South Platte Beliefs and Values Work

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South Platte Roundtable Experience Exploring Values/Issues/Goals Water in 2025: Beliefs and Values as a Means for Cooperation Dr. Lyn Kathlene from CSU’s Colorado Institute on Public Policy presented its white paper, Water in 2025: Beliefs and Values a s a Means for Cooperation, the major premise of which is that if those working together to find solutions for water problems understand each others’ underlying beliefs and values, they can move beyond polarized positions and find creative win - win solutions . Introduction to Interest Based Negotiation as a Means for Consensus Building MaryLou Smith, a principal at Aqua Engineering who facilitates groups working through water conflict, presented How to Move from Polarized Positions to Win - Win Solutions. To pics covered: ? Difference between positional bargaining and interest based negotiation ? Identifying interests and inventing options for mutual gain ? How to work with inherent paradoxes to lead to powerful collaborative solutions ? Using the model “you and me against our mutual problem” instead of “you and me against each other.” ? Constructive engagement of stakeholders for optimal decision making Two Part Beliefs and Values Session Telling our Stories — Appreciating Differences Roundtable members split into sm all facilitated groups for an exercise in which participants took turns sharing how they came to be interested in water and why they are on the basin roundtable. Emphasis was on listening deeply, seeking to understand “from whence cometh” each member’s va lues and beliefs about water, and appreciating the rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences. Where do our Beliefs and Values Overlap? Still in small facilitated groups, roundtable members explored the range of their beliefs about water, using as an impetus for discussion the 9 objectives identified in the first round of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative: Sustainably Meet Municipal and Industrial Demands Sustainably Meet Agricultural Demands Optimize Existing and Future Water Supplies Enhance Re creational Opportunities Provide for Environmental Enhancement Promote Cost Effectiveness Protect Cultural Values Provide for Operational Flexibility Comply with All Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Water Rights Regional Subgroup Discussions Roundtable m embers split into facilitated groups based on regional sub - basins, to identify problems and potential solutions specific to their part of the basin. These discussions lead to later discussion of potential processes/projects for SB 179 funding. Successfu l? At the October, 2006 South Platte Forum, Bill Jerke, chairman of the South Platte Roundtable, was asked to present his view of the roundtable process. Jerke expressed that his initial skepticism about the roundtable process had changed, as he experience d during its first year the coming together of such a diverse group of stakeholders to address challenges. He specifically excouraged other roundtables to pursue exploration of beliefs and values as the South Platte Roundtable had done. “In my small group, ” he said, “I sat next to a gentleman with a pony tail. My first thought was that we would have very little in common. After we told our stories, I realized he and I saw eye to eye on 95% of water issues! The small groups have really helped us communica te better in our roundtable.”