MRAPS Situation Assessment
Purpose of the MRAPS Involvement/Situation Assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to determine how the Corps can best design and
implement consultation with Tribes and public involvement for the Missouri River
Authorized Purposes Study. The Corps has engaged the U.S. Institute for Environmental
Conflict Resolution (USIECR) and the Osprey Group (Osprey) as neutral third parties
to conduct the assessment.
The Process for Conducting the Assessment
The assessment will be based on confidential individual interviews, focus group
discussions, meetings with Tribal leaders and an electronic survey accessible to
anyone. Osprey, with the assistance of USIECR, will schedule and conduct up to 100
individual interviews. These interviews will be augmented with focus group discussions
involving additional people. The interviews, focus groups, meetings with Tribal
leaders and electronic survey will be used to gain an understanding of the most
important issues, concerns, and opportunities with respect to the Missouri River
authorized purposes and to help Osprey/USIECR recommend an appropriate strategy
for intergovernmental consultation with the Tribes and for the public involvement
process during the study.
Personal Interviews
Interviews will take place predominantly by telephone and were started in early
November. The confidential personal interviews typically last about 45 minutes and
cover a range of substantive and process design topics. Osprey will strive for geographic
and interest balance in scheduling personal interviews and focus group discussions.
In each interview, Osprey asks for recommendations of people or organizations that
should be considered both for both future personal interviews and as possible participants
in the focus groups. Candidates are derived from current lists of interested individuals,
participants in existing processes related to the Missouri River, and recommendations
from interviewees.
Focus Group Discussions and Meetings with Tribal Leadership
Seven focus groups sessions are planned in the Missouri River basin with an additional
two focus groups along the Mississippi River. Osprey will work with Tribal organizations
to determine how and where to involve Tribal leadership. An initial Tribal Event
is planned for Rapid City, SD, on December 16, 2009. This event will include discussion
of MRAPS and other Corps of Engineers studies ongoing in the basin. Details of this
initial event and other upcoming Tribal Events will be planned with Tribal Leaders
through the Corps of Engineers Tribal Liaison.
Focus groups are currently scheduled for the following cities:
- Kansas City, Kansas: November 19, 2009
- Bismarck, North Dakota: December 8, 2009
- St. Louis, Missouri: January 12, 2010
- Omaha, Nebraska: January 14, 2010
- Pierre, South Dakota: January 26, 2010
- Billings, Montana: January 28, 2010
- Columbia, Missouri: February 4, 2010
- New Orleans, Louisiana: February 23, 2010
- Memphis, Tennessee: February 25, 2010
Please check the MRAPS website www.mraps.org for information about specific meeting
locations in these cities as the individual meeting dates approach.
A representative group of about 12 to 15 people will be invited to each focus group.
Osprey uses a combination of existing lists of interested persons, others involved
in Missouri River processes, and recommendations from other interviewees to identify
and invite a small, balanced group for the facilitated focus group discussions.
Invitees will be asked a series of questions designed to generate a productive discussion
about Missouri River issues as they see them and how to design public engagement
for the Study.
The focus group discussions are planned to begin at 5:30 and continue until 7:00.
Then, an opportunity will be provided for other members of the public who have attended
the focus group to present their perspectives on both substantive issues and the
design of the process for ongoing public involvement.
Electronic Survey
To supplement the information gathered through personal interviews and focus groups,
members of the public are invited to fill out a brief, confidential electronic survey.
The survey is available on the next page of this website.
The Situation Assessment Product
In consultation with USIECR, Osprey will prepare an Involvement/Situation Assessment
that:
- Recommends design of processes for Tribal consultation and stakeholder/Corps collaboration
for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study
- Summarizes the scope of relevant issues and concerns related to Missouri River authorized
purposes
- Clarifies and neutrally describes the range of perspectives about these issues
- Identifies areas of potential agreement and shared interests
The final assessment will be the independent work product of Osprey on behalf of
USIECR. The USIECR and Osprey will share the final product with the Corps of Engineers
and distribute it electronically to all interviewees and focus group members. The
Corps will then make the report available on the MRAPS website (www.mraps.org).
Two public meetings are scheduled in early March. The meetings are designed for
the Corps to provide an update about the study, for the Osprey Group to present
their preliminary findings and recommendations and to receive public comment. Each
meeting will start at 5:30 pm. The dates and locations are:
March 8, 2010 - Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO
March 10, 2010 - Kelly Inn, Bismarck, ND
Timeline for the Situation Assessment
The assessment will be conducted between October 2009 and March 2010. Interviews
began during the last week in October and run through early February. The dates
and cities for the focus groups are listed above. The written assessment and suggested
process design will be produced between February and March of 2010.
For comments or questions about this website, please contact:
usiecr@ecr.gov.
This page was last updated 1/12/2011.