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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I A Primer for Hosting Buyout Workshops Page 11 Suggestions Without developing a series of sample agendas, it is recommended that the agenda be clear and concise, while allowing ample time to present the desired material and leave time for questions to be answered, or at a minimum, officially noted and recorded. Use a mix of nationally recognized experts and regional officials that are known and respected. Don't be afraid to ''work the participants hard." People often prefer hard work that is valuable to simplified or inflated presentations that do not meet their needs and waste their time. Recognize, however, that everyone has a limit. Attention and retention both start to dwindle after an extensive period of work, no matter how valuable or interesting. Incorporate objectives into fun and sociable settings, such as meals and evenings. The agenda for the Davenport workshop worked well, and is offered here as a modeL Because of the unique circumstances, the agenda was developed to specifically address buyouts. In other circumstances, a broader, post-flood mitigation approach may be more beneficial that discusses additional methods of protecting structures, such as floodproofing, and elevation. The Davenport Workshop Agenda With the framework established, the workshop agenda began to take form. There would be introductory training available to establish a working knowledge among the local planners, state and federal staffs, and Regional Planning Council staffs that would be assisting communities with their recovery and mipgation planning. Community officials would participate in the workshop program by sharing their ideas, progress, and constraints so that available resource professionals could provide them with guidance on how to proceed, and identify pitfalls to be avoided. Representatives of programmatic funding sources and technical assistance would be present in order to explain how those resources could be utilized, and to assist interested communities with individual problems. The Workshop Development Team developed an agenda based on an approach suggested by Jon Kusler, Executive Director of the Association of State Wetland Managers. Through the exchange of ideas, a basic agenda was agreed upon. To assist with workshop planning and development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, through the Association of State Floodplain Managers and National Park Service, hired two consultants, French Wetmore of French & Associates, Ltd., and Clancy