Introduction to the Watershed Planning Process | Watershed Academy Web

Who Should Be Included In Your Partnership?

In short, anyone with a stake in the watershed management plan is a candidate for involvement in your partnership. Success depends on involving a good mix of people and organizations to put together and implement the plan. You will need to find people to play a number of roles, including:

Technical
Leadership
Communication
Education
Political liaison
Public policy

A diverse group has a better chance of fulfilling these roles by bringing different talents, interests, concerns, and values to the table. (View a list of potential partners and the roles they may play.) Some people who live outside the watershed may even have an important role to play because they benefit from or impact water or other natural resources within the watershed. It's important to realize that no matter who becomes involved in your effort, a successful partnership takes time to develop and you can expect some highs and some lows along the way.

Above all, your mix of members will need to understand the place and people that are likely to be affected by the plan. They will need to fairly consider the social and economic situation and community attitudes toward the issues. Give some attention to prospective allies the watershed group hopes to enlist in the community. Will the watershed/locality generally welcome your planning effort and its goals?

Some of the toughest choices may be about whether to include people with extremely divergent viewpoints. Should they be part of the group, in the hope that some understanding can be reached, or would they derail all hopes of making progress at all? Would a limited, more like-minded group make progress because of their consensus, or under-represent the interests of too many others in the watershed? There's no foolproof answer to these questions; you'll just need to give your own local situation very thorough consideration before making any decisions.