Class2010Jan22

Class Assignments and Agenda for Week 2, 2010 Jan 22
Class meets from 9:10 - 11:55A in 3214 Jordan Hall on the NCSU Campus. You are free to bring food and drink to this classroom.


 * The major objectives for this session are to ...**
 * 1) Make a decision about purpose of report and intended audience(s)
 * 2) Agree on an outline that we can start with, which should include a rough list of the kind of data we'd like and some priorities attached to the list (ie, which are most important).
 * 3) Recognize that (1) and (2) might change as we learn, which means we want to start by collecting data that can be used regardless of exact purpose and audience. Stated differently, the final decisions on (1) and (2) will affect the //presentation// of the data far more than the //nature// of the data.
 * 4) Create initial teams and assignments for next week, focused on refining what will be in each section, what data are needed, and where it will come from (we do not have the resources to collect new data, nor is doing so a sustainable model for updating the report periodically).


 * Things to do before our meeting**


 * Part A: Report Outline - Due by Wed 20 January 20:00**

Introduction & Region || Wildlife Habitat || Clean Water || Local Farms & Food || Connecting People with Nature

Please read the New to Wikis? page before making entries.

Before adding / adjusting / commenting on the report sections, please review and keep in mind TLC's mission, vision, and benefits ([|MVB2009.11.12b.pdf]). At least some of our measures should link directly to the TLC benefits in a way that would reflect progress (or lack thereof) toward mission, vision, benefits. There will also be some draft goals from TLC by February, so we'll consider those as well. In the meantime, you should look at the conversation about goals that is happening on the wiki to get some ideas of what they're thinking (note that this will be updated with a clean, unified draft on or around 18 Jan). Ultimately, some of our measures can support goals as well as indicate progress toward attaining them. Finally, you might spend more time looking at the other State of Environment reports linked to the 15 Jan class page.

Everyone should review the report sections and ...
 * add additional measures you think might be valuable
 * make any comments you wish, of any kind (organization, technical, format, etc)
 * suggest alternative approaches to presenting information (eg, where might a video be a good idea? animated graphics? computer visualization?)


 * Part B: Professional Development - Due by Fri 22 Jan 9:10**

I'd (george) like this class to offer you the opportunity for explicit consideration of professional development issues, through readings and discussions. I'm talking about things like teamwork, collaborating, presentations, etc. For example, in my undergraduate class this semester we're spending some time on the [|Five Dysfunctions of a Team] (the introductory exercise we did this morning was a trust-building exercise from this book). Please think about this and start right here a list of the kinds of things you'd like to see considered. I can't promise we'll do it all, but I can work on fitting things in once I know what they are. <> <> <>


 * Some ground rules are good, but they need to be kind of fluid. It all depends on what we're presenting each week as groups. I don't think one person should speak for each group each week because then one person tends to dominate the conversation for the group each week. Alternating speakers/presenters could be a good way to handle that. I like the idea of a group hike or some sort of outside the class activity. May be hard to coordinate, but worth a shot.


 * Part C: Air Quality - Due by Fri 22 Jan 9:10**

Please post your preference with regard to air quality, along with supporting arguments for your position on the Air Quality page.

I created a Web resources page and put a bunch of links on there. Some more helpful than others, but we can take the ones off that aren't helpful. (Steve Allen) http://conservationsuccess.wikispaces.com/Web+resources
 * Web resources**


 * Agenda**


 * 9.10 Select timekeeper and notetaker //Forbes time, Willis notes//**

//**9.15 Ground rules for operation** How do we want to operate? Will we work toward consensus on issues? Take votes? How do we reconcile disagreements? Can we set some initial ground rules and then add to / modify them as we move along?


 * 9.35 What is the scope and audience of the report?**

These are key questions we must address before we can move forward. We must keep a few things in mind://


 * We have limited time, so we might want to think in terms of priorities or phases - what is most critical to get done, and what can be added if we have time?
 * Collecting lots of data without communicating it well is (george's opinion) a waste of time. We must balance our efforts between collecting and communicating.
 * How does TLC wish to use the information we collect?
 * How many different versions of the report do we want to / have time to produce?
 * Can / should we make things modular in a way that different report producers (eg, TLC) can pull together the pieces they want and ignore the others?


 * 10.30 Break**


 * 10.45 Define report sections and next steps**
 * There are a lot of ideas on the table - how do we focus in? phase? prioritize?
 * Who is going to be responsible for what?


 * 11.40 Summarize, action items**


 * 11.55 Adjourn**


 * Notes (Amanda Willis)** **Available in PDF [|SOE.ClassNotes.2010.01.22.pdf]**

__Introductions__:

Special guest: Tandy Jones, Director of Special Projects, TLC

__Groundrules__: We discussed time-keeping, action items, how to keep our meetings running smoothly.

DECISION(s): We agreed that the time keeper would give a 5 – 10 minute warning to the group when time is about to expire for discussion on an agenda item. It is up to the time-keeper to be a “hard-ass,” to keep us on track within the allotted time.

The recordkeeper will keep a record of decisions made at the meeting.

The recordkeper will also maintain a list of items tabled for discussion later. We will make space available on the Wiki to discuss items tabled and come back to it the following week in class for further action after everyone has had a chance to air their opinion(s) on the Wiki.

5 or 10 minutes before the scheduled “break” during class, the record-keeper will summarize the agenda items covered, and everyone will be afforded an opportunity to voice their opinions. Those who don’t wish to speak during the summary will “pass.”

We agree to avoid repetition, favor brevity, strive for consensus but realize that opinions will vary. For now, issues will be decided by a simple majority vote. Space will be available on the Wiki to continue discussions on topics where there is wide divergence of opinion. We will respect other’s opinions, we will not “take it personally,” and we agree to compromise when necessary.

As part of the next class meeting’s agenda, we will review and approve the prior meeting’s decisions made and action items tabled for later discussion or other action.

__Scope and audience of report__:

Tandy from TLC stated that both Kevin Brice and Don had explicit opinions about the scope and audience of the report. Tandy shared Kevin’s opinion that came by way of email: (Reproduced at end of notes)

“The resolution to this seems to center on (1) who the report is from?

The report should be from TLC.

Is it from TLC or some other group (2) what the scope of the report is, which is related somewhat to question 1 – so are we doing only TLC benefits or should we go broader.

Should be organized around TLC four public benefits. In doing so, we can begin to influence how Triangle citizens think about conservation. That said, I see no reason why w could not add a section entitled, “What about air quality?” So much work has been and is being done (EPA, NC DENR, NGOs) that we could cut and paste analyses, recommendations and measurements from reputable sources.

(3) who the audiences are for the report.

Triangle citizens, business leaders, elected officials. So it needs to (sic.) presented in a way that engages and informs people of varying backgrounds and levels of educations. I have heard from communications professionals that outreach needs to be written for readers at a fifth grade level.”

Brunell suggested a multilevel analysis to reach people of different educational levels. Leah suggested graphics to simplify concepts. Steve agreed with a tiered summary. George liked the idea of a layered approach. We discussed preparation of an executive summary as a separate document from the actual report.

Tandy discussed the format of the Chatham Farm Protection Plan and process involved in presenting it to the public. TLC aims to increase pace of conservation in light of deficit between amount of lands conserved and lands developed. He suggested that many landowners are older and do not have internet access so that format might be problematic since TLC hopes to distribute this report more widely than previous reports.

We discussed many format options. We also discussed whether we would be preparing a report for publication or handing off our findings to TLC to do with it what they will. We acknowledge that Don, TLC’s director of communications, will have guidance in this area.

DECISION: Our discussion of the format of the report is tabled for further consideration and direction from TLC.

__Content__: TLC commissioned the report so they could better understand the Triangle and to help TLC build priorities for the future.

Tandy: The assessment will be the most valuable to TLC.

Priority 1: Assess the state of the environment for the entire region. From there TLC will be able to highlight its actions in the Triangle. (i.e. 13,000 acres out of xxx million acres in the Triangle have been conserved. It might actually diminish the importance of their work?).

We will assess the State of the triangle with respect to the four public benefits.

We will overlay TLCs efforts.

Priority 2: Recommendations for future action. Priority 3: TLC’s work is reported in its annual report.

Steve recommends a glossary of terms.

Group agrees “prettification” of our research may be beyond the time and scope of the class.

BREAK xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

__Sections of the report__:

(1) Introduction, (2) Executive Summary, (3) Wildlife/Habitat, (4) Water, (5) Farms, and (6) Connecting People with Nature, (7) Air Quality (?) and (8) Conclusion.

__Air Quality__: We discussed the question of whether to include a section on Air Quality. Consensus is that A.Q. may be addressed in many ways. No consensus on whether to include it at all.

DECISION: The question on whether to include Air Quality as a separate section of the report is tabled for further consideration.

__Class divides into groups__:

The class is evenly divided into groups under the four public benefits. Groups meet separately and commit to preliminary outlines to post on the Wiki for next week’s meeting on 1/29/10.

__Next Class__: Groups will meet separately during 1st half of class. TLC’s Don will join us during 2nd half of class to discuss scope, content and format.


 * E-mail from Kevin Brice regarding scope and audience for report ...**

-Original Message- From: Kevin Brice Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 10:01 AM To: Tandy Jones Cc: Jeff Masten Subject: RE: State of Environment class for 22 Jan

The resolution to this seems to center on (1) who the report is from?

The report should be from TLC.

Is it from TLC or some other group (2) what the scope of the report is, which is related somewhat to question 1 - so are we doing only TLC benefits or should we go broader

Should be organized around TLC four public benefits. In doing so, we can begin to influence how Triangle citizens think about conservation. That said, I see no reason why we could not add a section entitled, "What about air quality?" So much work has been and is being done (EPA, NC DENR, NGOs) that we could cut and paste analyses, recommendations and measurements from reputable sources.

(3) who the audiences are for the report.

Triangle citizens, business leaders, elected officials. So it needs to presented in a way that engages and informs people of varying backgrounds and levels of educations. I have heard from communications professionals that outreach needs to be written for readers at a fifth grade level.