‘Collaboration Network’ Online Discussion Forum Pilot Phase Completed (2004)

CONCUR worked with the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Statewide Initiatives and UC Davis to develop and facilitate a private online discussion forum for Water Board staff called the Collaboration Network, or CollabNet. CollabNet was designed to complement the Water Board Training Academy’s four existing courses on collaboration, promote intra-agency discussion and information-sharing on collaborative processes, and be a resource for staff for materials on collaborative process design and management. The seven-week pilot phase ran from Oct. 18 - Dec. 3, 2004, and saw the posting of over 140 messages by the pilot phase’s 42 participants. Topics in CollabNet’s sub-forums ranged from how to resolve technical arguments between experts, to how to quantify environmental impacts for penalty assessments, to a discussion on the role of the SWRCB’s Watershed Management Initiative. The forum has since been transitioned to Water Board and UC Davis management, and continues to serve as a resource for Water Board staff.