The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s New Policy Priority Nominating Process for 2021
By Sandra Meola, Director, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
January 2020 Annual Member Meeting
It’s hard to believe we’re closing in on likely the most unprecedented year of our lifetimes. Although the pandemic posed several obstacles to our work, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed was still able to succeed on several fronts. From implementing watershed signage in two basin states to celebrating the enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act, together we remained adaptive and motivated.
As the end of 2020 approaches, the Coalition staff will be launching our annual priority nominating process for 2021. The Coalition’s membership identifies watershed-wide policy priorities each year through a nomination and adoption process with its members. Historically, nominated priorities were vetted by our Steering Committee and voted on by the membership at our Annual Member Meeting.
January 2020 Annual Member Meeting
This year is going to look a bit different. For one, we’re sorry to say we won’t be seeing our member organizations in-person due to COVID-19. Instead, our staff and Steering Committee are thrilled to launch a more inclusive, transparent, and engaging process.
Over the summer we embarked on a strategic direction process to align our strengths with opportunities, while also being sure to narrow our focus and communicate as such. One of the outcomes of the strategic direction process is our new and improved policy priority process!
We will ensure that all member organizations share equal opportunity in nominating priorities and are included in decision-making and work plan development.
Later this month, we will update our priority categories, what the Coalition works on, to the following:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
Watershed-Wide Planning
Federal and State Advocacy
Restoration Funding
Defense
Member organizations should look out for an email from the Coalition in late October 2020 that will serve to define each of these priority categories and offer an opportunity to nominate a policy priority within these five categories.
All nominations will be shared with the full membership through a Google survey in which member organizations will have an opportunity to indicate the level of interest, involvement, and capacity in each particular policy/issue. Based on your input, the Coalition’s Steering Committee will review the nominations against the following set of criteria:
January 2020 Annual Member Meeting
Does this policy nomination further the core mission of the Coalition and address existing and/or potentially new sources of water pollution in the watershed?
Does this policy nomination have a role for the Coalition to make a difference and add value?
Does this policy nomination have watershed-wide relevance?
Does this policy nomination have a clear objective and measure(s) of success?
Is there staff capacity or does the nominating organization have the capacity to advance the policy nomination?
Is there synergy with other core Coalition efforts?
In January 2021, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed will host Zoom calls to co-create work plans per priority topic alongside our member organizations. We look forward to hearing your ideas, and advancing a cleaner, healthier watershed together!