W01

Nov 1st
1:00-4:00 pm

Asking the Climate Question: An Introduction to the Importance of Climate Change Adaptation

Climate change has been called the greatest challenge of our time. Taking action on this critical issue includes not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also adapting to changes in climate that are now unavoidable. Environmental agencies have focused on reduction (or mitigation) strategies for some time, but preparing for changes in climate is still a relatively new consideration for most environmental programs. This session will provide an overview of climate change impacts, including changes in temperature, precipitation, storm intensity, and relative sea level, and explore what these changes mean for the work of our agencies. Participants will learn about adaptation strategies being crafted at all levels of government and about some of the key issues adaptation is now raising for a broad array of environmental programs, including programs that may not have focused on climate historically. So regardless of where you sit in your organization, come join this stimulating conversation about the need to routinely explore the implications of climate change and to factor what we learn into environmental program planning and management.

Workshop Presenters:

Dr. Joel Scheraga (Slides), Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation, US EPA Peter Mulvaney (Slides), Department of Water Management, City of Chicago

W02

Nov 4th
8:30 am-11:00 am

Burn Wise: Wood Smoke Education and Training

We will discuss how EPA, state, local and tribal agencies, the hearth industry and others can continue to work together to improve your community’s air quality indoors and out. We will touch on addressing wood stove, fireplace and hydronic heater emissions through voluntary and regulatory means and highlight EPA’s Burn Wise education campaign. Participants will learn about a local wood smoke education and outreach initiative taking place in Madison. Discussion will focus on ways to engage homeowners, to develop effective community partnerships and to leverage resources that will help reduce air pollution related to wood smoke.

W05

Nov 4th
8:30 - 10:00 am

Tools and resources for estimating the multiple benefits of clean energy

State clean energy initiatives can produce significant savings in fuel and electricity costs, as well as other benefits to the energy system, the environment (air quality, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, etc.) and public health, and the economy. While much attention is paid to assessing the costs of state initiatives, less is devoted to estimating the benefits of clean energy. EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program has developed several resources and tools states and locals can use to estimate the multiple benefits of clean energy. This session will include an overview of specific resources available to help states and locals identify, estimate, and communicate, the benefits of their actions. It will also include specific training on two examples of available web-based tools, one that helps states and locals translate greenhouse gas emission reduction estimates into terms or equivalencies easily understood by the general public and another that enables them to develop screening estimates of the human health effects and related economic benefits of clean energy measures. Length: 90 minutes

Workshop Presenters:

Denise Mulholland, US EPA Robyn Kenney, US EPA Emma Zinsmeister, US EPA Mulholland, Kenney & Zinsmeister Slides

W06

Nov 1st
1:00-4:30 pm

Empowering Sustainable Behavior

Shrinking resources, in combination with mounting environmental challenges and degradation, have pushed results-oriented environmental program managers to look for ways to more effectively initiate and empower sustainable behavior. This workshop will introduce participants to behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, and other disciplines that can be applied to encourage people to take environmentally positive actions. This workshop will provide conceptual information, demonstrate practical application through case studies, and engage in exercises to apply new concepts.

Moderator	Cathy Moeger, Sustainability Manager, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Workshop Presenters:	Dr. Chrisite Manning (Slides), Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Psychology, Macalester College Julie Colehour (Slides, Video), Partner, Colehour + Cohen David Juri Freeman (Slides), Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc.

W08

Nov 1st
1:00-5:00pm

Session Recording

Performance Management 101: Learn How to Measure What Matters

Managers and staff in government, private industry, and non-profit sectors are under increasing pressure to provide information needed to demonstrate their organizations, programs, and projects are achieving results. It is often said that what gets measured, gets done. Identifying and developing measures that provide a realistic picture of a program’s performance story and accomplishments is critical to respond to increasing demands for accountability. Through a combination of hands-on exercises, class participants will learn the steps involved in developing performance measures for their traditional and innovative programs using a logic model approach. This approach will result in measures that not only satisfy accountability demands, but also provide useful information for the program’s management and staff.

Workshop Presenters:

Shari Grossarth, Enviromental Protection Specialist, US EPA Britta Johnson, Environmental Protection Specialist, US EPA Johnson&Grossarth Slides Session Recording - 122 MB MG4 Video file

W09

Nov 1st
1:00-4:00 pm

Facebook, Twitter, Wikis and More: Using Web 2.0 Tools and Emerging Web Technology in Environmental Programs

Facebook, Twitter, Wikis and More: Using Web 2.0 Tools and Emerging Web Technology in Environmental Programs SessionSummary: Today’s growing suite of Web 2.0 tools, including social media, offer environmental agencies new ways to engage and interact with the public. This training will help you understand common as well as emerging Web 2.0 tools, and how they can be used to advance environmental program goals. Learn how these tools are helping agencies gauge public opinion about priority issues, collaborate with various partners, and share information in formats that appeal to an increasingly tech-savvy public. Participants also will learn about some of the pros and cons associated with various technologies, and rules and laws (e.g., Federal Advisory Committee Act, Paperwork Reduction Act) that apply specifically to federal agencies. Additional discussion topics to be covered depending on the interests of the attendees include:

• mobile web
• widgets
• webinars
• social voting tools
• social media policies
• legal issues
• tool recommendations

W10

Nov 4th
8:30am-2:00pm

As Your Program Develops - A Measurement Perspective

Effective project and program management relies on the creation of meaningful measures that can capture the extent to which the goals of the program (and the strategies used to achieve those goals) are being met. This link between goals, strategies and measurement – a “results chain,” will be examined in 4-hour workshop on Thursday that emphasizes working with participants on the key measurement issues and challenges that they are struggling with. The session will start with a 1 hour overview of the general steps needed to develop performance measures: identification of essential staff, key audiences (their data needs); alignment with program goals and strategies; identifying, testing, refining and presenting the results. The major part of the session will use break-out groups to focus on the types of challenges faced by participants in developing their metrics: deriving measures from goals and strategies, developing measures from existing data, kinds and sources of new data, and how to orient results to different audiences. Participants will leave the session with a draft of performance measures that are consistent with the logic of their program’s goals and strategies. This session is meant to compliment a more general Monday session that discusses logic modeling and measurement.

W11

Nov 3rd 2:30pm-5:00pm

State and Federal Forum on Green Workforce Development

This interactive workshop will bring together state and federal environmental and workforce development staff and managers to explore how our green workforce development and environmental protection efforts can work towards shared objectives. Invited participants include representatives from US Department of Labor, state and local environmental and workforce board representatives, and EPA.

The multi-level format will mix appreciative inquiry, a \"fishbowl\" of environmental and workforce leaders, and breakout groups to offer many views about emerging models and trends in greening our workforce.