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RE: Goals

  • Archived: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 08:02:00 -0400 (EDT)
  • Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 05:40:03 -0400 (EDT)
  • From: Bruce Smith <blsmith@groupwork.ns.ca>
  • Subject: RE: Goals
  • X-topic: Introductions/Goals

Re: Introduction ... I am a mediator and facilitator of large
group consensus processes, many relating to
environmental and natural resource issues; and have
designed and implemented numerous public involvement
processes of all types over the past 15 years. I am based in
Nova Scotia, Canada and have an office in Maine.

Re: Goals ... I would encourage EPA to think about "how we
will know when our goals have been achieved." The
bulleted list is fine in general, but some of the statements
are so broad that one must wonder whether or not they can
be monitored and evaluated. There is a risk that an attempt
to evaluate will focus on means instead of ends, and that
they will be viewed more as principles than goals. If you
spend time thinking about this now, and develop goal
statements that describe change (to increase..., to maintain
..., to decrease ...etc ...) and can be monitoried and
evaluated, it can make things much easier later on when
someone asks the questions, "What difference has the new
policy made?"

Also, I would suggest that some thought be given to the
consistency of goal statements between the bulleted list
and those specified under each of the six key functions for
effective public involvement presented later on. I think that
two lists of similar but differently worded goals creates the
possibility of confusion in interpretation of the policy.



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