The Resilient Communities Project - rcp.umn.edu · The Resilient Communities Project New!...
Transcript of The Resilient Communities Project - rcp.umn.edu · The Resilient Communities Project New!...
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TheResilientCommunitiesProject
New!Small-ScaleRCPPartnershipOpportunityApplicationInformationforthe2019–2020AcademicYear
TheUniversityofMinnesota’sResilientCommunitiesProject(RCP,rcp.umn.edu)isacceptingapplicationsfromcities,counties,tribalgovernments,specialdistricts,andregionalgovernmentagenciesorcollaborativesforournewSmall-ScaleRCPPartnershipsforthe2019–2020academicyear.
TheSmall-ScaleRCPPartnershipopportunityisintendedforcommunitiesseekingtocollaboratewithRCPononetofive(1–5)projects.SuccessfulapplicantswillbenefitfromworkbyUniversityofMinnesotastudents,faculty,andstaff,fromavarietyofdisciplines,toprovideresearchandtechnicalassistancewithlocallyidentifiedprojectsthatadvancecommunityresiliency.Theselectionprocessiscompetitive,andthepartnermustsupporttheeffortthroughdedicatedstafftimeandalocalfinancialcontribution.
Proposalsareacceptedatanytimethroughouttheyear.Youcansubmityourproposalonlineathttps://z.umn.edu/[email protected].
RCPstaffareavailabletohelpwithdevelopmentofyourapplicationatanystage—fromintroducingtheRCPprogramandmodeltoyourstaff,electedofficials,andotherstakeholderstohelpingbrainstormideasforprojects.Contactrcp@umn.edutogetstarted!
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OVERVIEWOFRCPRCPisapartnershipbetweentheUniversityofMinnesotaandlocalgovernmentagenciesinMinnesotathatengagesstudentsandfacultyfromacrosstheuniversitytoworkonresiliency,sustainability,andlivabilityprojectsincollaborationwiththepartner.Studentsandfacultyaddressthepartner’sresearchandtechnicalassistanceneedsthroughcourse-basedorindependentstudentprojects,providingeasyandefficientaccesstoresearchandexpertiseavailableanywherewithintheUniversityofMinnesotasystem.
RCPworkscloselywithourpartnerstomatchprojectswithstudentsandfacultyfromawiderangeofdisciplines.Assistanceisavailablerelatedtoallaspectsofcommunityresiliency(e.g.,environmentalhealth,economicopportunity,socialequity,communitylivability),atallprojectstages(analysis,planning,design,implementation,andevaluation),andacrossalldepartmentsintheorganization(administration,humanresources,corrections,policeandfire,planning,publichealth,environmentalmanagement,publicworks,engineering,communications,parksandrecreation,finance,andmore).
HOWANRCPPARTNERSHIPWORKSRCPwillselectoneormorepartnersforthe2019–2020academicyear(September2019toAugust2020).Thecollaborationwillbeginwithaseriesofplanningandorientationmeetings,withUofMNstudentsactivelyworkingonprojectsbeginninginfall(September2019)orspring(January2020)semesters,dependingonyourprojecttimelineandcourseavailability.
PartnerCommunityCommitment
AkeyelementofasuccessfulRCPpartnershipiscommitmentandinvolvementfrompartnerstaff.Foreachprojectsubmitted,partnercommunitieswillbeexpectedtoidentifyaprojectlead—astaffmemberwhowillbetheprimarypointofcontactforstudentsandfacultyworkingonthatproject.ProjectleadsareresponsibleforattendinganinitialRCPorientationsession;participatinginprojectscopingmeetings;preparingbackgroundmaterialsforstudentsandfaculty;pitchingprojectsduringclassmeetingtimesontheUofMNMinneapolisorSt.Paulcampuses;leadingstudentsonsitevisitsinthecommunity;attendingregularprojectmeetings;initiatingandcoordinatingtheparticipationofresidents,communityorganizations,orotherstakeholdersinthe
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project;participatinginperiodicreviewsofstudentworkthroughoutthesemester;andcoordinatingandattendingfinalpresentationsofstudentworkontheUofMNcampusesand/orinthecommunity.Projectleadsshouldanticipatespendinganaverageof3–5hoursperweekoneachprojecttheyareresponsibleforduringeachsemestertheprojectisactive.
RCPandUniversityCommitment
ThecoordinationandstaffsupportRCPprovidesofferssignificantbenefitsandefficienciesoverstand-aloneprojectsyourorganizationmightundertakewithanindividualfacultymemberattheUofMN,includingsubstantialassistancematching,scoping,coordinating,andmanagingprojects.RCPstaffwithknowledgeofthebroadrangeofacademicdepartmentsandresourcesattheUniversityandwithexpertiseincommunityresiliency,projectmanagement,and
communicationswillprovideongoingsupporttoensurehigh-qualityoutcomesthatmeetyourorganization’sneeds.Thisincludesrecruitingandcoordinatinguniversitystaffandresources(students,faculty,courses),facilitatingprojectscoping,identifyingandcoordinatingdeliveryofdataandbackgroundinformationforprojectsasneeded,maintainingaBasecampprojectmanagementsystem,coordinatingcommunicationsandmediaoutreachaboutthepartnership,planningandstaffingcommunityevents,reimbursingproject-relatedtravelandmaterialcoststosupportstudentparticipationintheprogram,promotingpartnershipactivitiesthroughsocialandearnedmedia,andtroubleshootingprojectsasneeded.
OutcomesfromeachUniversitycourseorindependentstudentteamthatparticipatesinaprojectwillbedocumentedinafinalpresentationandreport(orotheragreed-upondeliverable)attheconclusionoftheproject.AllstudentworkwillbelicensedthroughaCreativeCommonsagreementthatallowsourpartnerstoreproduce,distribute,oradapttheworkforothernon-commercialpurposes.
FinancialCostoftheProgram
RCPreceivessomefundingandin-kindsupportfromtheUniversityofMinnesota’sCenterforUrbanandRegionalAffairs(CURA),butwealsodependonalocalfinancialcontributionfromourpartnerstosupportprogramstaffingandoperations.Partnersmaychoosetofundtheirlocalcontributionthroughacollaborationwithothergroups,suchascountyandstateagencies,schoolandwatersheddistricts,privatedevelopers,educationalinstitutions,nonprofitorganizations,businesses,andchambersofcommerce.Regardlessofwherethesefundsareobtainedfrom,thepartnercommunityisresponsibleforactingasthesolefiscalagentforthepartnership,andformakingonelump-sumpaymenttoRCPforallprojectsthataresuccessfullymatched.
Thebasepriceforparticipationintheprogramforthe2019–2020academicyearis$5,000perproject,withaguaranteethat1–2UniversityofMinnesotacoursesorindependentstudentteams
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willbematchedwitheachproject.Additionalcoursesorassistancemayincuradditionalcosts(pendingyourorganization’spre-approvalofsuchexpenditures).
APPLICATIONPROCESS
SubmittingYourApplication
Youcansubmityourproposalonlineathttps://z.umn.edu/apply-small-rcporemailitasasinglePDFfiletorcp@umn.edu.Proposalsareacceptedatanytimethroughouttheyear.
RCPstaffareavailabletohelpwithdevelopmentofyourapplicationatanystage—fromintroducingtheRCPprogramandmodeltoyourstaff,electedofficials,andotherstakeholderstohelpingbrainstormideasforprojects.Contactusatrcp@umn.eduforassistanceorwithquestions.
RequiredApplicationComponents
1. PartnerInformation:Provide(a)thenameofyourorganizationorcommunity,(b)currentpopulationandnumberofhouseholdsinthegeographicareayouserviceorrepresent,(c)annualbudget,(d)thetotalnumberofstaffyourorganizationemploys.ForpartnerslocatedmorethantwohoursfromtheUofMNTwinCitiescampuses,describeanyspecialarrangementstoaddressissuesofcollaborationandcoordinationatadistance(forexample,accesstovideoconferencingorothertechnologicalresources).
2. ProposedProject(s):Provideindividualdescriptionsofupto5projects.Projectsshouldaddresshigh-priorityissuesforyourorganizationorthecommunity,andinvolveresearchquestionsortechnicalassistanceneedsthatareappropriateforgraduate-levelstudentwork.Foreachproject,providethefollowinginformation:
a. Projectname/title.Shouldbedescriptiveoftheproject,butcanalsobecreative.b. Projectlead.Identifyonestaffpersonwhowillserveastheprimarycontactforthe
project,aswellastheirjobtitle,department,e-mailaddress,andphonenumber.Thisindividualmustbeabletocommitanaverageof3–5hoursperweektotheprojecteachacademicsemesterthattheprojectisactivethroughoutthepartnership.
c. A1–2paragraphdescriptionoftheproject.Whatisthecontextfortheproject?Whyisthisprojectimportantatthistime?Whatareyourorganization’sultimategoals/objectivesrelatedtotheprojectorthelargerissuestheprojectaddresses?Howwillthestudentworkbeusedbyyourorganizationorcommunity?
d. 3–5specificissues,questions,ideas,orproblemsforconsiderationthatyouwantstudentstoaddress.Whatarethekeythingsthatwouldhelptoadvancelocaleffortsonthisprojectorontheissuesthisprojecttouches?
e. Communitypartnersorstakeholders(externaltoyourorganization)thatwillbeinvitedtoparticipateintheproject—forexample,othergovernmentagencies,nonprofitorcommunityorganizations,residentorneighborhoodgroups,orlocalbusinesses.Describespecificallyhowtheseindividualsororganizationswillbeinvolved,whattheywilldo,andhowtheirparticipationwillbenefittheproject.NOTE:ItisNOTnecessarytoincludepartnersorstakeholdersforeveryprojectproposed.
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ApplicantsarestronglyencouragedtocontactRCPduringpreparationoftheirapplicationtodiscussproposedprojectsandensuretheyarewithinthecapacityofRCPandtheUofMN,andappropriateforstudentwork.Foralistofprojectsproposedbypreviouspartners,visitrcp.umn.edu(underthe“Communities”menu).Notethattheseprojectlistsarenotexhaustive,andotherissuesandtopicareasnotrepresentedherearecertainlyfeasible.
3. DemonstrationofSupport:Includelettersofsupportorformalresolutionsfromoneormoreofthefollowing:city/countymanageroradministrator,mayor,electedgoverningbody(citycouncil,countyboard,etc.),relevantdepartmentheads,proposedpartnerorganizationsoragencies,proposedfundingentities.
ApplicationEvaluationCriteriaRCPwillevaluateyourapplicationbasedonthefollowingcriteria:
1. Top-LevelSupportandAdministrativeCapacity:SeniorstaffshowacommitmenttoparticipateintheRCPprogramandtodirectstafftimeandresourcestothepartnership.
2. ClearResiliencyFocus:Projectsclearlybuilduponandadvancethepartner’soverallresiliencyefforts,andincludespecificresiliency-relatedgoals—forexample,reducinggreenhousegasemissions,fosteringactiveliving,reducingturnoveramongstaff,supportingalternativemodesoftransportationorenergygeneration,enhancingsocialequity,engagingunderservedormarginalizedgroups,increasingandimprovingpublicparticipationandvolunteeropportunities,creatingastrongersenseofcommunityorplace,enhancinglivability,increasinggovernmenttransparencyoraccountability,conservingorrestoringenvironmentalresources,preservingorenhancingecosystemservices,increasinghousingdensityormix,improvingurbanform,reducingenergyuse,findingadaptivereusesforexistingstructures,redevelopingunderutilizedlandparcels,promotingequitableeconomicdevelopment,orensuringfiscallyprudentinfrastructureinvestments.[Note:Thislistisforillustrationonlyandisbynomeansexhaustive.]
3. ProjectRelevanceandImpact:Projectsarewellformulated,issuesorquestionsforinvestigationareclear,andprojectsdemonstratethepotentialtohaveameasurablepositiveimpactoncommunityresiliency.
4. CommunityEngagement:Projectsincludeacommitmenttomeaningfullyandappropriatelyengageresidentsandotherstakeholdersthroughoutthepartnershipasameansofintegratinglocalknowledge,andstrengtheningandbroadeningsupportforlocalresiliencyefforts.
5. LikelihoodofMatchwithUniversityCourses:ProjectsmustbewithinthecapabilityofUniversityofMinnesotagraduatestudents,andshouldinvolveappropriateresearchand/ortechnicalassistanceneeds,notmenialtasksorlow-leveladministrativework.RCPworkshardtomatchprojects;however,wecannotguaranteematches.
6. ExternalPartnerships:Applicantsareencouragedtocollaboratewithotherlocalentities(e.g.neighboringcities,counties,watersheddistricts,transportationdistricts,schooldistricts,businessorprofessionalorganizations,privatefunders,researchoreducationalinstitutions)toformulateprojectsandsharepartnershipcosts.