This document discusses strategies for managing an effective watershed planning committee in Iowa called the Watershed Planning Advisory Council (WPAC). It introduces the WPAC, which represents diverse organizations and provides policy recommendations to the Iowa legislature. The presentation outlines a three-phase process for WPAC meetings: 1) getting members to collaborate in small groups, 2) managing any conflicts that arise, and 3) setting specific, measurable goals for recommendations. Key strategies include using storytelling, setting achievable short-term goals, and creating recommendations that are clear, actionable, and have defined timelines. The goal is for the diverse WPAC members to reach agreements and provide impactful recommendations on watershed issues.

1. Bringing Diverse Perspectives
Together to Support Watershed
Management in Iowa
Hanna Bates
Program Coordinator
Iowa Water Center

2. Agenda ● Introduction to the
Watershed Planning
Advisory Council
(WPAC)
● Research and Meeting
Framework
● Strategies to manage
effective committees

3. Disclaimer
The following presentation represents the
experiences and perspectives of Iowa
Water Center staff – not the Watershed
Planning Advisory Council.
The Iowa Water Center is a meeting
faciliator and not a member
organization.

4. Watershed
Planning
Advisory
Council
(WPAC)
● Established in 2010 by the
Iowa legislature, Iowa Code
466B.31
● Represents and emphasizes
diverse organizations coming
together
● Purpose: Make policy
recommendations based of off
scientific information and boots
on the ground work to Iowa
Legislature and Governor
● Funding: Zero
● Meeting: ≥ 1/year

5. WPAC Members:
• Iowa Association of Municipal
Utilities (IAMU)
• Iowa League of Cities
• Iowa Association of Business and
Industry (IABI)
• Iowa Water Pollution Control
Association
• Iowa Rural Water Association
(IRWA)
• Growing Green Communities
• Iowa Environmental Council (IEC)
• Iowa Farm Bureau (IFB)
• Iowa Corn Growers Association
(ICGA)
• Iowa Pork Producers Association
(IPPA)
• Soil and Water Conservation
Districts of Iowa (SWCD)
• Iowa Department of Agriculture
and Land Stewardship (IDALS)
• Department of Natural Resources
(DNR)
• Iowa Conservation Alliance
• Iowa Drainage District Association
• Agribusiness Association of Iowa
(AAI)
• Iowa Floodplain and Stormwater
Management (IFSMA)
• Iowa Rivers Revival
• 2 Iowa Senate Members
• 2 Iowa House Members

6. Photo Credit: ExeterAnna

7. ● Water Resources Research Act
● US Geological Survey - 54 Institutes
● Address water resources issues:
○ Research
○ Outreach
○ Education
● Unbiased resource for scientific
information centered on water resources
Why us?

8. Research
and
Meeting
Framework
● Behavior and
Organizational
Management
● Growth
Mindset/Intellectual
Humility
● SMART Goals –
measurable and
achievable

9. Thematic Small Groups
Economics
Partnerships
Water
Monitoring
Resilient Water
Recommendations

10. Camel: A horse designed by
committee.

11. The Process ● Phase 1:
Collaboration
● Phase 2: Conflict
Management
● Phase 3: Meeting
Expectations/Making
Effective
Recommendations

12. Phase 1.
Getting
People to
Talk to
Each Other
● Small group work
emphasis
● Members self-identify
expectations
○ Members develop mini
goals for today,
tomorrow, and a year
○ Set quick wins that
builds momentum
(Kotter)
Kotter. Leading Change.

13. Phase 1 –
Continued
The Small Group
Work
● Identify and celebrate
successes through storytelling
○ Investigate what is working
and identify elements
(Heath & Heath) – keep
asking why?
● Stories engage emotion and
empathy
● Mitigate conflict: engage
respect and recognition among
members
Result: Generalized
recommendationsHeath & Heath. Switch.

14. Phase 2:
Agree to
Disagree
● Listen & Learn to Scientists
○ Write out ideas
○ Agree, New idea,
Disagree
● Informative to facilitators
○ Engagement with
science
● Make it visual
○ Show where we come
together and where we
don’t
Result: Refined agreements on
concepts

15. Phase 3:
Getting
SMART
Make
Recommendations
Specific - identify a specific
action
Measurable - goals and
benefits quantifiable
Achievable - attainable
given the resources
Realistic - can be successful
Timely - has a deadline

16. Before...
The WPAC recommends that the WRCC
encourage entities, both public and private,
involved in watershed planning and
implementation programs/projects to
conduct a strategic evaluation on how
watershed programs/projects are
implemented in order to make watershed
work more understandable, easily
accessed, and effective.

17. After...
To establish a shared information system,
we recommend establishing an Iowa water
data clearinghouse for the public to access
all public information available on water. It
will be an index of digestible information
housed by a public, unbiased organization
that does not generate data on water
resources. It should be authorized in FY19
and established in FY20.

18. How you
can use
this.
● Set little wins and build
momentum off of them
● Get committee members
to tell stories - everyone
has a water story!
● Get SMART, evaluate
progress and meet goals
– celebrate!

19. Questions?
Hanna Bates
Program Coordinator
Iowa Water Center
She/her/hers
Email: hbates@iastate.edu
Twitter: @hannatbates
Acknowledgements to: Rick Cruse, Director, Iowa Water Center
Melissa Miller, Associate Director, Iowa Water Center