Appendix A

Workshop Agenda

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Resilient America Roundtable

Developing Community Resilience Measures Workshop

July 14–15, 2015
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel–Cedar Rapids Convention Complex
350 First Avenue NE, Taft B Room
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

WORKSHOP VISION

The development and use of resilience measures by and for communities are key elements in building community resilience. Although many kinds of resilience measures and measuring tools have been developed, very few have been put into regular use by communities. A “bottom-up” approach in which communities develop, adapt, and use their own resilience measures is very important but not easy for communities to implement. The first major challenge for communities in developing their own approaches to resilience measures is often simply knowing where and how to begin.

This workshop of the Resilient America Roundtable will draw together representatives from several communities in the United States, members of the roundtable, and experts from the workshop planning committee to share knowledge and experiences in developing and implementing community resilience measures.

The overarching goal of this workshop is for communities to gain new knowledge and practical information about how to advance their efforts to develop and implement resilience objectives and measures.

During the workshop, community representatives will have an opportunity to share their thoughts about the following questions. Community representatives are encouraged to consult with their colleagues and community stakeholders to develop their responses.

1. What is the resilience vision for your community?
2. What are the major hazards and risks your community faces?
3. What are your community’s main assets, advantages, and capabilities? What are your community’s challenges related to these assets?

During the workshop, community representatives will work together to discuss, develop, and identify ways to measure the resilience of different key components, environments, or assets within their, communities. The attached table will be used as a guide during the breakout sessions to help frame the discussions. The process the participants use to begin to identify measures and the challenges they encounter in doing so will be important threads of the workshop discussion.

Workshop participants may find the attached table to be a helpful guide to help them prepare for the workshop and as they consider the questions above. Workshop participants are encouraged to share the table with their colleagues and community stakeholders to obtain their feedback or ideas related to the table. As a starting point in the breakout sessions, the group will consider resilience across six broad community components, or environments, provided in the table.* Please note that other communities have used a variety of environments (e.g., cultural vitality, transportation, housing, education) in addition to, or instead of, those in the attached table. As part of the workshop, it is anticipated that the participants will add to and change the current list of six environments depending on their goals and community values. The six environments presented here are just a place to begin the discussions.

* Suggested definitions for the six environments:

• Social/Wellness Environment = the capacity for people to connect with each other (examples of components: community organizations, informal meeting space, social networks)
• Human Environment = the sum of people’s skills, knowledge, labor, and good health (examples of components: education, workforce, healthcare),
• Financial/Economic Environment = level, variability, and diversity of income sources, and access to financial resources that contribute to wealth and enable investment in community capacity building (examples of components: financial systems and services, employment opportunities)
• Physical/Built Environment = the built environment, including critical infrastructure (examples of components: roads, the power grid, dams)
• Natural Environment = natural resources, nonengineered structures, and associated ecosystem services (examples of components: wetlands, flood protection, water)
• Governance/Leadership Environment = leadership, governance, and power (examples of components: the ability to influence and enforce policy, standards, rules, regulations)

Community Resilience Measures: Guiding Considerations

Tuesday, July 14, 2014
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel–Cedar Rapids Convention Complex
350 First Avenue NE, Taft B Room
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

Wednesday, July 15, 2014
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel–Cedar Rapids Convention Complex
350 First Avenue NE, Taft B Room
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401