AWWA ACE61861

This paper discusses the communication challenges the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) and its stateand federal agency partners faced in considering a proposed expansion of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir.Through a two and a half year communications program, CCWD overcame these challenges and achieved62 percent voter support for a regional, state, and federal partnership to share and expand Los VaquerosReservoir. To gain the support of customers, the CCWD Board of Directors, management,staff, and project team implemented an innovative, multi-level, multi-strategy program guided by aphilosophy of open, transparent communication that included four elements of perceiving customers as the partners and owners of the existing reservoir facilities: a trusted partner, CCWD had to be a trusted partner with customers as a responsible manager andprotector of customers' assets and interests;involved in the decision-making, customers had to feel fully engaged in the decisions that affect theirassets and the planning process;informed of the benefits and consequences, customers had to understand all of the details of acomplex project, the benefits for each customer, and the potential adverse consequences (risks); and,protected from risks, CCWD had to fully understand the issues and concerns of the owners anddevelop assurance mechanisms to protect the owners' interests. The paper discusses these four elements in detail.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

06/17/2005

Number of Pages:

5

File Size:

1 file , 290 KB