A Multi-Agency Federal Initiative on Collaborative Tools and Processes for US Water Solutions

The report of the National Science Technology Council's Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ) surveys the challenges facing the United States today and recommends federal research towards developing collaborative tools and processes for solutions to US water problems. This paper presents a proposal developed under the aegis of SWAQ with experts from this area across the federal water establishment that refines that recommendation by proposing that the SWAQ promote a coordinated federal initiative to develop and advance the integration of computer based modeling tools within multi-stakeholder public decision processes for US water solutions. Components of the proposed initiative include: A review of current uses and programs focused on the use of "collaborative decision support tools"; development of a framework for evaluation of the effectiveness of combinations of various computer tools and collaborative interventions across of range of water problems and settings; and targeted "pilot" or "demonstration" projects, or even "experiments," that can be explicitly designed to be studied and evaluated with the intent of developing recommended approaches and methodologies. The initiative will directly and concretely address the government-wide emphasis on increased use of collaborative processes, and both assist state and local governments and support existing federal water management roles. Federal agencies are well-positioned to conduct and coordinate inter-disciplinary research, and this initiative will provide the efficiency of a central focus for research and knowledge and provide unified direction and consistency over time. Results of the initiative will include focused interagency research on the needs for collaborative problem solving of water problems, coordinated development and dissemination of principles and best practices for effective combination of modeling and multi-stakeholder public processes, and, ultimately, reduced level of water conflict through more broadly-acceptable, timely and sustainable solutions.