National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: Chapter 4 - Issues and Communication, Coordination, and Cooperation Practices
Page 27
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 27
Page 28
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 28
Page 29
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 29
Page 30
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 30
Page 31
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 31
Page 32
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14528.
×
Page 32

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

27 5.1 Overview of Toolbox This chapter will describe the Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT), and the process of using the toolbox to select practices of communication, coordination and cooperation for implementing projects. The toolbox process consists of six steps and is depicted in Figure 2. First, a transportation initiative (i.e., project or program) is proposed. This proposed project involves stakeholders from transportation agencies and tribal communities. Because each project is unique, different parties would be involved in differ- ent projects. Therefore, it is not always apparent what issues might be encountered on any given project. In order to proactively address issues and enable success, each party involved can utilize the self-assessment checklists as step two in the process. These checklists will allow each party to identify potential issues that will be encountered on the project. After potential issues have been identified, parties should evaluate and select the appropriate level in the Ladder of Col- laboration. Using the steps of the ladder, parties can select practices of 3Cs that are suited to enable success when such issues are present. To illustrate how the selected practices have previously been implemented, Step 4 provides a com- pilation of case studies that can be referred to in regard to each practice. Each case study provides a real-life example of a combination of practices being utilized to treat different issues. Finally, after 3C practices have been selected for use on the project, an implementation plan, lessons learned and recom- mendations are provided for each practice. The implemen- tation plan provides guidance on how to implement each practice within the framework of a transportation project or program. Lessons learned and recommendations are pro- vided to supplement the implementation plan. In order to illustrate this process, an example is provided in Section 5.8. In summary, the toolbox consists of the following six steps: 1. Identify the transportation project or program. 2. Utilize the checklist to identify any potential issues on the project. 3. Refer to the Ladder of Collaboration to select the appro- priate level of collaboration. 4. Refer to the strategy selection matrixes to select 3C prac- tices appropriate for addressing the project’s issues. 5. Identify and review case studies as examples of strategy implementation. 6. Utilize the implementation plan, lessons learned, and rec- ommendations to implement the selected strategies. 5.2 Step 1: Identification of Transportation Initiative First, a transportation initiative (i.e., project or program) needs to be selected as requiring TACT. A prerequisite is that this initiative involves stakeholders from transportation agen- cies and tribal communities. It can be either a newly proposed initiative or an existing one. As a matter of fact, a new initiative will undergo the TACT process several times throughout its life cycle. It is suggested to conduct a TACT cycle for each project phase (e.g., planning, design, construction, etc.). Furthermore, it is expected that project stakeholders change significantly when a project moves forward in its lifecycle. Therefore, con- ducting a new cycle of TACT will help project stakeholders’ awareness of issues and commitment to a collaborative envi- ronment. Similarly, an existing transportation initiative may either undergo the TACT process for the first time or reassess issues and practices in advanced project phases. 5.3 Step 2: Identification of Underlying Issues The issues self-assessment checklists are a tool provided to assist transportation and tribal officials in identifying poten- tial issues prior to project commencement. The issues of (1) C H A P T E R 5 Tribe/Agency Collaboration Toolbox (TACT)

cultural competency; (2) protection/preservation of tribal- sensitive resource; (3) confidentiality of tribal-sensitive mat- ters; (4) sovereignty; (5) land ownership; and (6) monetary matters have been identified in previous chapters as com- monly encountered on transportation projects of concern to tribal communities. These issues, if not mitigated, could lead to delays or, ultimately, unsuccessful projects. For this reason, two checklists have been provided in Appendix B to assist project stakeholders in identifying potential issues prior to project commencement, so that practices for successful imple- mentation can be selected. The two checklists provided are to be used (a) by tribes and (b) by federal, state, or local agencies. Each checklist is written from the vantage point of its user. For example, in the agency checklist, under the issue, “protection/preservation of tribal- sensitive resources,” the agency – local, federal, or state – is asked if any sites or resources that are affected by the project may be of concern to a tribe. The agency might be unsure as to what tribal sites are located in the vicinity of the project, but may know of historical tribal occupation of the area. For this reason, the agency may answer “yes” to the question, indicat- ing that the issue has the potential of being encountered. Each entity involved in the project should complete the appropriate checklist to identify which issues may be encoun- tered on the project. In addition, parties can conduct a joint self-assessment by using the checklists (one for each party involved) to identify issues, comparing the results to assess dif- ferences, and combining each party’s results to develop a joint comprehensive collaboration strategy. 5.4 Step 3: Selection of Desired Level of Collaboration After the potential issues have been identified by each of the parties involved, parties should evaluate and select the appropriate level on the Ladder of Collaboration. If a joint- assessment has been performed, this step can be conducted as part of the joint-assessment exercise. Selecting the level of col- 28 Figure 2. TACT process.

laboration (i.e., communication versus coordination versus cooperation) will significantly affect the overall collaboration strategy. Therefore, there is the expectation that this and the later steps can be revisited to adjust the collaboration strategy in order to take into consideration organization-specific les- sons learned and constraints as the project progresses. This possibility is represented in Figure 2 by the arrows that return from following stages. 5.5 Step 4: Selection of 3C Practices Using the list of potential issues that have been identified by each of the parties involved, practices for the 3Cs can be selected for implementation by utilizing the selection matrix as shown in Figure 3. Issues are cross-referenced with 3C practices, so that an appropriate strategy can be designed. 5.6 Step 5: Identification and Review of Case Studies A compilation of case studies are included in the Guide- book as a reference to “real-life” projects or programs that have implemented 3C practices. Each case study has been cat- egorized by practices and issues encountered during the proj- ect or program described. In order to aid in selecting case studies to review as an example of strategy implementation, a matrix is provided with a cross-referencing of all cases based on encountered issues and 3C practices. Once issues have been identified for a given project and 3C practices selected, tribes and agencies can refer to the case studies for examples of what has been done in the past. Case studies can be selected by cross referencing the identified issues to the identified 3C practices in the following matrices (Figures 4, 5, and 6). For 29 M C1 : C ul tu ra l C om pe te nc y M C2 : P ro te ct io n & Pr es er va tio n M C3 : C on fid en tia lit y M C4 : S ov er ei gn ty M C5 : L an d O w ne rs hi p M C6 : M on et ar y Is su es C3.1 C3.2 C3.3 C3.4 C3.5 C2.1 C2.2 C2.3 C2.4 C2.5 C2.6 C2.7 C1.1 C1.2 C1.3 C1.4 C1.5 C1.6 C1.7 N 86 1 10 17 LEGEND (with count) Green = Strategy effective Green Star = Strategy effective with borderline consensus Red = Strategy potentially effective; further research is needed Black = Strategy ineffective or findings inconclusive Regional Transportation/Transit Districts & Coalitions Resource Sharing Investigating Alternatives Emergency Preparedness Planning Mailings/ Response Forms Communication Practices Presentations Data Collection, Analysis and Distribution Standards and Handbooks Newsletters/Bulletins LeveI I Level II Level III Tribal Moderator/Mediator Training Coordination Practices Cooperation Practices Planning Organizations Meetings/Summits/Workshops Public Involvement Tribal Consortiums Loans and/or Grants for Funding Tribal Liaisons and Coordinators Formal Agreements Regional/State-level Conferences Figure 3. Practice selection matrix.

30 Figure 4. Case studies on communication. Figure 5. Case studies on coordination.

example, if an agency has identified cultural competency as a potential issue on a project, the entity can choose to utilize a presentation as a communication practice on the project. By cross-referencing this issue with this practice, case studies, like Case Study 23 for this example, can be easily identified. The identified cases can then be found in Appendix C. 5.7 Step 6: Review of Implementation Plan, Lessons Learned and Recommendations A detailed Guidebook Implementation Plan (GIP) is included in the Guidebook in Appendix D and Practice- Specific Implementation Plans (PSIPs) are included in Appendix E. Once 3C practices have been tentatively selected for a given project, tribes and agencies can refer to GIP and PSIPs to assess what is required to implement the selected practices. If concerns arise on the implementation at this time, there is the opportunity to return to Step 3 and select alternative practices. To be noticed are the lessons learned and recommendations to implement each of the practices, which were provided by tribal and agency practitioners and are expected to facilitate the design and implementation of collaboration strategies. 5.8 Using TACT: An Example A single project example will be used to follow the guidebook process, including: (1) project identification; (2) identification of issues; (3) selection of collaboration level; (4) selection of strategies; (5) identification and review of relevant case studies; and (6) referral to an implementation plan for one practice. 5.8.1 Step 1: Identification of Transportation Initiative A state DOT is designing a new interstate interchange. The project area is next to tribal land and provides connectivity between reservation parcels. The DOT has worked success- fully with the affected tribe in previous projects. Although the project is not on tribal land, the area is heavily used by tribal members to access services and schools. The tribe has confi- dential reasons to oppose part of the proposed alignment. They are aware of a burial located in the project area, but do not want to disclose this or its exact location. For this project, the tribe requested new sidewalks and streetlights to be installed through the adjacent business area. The DOT wants the tribe to help pay for the streetlight utilities. In addition, the DOT wants the tribe to maintain the new sidewalks, but the tribe is reluctant to commit to cleaning up areas outside of the reser- vation boundaries. 5.8.2 Step 2: Identification of Underlying Issues The second step in the process is to identify the issues that could be present by utilizing the assessment checklists. These should be completed by the transportation agency (or agencies) and the tribe (or tribes) involved. The checklists can be completed by each entity on their own or working together. If any entity identifies an issue, that issue is included in the overall issue list for the project. If a specific issue wasn’t identified by either entity, it is assumed not to be present on the project. For this project it was determined that the following issues could have a potential effect on the 31 Figure 6. Case studies on cooperation.

project (these were identified by compiling each entity’s checklist into a joint list of issues): • Protection/preservation of tribal-sensitive resources – the tribe wants the burial site protected • Confidentiality of tribal-sensitive matters – the tribe can- not divulge the location or specifics about the site • Monetary issues – the state wants the tribe to help pay for streetlight utilities 5.8.3 Step 3: Selection of Desired Level of Collaboration The third step is to select the appropriate level on the Lad- der of Collaboration. As noted in previous sections of this Guidebook, the levels progress from communication to co- ordination to cooperation, and often the levels are revisited throughout a given project. Furthermore, at the higher levels, strategies will often overlap or coincide with each other during the implementation process. For example, emergency preparedness planning (cooperation) might include a meet- ing or a workshop (coordination) where a presentation or training takes place (communication). For this project, it was determined to begin at the communi- cation level to clarify issues and to share what information can be shared, but a goal was set to eventually reach the cooperation level, specifically regarding the monetary issues. 5.8.4 Step 4: Selection of 3C Practices The fourth step is to use the Strategy Matrix to identify potential 3C practices to address the identified issues. Com- munication practices will be examined first. The last two com- munication practices as listed on the Strategy Matrix, tribal moderator and training, are “green” or effective when each of the issues identified are present. With these two practices as options, it may be decided that training be used to communi- cate to all parties regarding the issues. In addition, a tribal moderator may be employed to carry communication forward throughout the project, while ensuring that all parties are heard and understood. Next, the coordination practices can be reviewed. The prac- tices of meetings, a tribal liaison, and formal agreements can all be effective for addressing the issues identified. It may be decided that a meeting be held to work on developing a formal agreement with regards to the monetary issue, or the meeting could be used to identify a mutually agreed-upon tribal liaison. Finally, the cooperation strategies should be cross refer- enced with the issues. In the cooperation practices, many opportunities exist for selecting effective strategies as most of the cooperation strategies are appropriate for most of the issues. In the case of this project, resource sharing may be helpful in addressing the monetary issues. Investigating alternatives might be helpful in addressing all three issues. This practice, when used in conjunction with those identified in communi- cation and coordination, can aid in project success. All prac- tices identified as effective when identified issues are present can be mixed and matched to best create an implementation strategy that will enable success. 5.8.5 Step 5: Identification and Review of Related Case Studies Before moving toward the implementation of the strategy designed in the previous step, the case studies should be referred to in order to understand how others have dealt with similar cases. Using the case study matrix (presented above) case studies can be selected for review. For example, there are a number of case studies for the 3C practices that were iden- tified for this project. After reviewing several case studies, ini- tial thoughts on the 3C practices selected and overall strategy may change. This could assist in refining the strategy to be used for the project. 5.8.6 Step 6: Review of Implementation Plan, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations For the sake of the example project, it will be assumed that the use of a presentation constitutes a communication prac- tice that will be used for the project. The implementation plan for presentations can then be referred to. The implementation plan provides guidance to using the 3C practice. In addition, lessons learned and recommendations will be provided for the practices. The implementation plan also reviews the success of the strategy for future reference. 32

Next: Bibliography »
A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 690: A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Tribal Communities includes guidelines designed to help departments of transportation and tribal communities work together to achieve successful transportation projects on tribal lands.

The report explores a wide range of issues and topics to be considered and offers a flexible approach that can be adapted to most situations. The report also includes case studies to illustrate successful practices.

The report on the project that led to the development of NCHRP Report 690 was published as NCHRP Web-Only Document 171.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!