Welcome to the Lunch & Learn Tool Kit
Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to present a new resource for CWA members to help engage local elected policymakers and other community influencers and leaders in your service areas on your utility’s operations, issues of importance and community contributions. California’s regulated water utilities have an important policy and community service story to share, and this “Lunch & Learn” Tool Kit is designed to give you a head start in that endeavor.
Community leader and stakeholder engagement takes many forms. At the state level, CWA regularly meets with legislators, regulators and staff to build relationships and assist in crucial policy decisions related to drinking water and utility service. The foundation for this outreach starts at home, within the communities served by regulated water utilities. Policy education for individual elected officials, policymakers and influencers at the community level is critical.
Lunch & Learn sessions provide an effective avenue for local engagement on policy issues and provide an opportunity to communicate key issues and opportunities faced by California’s regulated water utilities before conflict arises. What sets this concept apart from other outreach initiatives is the accessibility and less formal structure of this approach.
A Lunch & Learn session is typically a 60- to 90-minute informational meeting hosted during the lunch period. The session could take place at your utility or your guest’s office, or other significant location (such as a water treatment plant, environmental restoration site or area) important to the issues being discussed. The sessions make excellent use of time, and the brief, informal setting allows for open information sharing and relationship building.
We look forward to continuing our work with all our members to engage community influencers and policymakers, build influential local constituencies, and, ultimately, further our shared priorities for California’s regulated water utilities.
Sincerely,
Jack
View the Tool Kit
TOOL: Sample Internal Agenda and Run of Show (pdf)
Tips for Hosting and Planning a Lunch & Learn
Tips for Inviting Policymakers and Influencers
TOOL: Policymaker Invitation Letter Template with Sample Language (pdf)
