Blog Contributor: Michaela Jennings
On February 18th, 2021, Niagara Adapts held its 8th workshop in a 9-workshop series. The workshop was held online via the Microsoft Teams platform, adhering to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The focus of the workshop was “implementation”. As the 7 municipal partners are working towards the final stages in their climate adaptation planning process, implementation is a key step. It breaks down how an action, project, or initiative will be implemented in the community.
The workshop was held for the 7 municipal partners that are participating in Niagara Adapts. The workshop began with an introduction of the two facilitators of the event from Savanta Consulting. The facilitators are experienced with climate change adaptation planning processes, and they provided valuable insights throughout their presentation.
The presentation progressed with an introduction to implementation, using case study examples to show how it has been approached in other Canadian municipalities. The workshop highlighted the challenges to implementation, and the importance it has in creating an effective climate change adaptation plan. The examples provided insight into how implementation can be incorporated, as well as the context-specific approaches that have been used.
The presentation continued with a walk through of “how to implement” and what to consider when moving forward with this step. They discussed resources, funding, timelines, monitoring and evaluation, and prioritization. Each municipality will have a different approach to implementing projects in their community. By understanding what is available for the project, and what may be needed, this allows for municipalities to approach implementation processes with a sense of clarity.
The workshop included a discussion around implementation tools that can be used, and where they may be appropriate in the planning process (marketing, pilot projects, external communication, and internal communication). This discussion was then paired with a collaborative activity examining implementation tools. By working together, the attendees worked with the facilitators to discuss the advantages and disadvantages that may arise for each of the tools.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion between the facilitators and the audience. The workshop was beneficial as it emphasized best-practices and opportunities for implementation. It was also an opportunity for the partners to evaluate their own climate adaptation planning processes and how implementation will look for their municipality. By providing them with resources and tools, this workshop was an insightful and informative event for the Niagara Adapts partnership and will be further elaborated on in the panel discussion on implementing climate change adaptation plans held on March 11, 2021.
