W912EK-25-SS-0001 - Attachment 0001_Best Practices for Outreach and Engagement on Nonstructural Projects - Report Summary.pdf

Best Practices for Outreach & Engagement on Nonstructural Projects – Report Summary

In nonstructural projects, outreach is not an add-on; it's a mission-critical function.

• Participation is Voluntary: Property owners must opt in—requiring high levels of trust, transparency, and individual engagement.

• Success is Relationship-Based: These projects succeed through community buy-in, not just technical merit.

Outreach must be relationship-based and informed by deep knowledge of local dynamics.

• Highly Personal: Nonstructural actions affect people's homes, finances, and neighborhoods. This work requires cultural fluency, empathy, and strong communication skills, not just marketing.

Planning: The key to a successful outreach and engagement program for any project is to have a plan in place before initiating the outreach.

• Research and consult with local practitioners and trusted community leaders to understand the project context and barriers to entry/application for residents.

• Coordinate with the Corps’ Public Affairs Office (PAO), Real Estate, and Nonstructural Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

• Create an extensive, multi-faceted, and temporally dynamic outreach strategy that is tailored to each project locality and make it a priority to create an accurate budget for that effort.

• Define metrics for success to guide work and to measure outreach strategy effectiveness.

Know and Understand Your Community:

• Understand local demographics, values, concerns, flood/disaster history, past federal projects, and key stakeholders.

• Residents may be reluctant based on previous experiences with government programs; it is critical to acknowledge them.

• Use trusted local messengers (separate from project POC): local officials, librarians, community groups, faith leaders, civic leaders, and residents with lived experience (e.g., past home elevation participants) as local champions.

• Tailor outreach to the community, as each case is unique. While an approach may work in one area of the study, it may be unsuccessful in a nearby area.

• Request feedback from eligible residents who decline participation to inform improvements in implementation.

Implement an Adaptive Outreach Plan and Engage Often:

• Outreach must span the full life of project implementation, and different materials/resources will be needed for different parts of the process.

• Provide consistent and frequent follow-up to eligible residents to maintain awareness and momentum and assign a dedicated point of contact (POC) for both participating and non-participating eligible residents as well as local program managers during implementation phases.

Be Clear, Transparent, and Responsive:

• Clearly, in plain language, explain:

o Project eligibility and property selection – Why was/wasn’t my house chosen?

o Participation requirements – deeds, code requirements, insurance, etc.

o Cost-share details – out-of-pocket expenses, consultant fees, etc.

o Timelines – How long will I be out of my home? How much time does it take from sign up to construction?

What is the deadline to sign up? What are priority groups and how do they affect the project schedule?

o Risks – What if my home gets damaged before (e.g. hurricane/flood) or during construction (contractor damage)? What if I can’t use stairs in the future? Can you guarantee my home will never flood?

o Available support – Who is the point of contact? Can I talk to someone who has gone through this and is not from the government? Is there a local leader I can reach out to instead?

• Share visuals of completed projects, both home elevation and floodproofing (before/after images, videos, infographics, renderings, etc.).

• Provide easy-to-understand and frequently updated answers to FAQs online and in print with new questions added as they arise and regular updates to existing ones.

Use Multi-Channel Communication:

• Mix formats: in-person public meetings, official mailers, texts, social media, door-to-door visits, advertisements in local publications. Think outside the box – bench ads, billboards, flyers, existing standing meetings, open office hours (virtual and in person).

• Create a vehicle for residents to communicate, ask questions, and connect as they move through the process (e.g., Facebook groups, cohorts of residents in the process together).

• Provide maps, before-and-after visuals, renderings, and real-life examples.

• Host open house events or a “Parade of Elevated Homes” showcasing successful nonstructural efforts.

Prioritize In-Person Meetings/Engagement:

• Host small-group meetings or roundtables with Corps staff, state agencies, and local champions.

• Schedule multiple meetings a day to reduce crowding and encourage personal attention.

• Capitalize on existing and/or standing meetings (council meetings, civic/neighborhood meetings, etc.)

Build Trust Through Local Partnerships:

• Leverage and collaborate with local government (e.g., emergency management and housing authorities), nonprofits, churches, libraries, small businesses, and schools.

• Include community leaders/messengers in outreach planning and messaging development.

• If possible, contractor or sub-consult a locally based outreach lead who understands the community’s language and context.

Final Takeaway:

Outreach is a core project function—not an add-on. Successful community engagement on nonstructural projects requires strategic planning, skilled staffing, and disciplined execution. The goal should be to build trust and credibility with residents, ensuring voluntary measures are not only offered, but embraced.

This guidance was developed by Restore the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) in partnership with Fenstermaker and the University of New Orleans Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology (UNO-CHART), and is grounded in direct feedback from eligible residents in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study areas, specifically those engaged through the Southwest Coastal Louisiana project.