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State rolls out community-partner pilot to expand outreach, hire local liaisons for water projects
Summary
Staff described a pilot to contract community-based partners to conduct local outreach, recruitment, and on-the-ground support for technical assistance and project implementation in disadvantaged areas.
State staff described a new community-partner pilot intended to recruit and fund local organizations and trusted residents to support outreach, assist with applications, and act as local liaisons during project planning and implementation.
Rachel Friedenburg of the board’s Office of Tribal & Public Engagement said the initial pilot will provide short contracts and a simple invoicing mechanism so small groups or unaffiliated residents can be paid for outreach and community engagement work. The pilot’s goals include improving cultural relevance of outreach materials, increasing local participation in technical-consultation processes, and building local capacity to sustain projects after state-funded assistance ends.
Staff described a two-track structure: (1) contracted community partners (organizations or small resident teams) who receive modest funding and training to support engagement and (2) lead technical-assistance providers who continue to hold primary project responsibility and coordinate with partners. Stentech is supporting development of outreach materials and training modules; pilot recruitment will focus initially on two southwestern regions and selected Central Valley sites.
Several advisory members urged simple application steps, flexible contracting, and clear expectations about billing and reporting to lower barriers for grassroots participants. Staff said they will refine contracting language to reduce administrative burden and will return to the advisory group with a recruitment timeline and pilot evaluation criteria.
