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Interdisciplinary Projects Require an Adaptive and Agile Management Approach: South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate

Alicia Lanier
Published Sunday, 22 May 2016
English

Facilitation in your management toolbox!  The South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project is a $5M interdisciplinary research project funded by the National Science Foundation to develop a decision-making framework for south Florida water management decision-makers.


Risks from climate change to agricultural and urban water supplies, as well as to ecosystems, are major drivers for this work.  Management of this complex interdisciplinary project that supports integration of geographically-distributed networks of researchers and stakeholders requires strategies, frameworks, and tools beyond conventional approaches, and specifically those that support high levels of communication, collaboration, and transparency. Team science skills in facilitation, dialogue, and conflict resolution are required, as relationships and interactions are as important to success as technical competency.  Adaptive management approaches ensure iterative and adaptive development, frequent communication, and collaborative planning, and along with team science skills, build critical trust. The SFWSC adaptive management,  using a ‘people over process’ philosophy, incorporates agile and lean management frameworks, team science understanding, and collaborative communication and planning tools. The effectiveness on integration and productivity is continuously analyzed through in-depth interviews, retrospectives, and surveys of team members and stakeholders. Team members rate effectiveness on integration and productivity favorably.  [Lanier, A. and Sukop, M. (2016) World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2016: pp. 184-189. doi: 10.1061/9780784479865.019]