Community & Stakeholder Engagement
The planning process, as well as the consistent engagement and collaboration throughout the process, should be inclusive and multidisciplinary. All plans and alignment initiatives should center around the community's vision, but community engagement should continue throughout these processes. Comprehensive engagement is essential for promoting alignment, adopting effective planning policies and strategies, identifying implementation opportunities, and can improve local conditions and enhance equity. Additionally, community engagement, collaboration, and partnership are often critical for effective plan implementation and maintaining ongoing support for actions identified in local plans. To learn more about the important role engagement plays in plan alignment, please refer to the Big Ideas and Best Practices sections.
The Plan Alignment Guides highlight two primary coordination and engagement mechanisms beyond a document's core planning team:
A broader alignment team that meets regularly to keep plan coordination consistent and ongoing, and to build the institutional practice of interdisciplinary planning. This team may consist of all planning teams within a jurisdiction and/or throughout the broader region, as well as key stakeholders that play a central role in community visioning, planning, and implementation.
A robust engagement process that involves community, local agency, regional, tribal, state, federal, and private sector stakeholders. Each phase of the planning and alignment process should include engagement and the solicitation of input, support, and expertise.
- State law requires that local planning agencies provide opportunities for the involvement of the community when updating General Plans (Gov. Code § 65351), and that jurisdictions make a diligent effort to include all economic groups when drafting, adopting, and implementing its Housing Element (Gov. Code § 65583(c)(8)).
- When adopting or amending a General Plan, local governments must contact, provide notice to refer plans to, and consult with California Native American Tribes that are identified with help from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC). These requirements apply to adoption and amendment of both General Plans and specific plans. For more information, refer to OPR's "Tribal Consultation Guidelines."
Each communities' alignment team and engagement process will look different based on their unique capacity, needs, and landscape. The table below outlines examples of stakeholders within four sample groups but should not be interpreted as a complete list of relevant stakeholders or a prescriptive approach.
The alignment team should inform who will be involved and what their role will be in the planning and implementation processes. The answers to these questions will dictate how, when, and how often they should be engaged. Stakeholder mapping can be a useful tool for making these distinctions and building a comprehensive outreach plan.
Guidance
- OPR General Plan Guidelines- Chapter 3
- ICARP Adaptation Clearinghouse Equitable Planning and Community Engagement page
- California Adaptation Planning Guide Phase 1, Step 1.4 page
- Additional community engagement guidance is integrated throughout the Adaptation Planning Guide- explore the online version or download the full PDF version on the Adaptation Clearinghouse.
Additional Resources
- U.S. EPA Regional Resilience Toolkit Stakeholder Mapping Template
- California Adaptation Planning Guide Community Vision and Goals Template
- ICARP Adaptation Clearinghouse Communications and Educational Materials
Stakeholder Examples for all Hazards
This table provides examples of stakeholders to help you brainstorm who to engage in your planning process.
Academic Institutions/ Community Research Entities
Community Based Organizations (CBO's)
Non-profits and other non-governmental organizations (NGO's)
Environmental Justice/ Climate Equity Groups
Representatives of/from Vulnerable Communities
Faith-based groups
Homeowner's Associations
Environmental Organizations
Fish and Wildlife Organizations
City Manager
County Accountability Office
Communications Department / Public Information Office
Housing Officials
Finance Managers
Natural Resource Managers
City Council/ Board of Supervisors
Planning / Building Commissions
Public Works/ Utilities
Building Department / Code Enforcement
Parks and Recreation
Special Districts
School Districts
Local Transit Agency/Authority
Public Health Officials
Police/Sheriff Departments
Local Continuum of Care Providers
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Councils/ Associations of Government
Regional Collaboratives
Joint Powers Authorities
Neighboring Jurisdictions
Continuum of Care Entities
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Relevant state agencies, departments, regional districts, and entities
California Native American Tribes
Tribal organizations
Tribal agencies
US Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
US Board of Land Management (BLM)
USDA Forest Service
Utility Representatives
Chambers of Commerce
Local Business Owners
Downtown/Business/Merchants Associations
Small Business Development Centers
Climatologists
Wildfire Resilience Stakeholder Examples
Stakeholders particularly important to wildfire resilience include, but are not limited to:
Firewise Community Representatives
Fire resilience-focused community collaboratives
Resource Conservation Districts / Natural Resource Managers
Fire Councils/Districts
University of California Cooperative Extension Offices and Fire Advisors
Local Flood Control Agencies
Integrated Regional Water Management Collaboratives
CAL FIRE and the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
California Governor's Office of Planning and Research
California Department of Water Resources
Private Landowners (both industrial and non-industrial)
Insurance Companies
Natural resource-based private entities
Flood-After-Fire Resilience Stakeholder Examples
Stakeholders particularly important to flood-after-fire resilience include, but are not limited to:
Watershed stewardship groups
Floodplain Administrators and Managers
Stormwater Management Agencies
Resource Conservation Districts / Natural Resource Managers
Displacement Support Entities
Local Continuum of Care Providers
Integrated Regional Water Management Groups
US Army Corps of Engineers
US Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) Team
CA Department of Water Resources
CA Geological Survey
Climatologists
GIS Specialists
Geologists
Soil Scientists
Hydrologists
Civil and Geotechnical Engineers
Coastal Resilience Stakeholder Examples
Stakeholders particularly important to coastal resilience include, but are not limited to:
Shoreline protection organizations
Coastal recreation organizations
Wetlands and estuaries organizations
Conservation organizations
Coastal businesses and homeowners
Maritime vessel residents and owners
Resource Conservation Districts / Natural Resource Managers
University of California Cooperative Extension Offices
Local Flood Control Agencies
Maritime agencies
Port and Harbor Districts and officials
Integrated Regional Water Management Collaboratives
California Ocean Protection Council
California Coastal Commission
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
California State Lands Commission
California Coastal Conservancy
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
California Department of Water Resources
California Geological Survey under Department of Conservation
Private Landowners (both industrial and non-industrial)
Insurance Companies
Natural resource-based private entities
Private ports and harbors
Maritime entities
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