Meeting Notes - 8-18-06 - Needs Assessment Wor

• Working Group: Needs Assessment
• Title: Meeting Notes
• Date: 8/18/2006
• Interbasin CC - Doc Type: Meeting Notes

identify initially what they need from and want to achieve in their needs assessments.
Melinda says that a different skill set might be needed to help roundtables determine
what studies they want done than the skills needed to do the actual studies. This
might be done by a facilitator, rather than the technical contractor. Having someone
other than a contractor work with Roundtables to do the initial needs assessment task
identification work could avoid a potential conflict of interest on the pali of the
contractor where they may want to both "make or generate work" and "do it".

Other options besides using a completely separate process include: a) have a
facilitator work with the contractor to do this first task. This would allow the use of
the technical expertise of the contractor to be used in identifying potential gaps in a
roundtable's needs assessment. b) assure significant oversight by the State. Eric H.
or the project manager could oversee all proposals for work to be done to assure that
it is reasonable and really needed. Or c) the IBCC might create a Contract Oversight
Committee to review and approve proposed work. A question is whether IBCC
members will have time to be on this committee. Oversight may involve being in
daily contact with the consultant, which may be more than IBCC members can take
on.

. How to avoid duplication l?lwork? We don't want to limit contractor to having to
use only existing data, but do want to avoid duplication of effort whenever possible.
We want to be cost effective.

There is a concern that where adequate data exists, that it should be used. Where it
does not exist - such as environmental data and recreational information - new data
may need to be collected.

. How to assure that there is adequate o~;ective data to make i1~lormed decisions on
environmental and recreational issues? Melinda believes that the State needs to
assure that the contractor that is selected can help get the most objective data possible
on environmental and recreational issues. We cannot require that the contractor look
only at existing data, because this often does not exist in the areas of environmental
and recreation. There may need to be significant field research, not just desk reviews
of existing data to secure adequate information.

It needs to be recognized that it is often difficult to do "objective" studies on
recreational issues, as there are often strong conflicting values and subjective
judgments involved in identification of needs. There are also a small number of
people on each Roundtable who represent recreational interests. These people may
not be able to represent the full range of interests in their area. There probably needs
to be a way to get broader recreational interests out on the table.

Eric W. says that in analyzing recreational needs, we need to look at what is practical
as well as desirable. The Arkansas Cooperative Flow Agreement may be a process to
look into as a possible process for identification of recreation demands/needs. The