems, dealing with problems is easier
  5. Ways to encourage collaborative behavior - SENRLG awards
  6. Joint interagency training
  7. Strategic plan for reinventing region/vision
     • part of outreach
     • with institutional process
  8. Need to get adequate representation of players for region
  9. Focus around natural resource areas - such as river basins
  10. Pre-scoping meeting with multiple agencies
  11. Creating process at beginning to set up supported process before addressing individual projects
  12. Include in Strategic plan (7 above), have SENRLG make full commitment to Guiding Principles for all agencies

• Obstacles
  1. Status quo - way we have always done business
  2. Regulations, Policies, Operating Procedures
  3. Lack of understanding of other agencies' mission, goals, priorities, authority, roles
  4. Funding limits, time, and resources
  5. Personal baggage
  6. Turnover of personnel
  7. Differing expectations (entrenched positions)
  8. Lack of flexibility and/or creativity
• Solutions
  1. Modify expectations
  2. Accountability - use performance management system, GPRA, Strategic Plans, etc.
  3. After action reviews
  4. Sensitivity training
  5. More face-to-face
  6. More interface on agencies' responsibilities, roles, priorities, authorities

• Obstacles
  1. Time
  2. Funding
  3. Fear
  4. Lack of Understanding
  5. Inertia
  6. Management resistance/in transient leadership
  7. Mandates
• Overcoming Obstacles
  1. Applying Guiding Principles (train staff to use)
  2. Applying Support Practices
  3. Leveraging Authorities and Resources
  4. Identify Priorities and Flexibility to Achieve Priorities
  5. Promote Teaming to overcome Management Resistance and Unilateral Decisions
  6. Accountability
     • Externally (Public)
     • Internally (Within Federal Family)

1. Resource Constraints
2. Regulatory Tension
3. Lack of Trust
   • Action not rhetoric
   • Principles as Basis - "Shared Values"
   • Communicate early and often
4. Credibility is powerful
5. Don't use others as excuse for inaction - find common ground
6. Be assertive - proactive in educating others
7. Recognize full range of alternatives/actions/tradeoffs
8. "The dogmas of the quiet past are insufficient to the present struggle." ... Abraham Lincoln
9. Get engaged early - don't wait until issue is out of control
10. Don't hide successes - articulate them. Garner the public trust.
11. Take control of policy issues that prevent coordination/cooperation - reconcile regulatory differences
12. Find ways to be each others' customers
13. Ground front-line staff in organization in Guiding Principles - educate about basic values

1. Federal State Interface
2. Partnership Conflicts of Interest
   • Regulatory Requirements
   • Mission Differences
3. Communication
4. Public Perception
5. State Perception

1. Variance in Federal agency organization
2. Lack of understanding of organizational differences
3. Lack of common resource accountability
4. Organizational inertia

1. Meeting Production Schedule - *Early Inclusive Participation for Timely Decisions
2. Always Done it this Way - confuse policies with mission - *Challenge these Demonstrate Benefits
3. How Agencies Funded & Constraints on Funding - *Think Creatively, within legal limits

1. Time - Energy - Funding
   • Take something off task list
   • Process improvement (Can we do business better?) Look at SOP, habitats, efficiencies
2. Organizational Culture
   • Give permission to build relationships with other agencies
   • Critical examination of own culture
   • Maintain objectivity projects
   • Peer peer evaluations between agencies
3. Baggage and Legacy
   • Share honest perceptions
   • Changing project managers (if relationship not working)
   • Negotiation/facilitation between agencies

• Obstacles
  1. Personality, culture, language
  2. Policies
  3. Loyalties (office/agency vs/to Federal family)
  4. Resources (staff, time, funds)
  5. Public Perceptions
  6. Ourselves
• Ways to Overcome Obstacles
  1. Senior Leaders (buy-in by walking the talk and tracking progress)
  2. Communication (face-to-face, establish and empower liaison)
  3. Strategic Plan (make a priority for regional and field offices)
  4. Training to employees on responsibilities under Laws.

Support Needed to Cascade and Implement Principles

1. Start at top -- Senior leaders' time an interest to create an environment for flourishing
2. Resources
   • for communications package
   • people already in place
   • people, time, and money
     Example: in-house, with non-profit partner
3. Info sharing/data sharing Example: clearinghouse to limit duplication of data collection
4. oordinating Body/facilitating body - stronger role for SENRLG?
5. Senior leader involvement in strategy development - tied into an initiative or mandate and focused on common vision/challenges Example: Presidential Executive Order on Streamlining
6. Agency commitments - each supporting partnerships and collaboration

1. Unquestioned lead support
2. Resources for face-to-face meetings
3. Accountability from top down
4. Increased opportunities for communication
5. Focus on relationship building before resolving issues

1. Internal Agency Support - more than just for "Fires"
2. Visibility - need communication tools - both inside and outside agency and between agencies
3. Agency leadership buy-in to make "it" happen

1. Regular Federal/State Meetings
2. Public Affairs Plan Display successes and learn from failures
3. Respect for Partner's Opinion
4. Strong Leadership
5. Staff needs to understand we all have same goal - public service and public good

Agency Principal Support
Communication Tools for Cascading down

1. Resources (people, time, funding)
2. Coordinating body
3. Senior leader involvement
4. Agency commitment
5. Focus/common vision

1. Resources (people, time, funding)
2. Senior leader buy-in
3. Info/data sharing

Turning Principles into Action

1. Leaders publicly acknowledge risk takers who try innovative interagency collaboration, whether successful or not
2. Leaders personally model correct interagency cooperation by investing their own time and energy in building interagency relationships and publicize this
3. Leaders build into performance agreements with subordinates an item dealing with building interagency relationships
4. Leaders work with subordinates to institutionalize strategic level interagency initiatives intended to systemically address recurring or emerging issues
5. Introduce and support a more flexible decision-making model that values creative and progressive thinking
6. Encourage staff to challenge status-quo in a way that may open new opportunities and methods for considering and evaluating a "new way" of doing things.
7. Never "shoot a messenger" that introduces new thoughts and ideas - show appreciation for open thinking to cultivate more new ideas in the future.

1. Intentional Acts of Excellence and Collaboration
2. Organizational Champions (Identify, empower, support)
3. Interagency Employee Exchange
4. Take overlap from Agency actions
5. Plan Targeted Initiatives
6. Share Agency Strategic Plans/Work Plans

1. Seek to integrate programs/resources/capabilities
   • Share work plans
   • State-specific annual discussions
2. Focus on understanding each others' work
3. Resolve issues regionally - stay off the road to Washington
4. Trust the team to have all the right players on board

IV. Day 2 Afternoon Agency Breakout Sessions: Agency Action Plans for Commitment to and Implementation of SENRLG Guiding Principles

Action Plan

1. Partnering for Sustainability of Our Military, Environment, and Local Communities
   1. Identify Environmental/Encroachment Pressure Points by Installation/Base and Provide Other SENRLG agencies
   2. Improve Usage of Land around Military Bases and Create Buffers to Prevent Incompatibility
   3. Establish Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank(s)
2. Promote Interagency Knowledge Management
   1. Expand DOD Watershed Advisory Board to include other SENRLG Members (including Training opportunities)
   2. Share Information Early with SENRLG Members (i.e., identify BRAC opportunities, conservation easements initiatives, etc)
   3. Initiate Several Public Outreach Events Jointly with other SENRLG agencies
3. Expand Partnering to All Media
   1. Expand Focus of Annual DOD, EPA, States Conference in June
   2. Host Several Natural Resources Workshops Around Common Areas of Interests
   3. Expand Pollution Prevention Partnerships to Sustainability Partnerships
4. Track & Report
   1. Include Accomplishments in DOD/Service Semi-Annual Report to Pentagon
   2. Obtain and Disseminate DOD/Secretariats endorsement of SENRLG Guiding Principles
   3. Recognize other Partners through Various DOD Award Programs
   4. Provide Specific Field Actions/Accomplishments at Next SENRLG Field Leaders Workshop

1. Benefits
   1. Internal
      1. Leveraging funds
      2. More efficient use of time
      3. Avoid duplication of effort
      4. Set vision for future
      5. Improved communication
      6. Common understanding, common goals, common mission
   2. External
      1. Avoid roadblocks later in projects
      2. Public Involvement/better buy-in
      3. Improved Communication
      4. Improved Credibility
      5. Responsibility to Public/Citizens
2. Current/Past Collaborations
   1. Sandy Island
   2. I-69 Corridor
   3. Atlanta Clean Air Campaign
3. Action Plan/Commitments
   1. Senior Leadership Meeting on Implementation
   2. Designate champions
   3. Increase staff awareness of collaborative efforts - use video from workshop and other videos of interagency successes
   4. Invite other agencies to state meetings
   5. Develop SOP/protocol for involving other agencies
4. Accountability
   1. Include in managers Performance Standards
   2. Senior Leaders report to Regional Director quarterly
   3. Director report to SENRLG at Principal meetings on plan progress and collaborative activities

1. Benefits of Guiding Principles
   1. Internal
      1. Work smarter-more productive use of resources
      2. Leverages partnerships to accomplish mission better
      3. Gain of credibility and influence to accomplish mission
   2. External
      1. Better customer service leads to better government
      2. Raise awareness of each agency's mission to its customers
      3. Ultimately better environmental protection
2. Status
   1. Current
      Have some on-going activities which will continue and expand
   2. Collaborative Actions
      1. Interagency Joint Permitting System - streamlined a cumbersome process using visioning
      2. Co-location Team - increase communication; developed out of a state-federal feasibility study
      3. Right Whale Implementation Team - partnering effort to conserve species, stemmed from statute, success due to team
3. Vision
   1. Actions
      1. Educate staff about SENRLG, mission and Guiding Principles
      2. Demonstrate Agency's benefits through field ambassadors' summary of the workshop
      3. Challenge/involve staff by asking them to inventory opportunities for collaboration
   2. Priority Areas for Collaboration
      1. Educate Principals about NOAA Fisheries processes (ex. EF4 EFH Regulatory Maze)
      2. Share ideas for creative management and early planning (ex. ESA programmatic consultations)
4. Accountability
   1. Tracking/Reporting - Deputy Regional Administrator will report the progress of the plan to the Regional Administrator quarterly
   2. Management Accountability - Recommend to new Regional Administrator that he incorporate Principles into managers' existing and future performance review criteria.

1. Specific Actions to Cascade SENRLG Guiding Principles (GP)
   1. Memo from Principal to all employees stating and endorsing GP
   2. Superintendents meet with all other agencies within State
   3. Superintendents/Program Managers meet with key staff
   4. Establish Task Force to determine baseline and measures of success - Fall 2003
2. Vision for Future Collaborative Efforts among Federal Partners
   1. Orientation to SENRLG training throughout Agency
   2. Federal Agencies Meeting within States
3. NPS Accountability
   1. Tracking/Reporting
      1. Through GPRA results
      2. Create task group to identify/develop tracking and reporting mechanisms
   2. Management Accountability
      1. Include in all performance standards
      2. Memo from Regional Director to Field Operations by 02/14/2003
      3. State Coordinators follow-up to ensure/enhance understanding

1. Why TVA Supports SENRLG Guiding Principles (GP)
   1. Internal Benefits
      1. Consistent with internal approach - "how we approach our work" and "how we treat each other"
      2. Reinforces our focus on collaborative problem solving
      3. Recognizes our role in the "Federal family"
   2. External Benefits
      1. Issues we all deal with can't be solved by one organization or by each separately
      2. Leveraging resources to solve common problems is efficient and helps all agencies and the public
      3. Improves relationships/channels of communication
      4. Ability to communicate consistent message to elected officials ultimately benefits the SE region
2. Current Status
   1. Current Philosophy - If you're doing it by yourself, you're in the wrong place."
   2. Past/On-going Efforts
      1. Heritage - T & E data with FWS
      2. Reservoir Operations Study - interagency group and public review group
      3. Joint permitting process with COE
3. Vision for SENRLG Collaboration
   1. Actions
      1. All-employee meeting (April) to discuss GP
      2. Re-acquaint field reps with other agency field reps - FWS, COE
      3. Use internal TVA web/newsletter to communicate principles
   2. Future Priorities
      1. Work with FHWA on transportation projects in TN Valley
      2. Seek future collaborative efforts with multiple jurisdictions (COE/FWS)
4. Action Plan Accountability
   1. Tracking/Reporting
      1. Internal Meeting (4/03) - Eric Rauch
      2. Field Leaders Meeting (6/03) - D. Ferry
      3. Meet with FHWA (6/03) - C. Shoopman
   2. Management Accountability
      1. GP incorporated into leadership/accountability standards and management performance objectives
      2. Discuss GPs and track progress and efforts quarterly

1. Benefits of Guiding Principles for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers
   1. Internal Benefits
      1. The Guiding Principles are aligned with the USACE Project Management Business Process (PMBP) and the USACE Environmental Operating Principles (EOP). The PMBP and EOP focus on providing projects and technical services through an interdisciplinary team approach that fully engages Federal and state agencies, local sponsors, and all stakeholder interests.
      2. The Guiding Principles are aligned with the USACE Civil Works Strategic Plan that is built upon emerging and future water resource needs for the Nation.
      3. The Guiding Principles will foster USACE objectives to pursue more effective collaboration among agencies and stakeholders with diverse interests and to seek win-win solutions. More holistic approaches and better projects will result.
      4. The Guiding Principles will promote and encourage innovation. Non-traditional solutions will emerge.
      5. The Guiding Principles will provide common framework for communication and collaboration.
      6. The Guiding Principles supports proactive approaches that field staff members are already pursuing in many cases. The Principles are characteristic of a "Learning Organization."
   2. External Benefits
      1. The Guiding Principles are consistent with an emerging "watershed" focus for addressing water resource issues among Federal and state agencies, water resource management interests, and many non-government organizations.
      2. The Guiding Principles establish standards and interagency accountability for external collaboration. The Principles are very consistent with the external components of the USACE EOP.
      3. The Guiding Principles will foster better awareness and visibility of relevant agency programs. USACE should be able to more effectively leverage its programs with those of other agencies.
      4. The Guiding Principles will help USACE conduct its activities in ways that provide more effective public services for constituents.
      5. The Guiding Principles will enhance relationship building among Federal agencies and will improve federal-state relations.
      6. The Guiding Principles will help broaden our perspective regarding the broader implications of our projects and our assessment of cumulative effects.
2. Interagency Collaborative Efforts
   1. Current Status
      1. Despite the fact that USACE staff members at Division (regional) and District (local) levels have many success individual stories, our overall rating of our interagency collaboration effort is mediocre (grade of C). By agency, our self-ratings are as follows: USFWS = C; NPS = C+; EPA = C; USGS = B; FHWA - B+; NMFS = C+; TVA = B+; USFS = C.
      2. Current relationships with other Federal natural resource agencies might be best characterized as "Random Acts of Excellence". USACE and other agencies can do more to ensure that "Random Acts of Excellence" become the way that we routinely do business.
      3. Federal agencies, including USACE, expend limited effort at a "strategic" level to develop and sustain relationships.
   2. Future Focus Areas that Offer Great Opportunities for Collaborative Interagency Effort
      1. Future rounds of Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
      2. Emerging watershed planning initiatives that address the entire spectrum of water resources issues.
      3. Emerging transportation planning challenges, including inter-modal transportation.
      4. Collecting, sharing, and using environmental/natural resource data. While there are many issues to address (e.g., data security), geographic information systems offer great opportunities to better understand "big picture" implications of projects and to address cumulative effects assessment issues.
   3. USACE Commitments to Implement the Guiding Principles
      1. Communicate the Guiding Principles to Division and District staff; ensure all staff members understand the Guiding Principles and make them an integral part of the USACE culture.
      2. Create forums for more effective interagency engagement, particularly at a state and local level.
      3. Ensure USACE senior leader accountability for implementing the Guiding Principles.
      4. Communicate Guiding Principles to customers/project sponsors and to an expanded stakeholder base.
      5. Promote training to support and reinforce the Guiding Principles; develop communication package for Guiding Principles.
      6. Share USACE budget, funding, and program guidance with other agencies on a more routine basis to enhance leveraging and interagency collaboration.
      7. Adjust business processes and operating procedures to better incorporate the Guiding Principles.
3. Priorities for Collaboration
   1. Watershed Planning and Management
   2. Data collection, sharing, and analysis/Application of geo-spatial technologies
4. Action Plan Accountability
   1. Establish USACE Champions (generally those field leaders participating in the workshop)
   2. Include pertinent provisions of the Guiding Principles in USACE managers' performance standards and evaluations
   3. Report back to SENRLG Principals on Action Plan progress by 1 August 2003
   4. Track/list key on-going or completed interagency collaboration activities by number and results.

1. Benefits
   1. Internal
      1. Resources on Protection resulting in less useless arguing
      2. Have partners to help accomplish mission
      3. Better quality product
      4. More fun!
   2. External
      1. Better public acceptance, service, credibility
      2. Better quality product - more comprehensive, consistent
      3. Opportunity to better educate others
      4. Creates new opportunities - break new ground
      5. Greater resource efficiency - more accountability to public
      6. Enable mission accomplishment
2. Current Status:
   1. Many On-going Interagency Activities
      1. Everglades
      2. DOD - base closures, sustainable activities, brownfields
      3. Transportation - I-69, Atlanta Conformity
      4. National Estuary Program (NEP)
      5. Gulf of Mexico Program Restoration Partnering (BRAC & Active Remediation)
      6. Liaison Positions for other agencies in EPA Regional Office
      7. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
   2. Opportunities/New Starts
      1. Farm Bill/Agriculture with National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
      2. North Carolina and Florida Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
      3. Georgia Water Supply Issues
3. Vision for Future Collaboration
   1. Short-term - next 6 months
      1. Division meetings with COE on Mitigation Guidance
      2. Written affirmation from RA of Guiding Principles
      3. Invite Federal Partners to EPA meetings to affirm Guiding Principles, increase understanding of their mission and roles and mutual interests and to increase their understanding of EPA mission
      4. CAFO Strategy with NRCS
   2. Long-term (Future Priorities)
      1. Invite Federal Partners to EPA State Environmental Directors Meetings
      2. Water Quality Issues in SW Florida
      3. Watershed Initiative - all Federal Partners
      4. Transportation Streamlining
      5. Sustainable Development and Smart Growth Issues
      6. Increase staff exchanges with Federal Partners
      7. Increase co-location
4. Tracking and Accountability
   1. Tracking and Reporting - New Accountability Tool
      EPA Region 4 developing for the first time a Regional Strategic Plan and will build the SENRLG Guiding Principles into this plan that will include tracking and accountability measures
   2. Management Accountability --EPA Tracking Mechanism in Place with Senior Leaders Executive Management Team (EMT)

1. Why FWS Supports SENRLG Guiding Principles (GP)
   1. Internal Benefits
      1. Serves as perfect vehicle for implementing good government
      2. Efficiency, Leveraging Resources
      3. Reduces stress
      4. Improves morale in work place
   2. External Benefits
      1. Accomplishes service mission of resource conservation
      2. Efficient use of tax dollars
      3. Improved credibility/public perception
2. Status of Interagency Collaboration
   1. Current
      1. FWS actively involved in interagency collaboration but is eager to improve performance
      2. FWS recognizes importance of coordination
      3. FWS promotes collaboration at the highest levels (Secretary, Directors, Regional Directors)
   2. Past/On-going Collaboration
      1. SAMAB - Southern Appalachian Man and Biosphere
      2. Everglades Restoration
      3. RCW Recovery
3. Vision for Future SENRLG Collaboration
   1. Actions to continue implementing GP
      1. RD communicates GP to all employees via memo
      2. Regional leaders will communicate at their level with eco teams and at staff meetings, etc.
      3. Inreach Plan for Southeast Region
         • Training
         • RD Priorities
         • Web Page
   2. Future Collaboration
      1. Communicate FWS Regional Priorities to SENRLG Partners
      2. Seek to understand SENRLG Partners Priorities
4. Accountability
   1. Tracking/Reporting
      1. RD will report on progress to SENRLG via narrative/oral report at future meetings
      2. Track via performance evaluations of project leaders (RD data call as needed)
   2. Management Accountability
      Hold leaders accountable by amending performance plans

1. Benefits
   1. Internal
      1. Meet Mission
      2. Reinforce established essential processes
      3. Develop efficiencies
      4. Build most effective organization
   2. External
      1. Establish relationships
      2. Gain public/political support
      3. Meet public expectations
      4. Effective Regional Conservation Efforts
      5. Recognized as art of community
2. Status
   1. Current
      1. Support to Homeland Defense
      2. T & E Efforts/Ecosystem Restoration
      3. Research Efforts
      4. Incident Command System
      5. Fire Management
   2. On-going/Past
      1. National Trails (AT/FNST)
      2. Southern Forest Resource Assessment
      3. Large Scale Land Management Efforts with state/private partners
3. Vision/Actions
   1. Within 6 months
      1. Communicate SENRLG Guiding Principles to Workforce (Done 2-20-03)
      2. Expand collaboration by including non-traditional partners in statewide meetings (Beginning Spring '03)
      3. Communicate realm of collaborative possibilities for USFS and District staff (Done 2-20-03)
      4. Identify barriers to collaboration with action plan to correct
      5. Identify specific collaborative priority projects from regional perspective
   2. Future
      1. Implement Action Plan to correct barriers
      2. Continue identifying collaborative priorities for region
4. Accountability
   1. Tracking/Reporting System
      Reporting to Principal through chain of command
   2. Management Accountability
      1. Performance Standards Ratings - Line and Staff
      2. Principal report back to SENRLG Principals

1. Current Status - many successful Interagency Activities currently on-going
   • Everglades
   • SAMAB
   • EPA/COE Liaisons
   • Stream flow gauging (COE and TVA)
   • Air Force & Navy (National MOUs)
   • Chattahoochee River BacteriAlert Program
   • Salt Water Alert on Copper River (COE)
   • TN Water Supply Studies (TVA)
   • National Weather Service relationship
   • Deer Creek Restoration (FWS, COE) in MS
   • Mussel Surveys (NPS, FWS, USFS, TVA)
2. Action Plan for Interagency Collaboration
   1. "It Starts with ME"
      1. Release memo to entire USGS population in SE Region regarding this meeting and principles agreed to
      2. Communicate this to leadership and invite them to participate in SENRLG meeting/activity
      3. Re-institute Water Resources Leader Retreat - could broaden to Natural Resources Leader Retreat
      4. Incorporate other federal agencies into development of 3-year state strategic plan
      5. Leader will inform Easter Region Leadership Team and bring Eastern Region Director to a SENRLG Principal meeting
      6. Ask District Chiefs to support Guiding Principles
   2. Taking the Message to the Field
      1. Facilitate communication through
         1. Strategic Review
         2. Fostering state meetings of federal family - within 2 weeks e-mail senior managers in states (SC, MS, & Raleigh) about regular meetings (quarterly, annually, every 2 years) - later include state agencies also - use to see how agencies can support each other
         3. Consider inclusion of other federal agencies in creation of project plans
      2. Co-host interagency topically-based discussion of mutual concerns
      3. Provide education on other agencies' mission, roles
3. Management Accountability and Tracking
   1. Through annual program review of District Offices
   2. Through employee evaluations

V. Successful Collaborations in Action

VI. Opportunity for Future SENRLG Collaboration

Mississippi's Lower Delta Partnership

Kevin Sloan, Lower Delta Partnership Coordinator, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Robbie Fisher, State Director, Mississippi Nature Conservancy Charles Weissinger, Attorney, Mississippi