Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board Adapts to Engage

Environmental Management (EM) Site Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs) are representative of their communities and exist for the purpose of advising DOE EM. As such they are the conduits between the public and the DOE EM. To remain relevant to the community they cannot exist in a vacuum and the public needs to be aware of the Boards’ function, purpose, and progress and have opportunities for input. Since the SSABs generally deal with fairly complex issues related to environmental cleanup, and the members of the Boards represent a diversity of background, there are many challenges associated with informing and eliciting input from Board members as well as informing and engaging the public. To that end, the Oak Ridge SSAB (ORSSAB) has evolved over time to facilitate Board and public engagement. Committees have changed, and the format and timing of meetings have changed. The Board asks its members to provide input on how to make the process better through our annual member surveys and facilitated meetings. We query the board for ideas, and the results of these surveys and meetings are discussed at the annual planning meetings. Agreed changes are instituted the following year. The ORSSAB strives for value and relevancy. It also strives to inform its membership in a way that allows for clarity of understanding, and above all it tries to be enjoyable to its membership. The ORSSAB listens to its membership and has evolved its process to allow for effective advocacy."> Environmental Management (EM) Site Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs) are representative of their communities and exist for the purpose of advising DOE EM. As such they are the conduits between the public and the DOE EM. To remain relevant to the community they cannot exist in a vacuum and the public needs to be aware of the Boards’ function, purpose, and progress and have opportunities for input. Since the SSABs generally deal with fairly complex issues related to environmental cleanup, and the members of the Boards represent a diversity of background, there are many challenges associated with informing and eliciting input from Board members as well as informing and engaging the public. To that end, the Oak Ridge SSAB (ORSSAB) has evolved over time to facilitate Board and public engagement. Committees have changed, and the format and timing of meetings have changed. The Board asks its members to provide input on how to make the process better through our annual member surveys and facilitated meetings. We query the board for ideas, and the results of these surveys and meetings are discussed at the annual planning meetings. Agreed changes are instituted the following year. The ORSSAB strives for value and relevancy. It also strives to inform its membership in a way that allows for clarity of understanding, and above all it tries to be enjoyable to its membership. The ORSSAB listens to its membership and has evolved its process to allow for effective advocacy.">

012 - The Effectiveness of Advisory Boards; the US DOE EM Site Specific Advisory Board Experience

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board Adapts to Engage

Content available for registered attendees

Please log in to check whether your account has access to this article.

Menu

Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board Adapts to Engage

Content available for registered attendees