Communitywide Vulnerability Assessment - Community and Stakeholder Engagement Workshops

Volusia County received a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Resilient Florida grant to complete a Countywide Vulnerability Assessment with Community Engagement. For this community engagement initiative, the consultant shall develop a stakeholder engagement training program for elected officials, local government staff, and residents of Volusia County in conjunction with the County wide vulnerability assessment. This program should follow a strategic “back to basics” resilience strategy to educate, inform, and empower participants to talk about resilience. The training program should be designed to build consensus and understanding of resilience and should leverage efforts to benefit the county, region, and the state. Stakeholders will be familiarized with the vulnerability analysis (VA) process, including state requirements. Workshop attendees will learn the following: what is included in a VA; why it’s important to identify threats and vulnerabilities and plan for future conditions; and how the study will be used to support adaptation planning efforts in Volusia County. Either in conjunction with the planned workshop(s), or as a separate event, the consultant shall develop a "train the trainer" approach to build capacity for future educational efforts. Volusia County Environmental Management staff and East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC) staff will be trained through this program to have the knowledge and capability to facilitate future workshops in Volusia County and the ECFRPC region. The education consultant must be able to deliver tested resources including training content, strategies, and tools for community conversation and engagement around resilience. ALL WORK ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT MUST BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 31, 2024.