EPA's Future use of thei Dialogue's content

[patricia bonner <bonner.patricia@epa.gov>]

Some of the Dialogue messages and off line questions/ideas made me think that it is time to underscore how this Dialogue and its content will be used by EPA in the future.

Many of you probably have not seen the messages that I sent in to the Dialogue last week.  So, I'm reposting parts of my messages from July 10 and 12th and giving you an update:

"...because a cross agency group (55 people) will be working to prepare a revised Policy and is now building an implementation plan for the Policy to focus on training, evaluation, and best practices in public involvement, several of us are working to capture ideas from the Dialogue as they arise in those four areas. We will continue to build these lists throughout the Dialogue. Perhaps after the Dialogue is completed we can post the three listings on this site in the Briefing Book. Would others of you like to see these compilations, and perhaps offer additional details on the items listed or add items we missed? "	

 *** update    A few messages urged me to have the "lists" posted, but there was little reaction to the idea.    Several of us at EPA continue to read every message to glean your good ideas on the three topics. 

And 
"As the lead staff person for the development of the Policy and its implementation plan, I've hoped for this Dialogue to happen for nearly a year. Why? Because of all of the talent and ideas that could be tapped into with the technique, and because once people start talking to one another those good ideas build on each other. As one of my earlier messages stated, a group of us is mining the site as the discussions progress and gathering the ideas for best practices, training, evaluation and thoughts for improving the Policy into separate documents which we plan to share on this website as soon after the event ends as possible.   We will be using the first three documents to enhance the plan for implementing the new Policy. We hope that all of you who had specific suggestions for improving the Policy will send them as formal  comments (see how on this website:    http://www.info-ren.org/network-democracy/epa-pip/comment/comment.shtml ) before July 31 when the comment period ends." 

*** update     When I left yesterday evening (7/18) after the last pre-8:00 PM messages were posted and I'd copied pieces of them into the best practice ideas table, the document had grown to 105 pages.   It is a 3-column table with the originator's name and e-mail, the topic and focus of the message, and the part of the information from the message.   I still hope that we can post the tables to the site soon after the event ends.   The Dialogue web site will remain available to anyone for at least a year.  So EPA staff, all of you and anyone else who visits the site can use the tables, the messages and the briefing book resources.  I hope that many of you who have found one another through this event will stay in contact with each other and with Lisa Kahn and me.  In the fall, when EPA requests public comment on the Draft Plan for Implementing the Public involvement Policy, I think you'll see that we listened and learned.  			
Pat