Regional Governance Solutions
The Farallon Strategies Team has extensive experience creating and supporting regional, statewide, and national collaborations and networks focused on addressing climate change. Through research and experiential knowledge, our team is able to guide clients through the process of starting or formalizing equitable collaborative bodies to address governance gaps, regional planning and policy constructs, and collaborative project and program development opportunities
Contact Michael McCormick
Project descriptions
Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network (BayCAN) Management
Farallon Strategies, in partnership with Climate Resilient Communities, is managing the Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network (BayCAN). BayCAN is a collaborative network of local government staff and partnering organizations working to help the Bay Area respond effectively and equitable to the impacts of climate change on human health, infrastructure and natural systems. In this role, Farallon Strategies co-leads the coordination and facilitation of network meetings, supports the Steering Committee in strategic planning processes, and manages BayCAN’s programs, including their keystone Equity Program.
Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) California Resilience Partnership
Farallon Strategies is an advisor to Resilient Cities Catalyst in support of the California Resilience Partnership (CRP) governance, Board administration, funding and financing strategy, philanthropic activation, and statewide regional development strategy. CRP is a multimillion-dollar public-philanthropic effort in coordination with a diverse set of organizations and stakeholders to support collaboration on statewide priorities. In partnership with RCC, Farallon Strategies is facilitating an inclusive stakeholder engagement process across the state in order to improve State agencies’ and other grant-making institutions’ understanding of the opportunities to maximize the effectiveness of grants. This effort will result in recommendations on how best to distribute state funding to maximize resilience outcomes as well as recommendations for how communities can prepare to access state funding.
Yolo County Climate Action Commission and Climate Action Plan
Farallon Strategies worked with Consero Strategies to support Yolo County in initiating their Climate Action Commission, including the recruitment of commissioners, development of a governance charter, and administration of Commission meetings and Board sub-committee meetings. In addition, Farallon Strategies supported the development and implementation of “early actions”, no-regret projects that can be implemented in the near term and are grounded in existing policy and plans in order to demonstrate immediate impact to Yolo County communities most impacted by climate change and COVID-19. Farallon Strategies also built out project descriptions of early actions and matching them with grant strategies as well as leading a working group of the Commission that was tasked with developing the scope of work for the County’s Climate Action Plan. As part of this working group, Farallon Strategies interviewed jurisdictions and researched best practices to inform the development of a strong RFP for the Climate Action Plan that will meet the County’s carbon neutrality goals. Farallon Strategies continues to support the County as extension of staff on this work.
Santa Clara County Climate Collaborative and Resilience Strategy
Farallon Strategies, in partnership with BluePoint Planning, is supporting the development of a Climate Resilience Strategy and a countywide climate collaborative for Santa Clara County. Farallon Strategies is focused on the development of the Collaborative and activating partners and stakeholders to maximize the impact and longevity of the project. Working closely with the County, we are supporting the development of a governance model that centers equity and ensures community based organizations have not only a voice, but influence, in decision making processes of the Collaborative.
All In Clark County Regional Governance Assessment
Farallon Strategies, working with Kim Lundgren and Associates on the All-In Clark County Initiative, conducted a series of interviews with regional stakeholders to understand potential avenues for ongoing collaboration on climate change priorities in Southern Nevada. Farallon Strategies identified and interviewed key stakeholders and compiled findings into a memo providing recommendations on regional network building, identifying opportunities for various existing regional partners to take a leading role on the regional climate change work, and best practices in building regional climate collaboration.
Sea Level Rise Regulatory & Collaboration Handbooks
Farallon Strategies is supporting Resilient Cities Catalyst in the development of a Regional Best Practices Handbook for coastal planners and project development teams that highlights the creative spaces for leadership in adaptation and resilience projects. To support Phase 1 of this project, Farallon Strategies is leading the development of a Regulatory Fact Sheet and Collaboration Fact Sheet. The Regulatory Fact Sheet will provide answers to frequently asked questions with respect to what is allowed or encouraged by the existing coastal regulatory framework as specified by the Coastal Commission, Ocean Protection Council, and others. The Regional Collaboration Best Practices Fact Sheet will address the different types of governance and funding structures that support regional collaboration and coordination, with a focus on sea level rise. This fact sheet will specify preferred practices for the development of a regional coastal adaptation plan, or roadmap, that aligns policies across municipal and state boundaries and sets a vision for short term and long term adaptation. The research conducted on behalf of this work is supported by literature reviews and stakeholder interviews.
