WaterNow Alliance and River Network are excited to expand our Trust Building Support Initiative with the launch of the Building Blocks of Trust Online Training Series. This online resource is a free, self-paced training that supports community organizations and water utilities interested in building strong relationships that lead to long-term partnerships.
Trust-based partnerships of the kind this training supports can help secure clean, safe water for communities because, nationally, over 95% of water infrastructure investments occur at the local level. Engaging and building trust with community and utility ratepayers helps pave the way for these investments so that they address local water challenges and reflect community values.
Making essential trust-building materials readily accessible for water utilities and community-groups alike, the training series contains:
- Helpful tips based on lessons learned from successful partnerships
- Interactive reflection points and activities
- Easy-to-share information sheets, and
- Case studies from across the country.
These materials are embedded throughout the training’s 6 modules. The tips and lessons are based on WaterNow and River Network’s foundational Building Blocks of Trust report. The interactivity includes mini quizzes and reflection points designed to gauge participants’ comprehension of the trust-building concepts and offer opportunities to pause and consider where a participant lands on certain aspects of the training. For example, as shown to the left, one of the reflection points asks participants where they fall on spectrum of trust—from “no trust” to “very trusting.” Engaging with this reflection reveals where fellow participants are on the range of trust. Through these exercises, participants not only learn about the trust building best practices, but also exchange ideas and experiences with their peers.
The training’s case studies provide examples of utility and community partnerships nationwide that have successfully established trust, including on topics spanning stormwater management to community engagement. One of these inspiring case studies that will be included in the training features the partnership between Walnut Valley Water District and the Chinese American Association of Walnut. This partnership began because about 65% of the Water District’s 100,000 customers in the southern California city of Walnut identify as being of Asian origin and mostly of Chinese descent. Given these demographics, the utility sought to better engage with the Asian members of its community and forged a relationship with the Chinese American Association of Walnut. With support from WaterNow and River Network’s Trust Building Support Initiative, the two organizations came together over the span of six months to open lines of communication between their organizations, better understand each other’s goals and values, and develop a Community Water Festival event to engage directly with the community. As a preview to the training, this partnership case study exemplifies 3 building blocks of trust:
- Cultivating long-term community relationships with intention
- Deepening community understanding of utility roles and
responsibilities - Highlighting shared goals to leverage mutual benefit
This case study further demonstrates—as is explored more in the training—that partnering with a trusted community voice allowed the Water District to elevate the value of water for this audience and foster support for continued investments so that the community’s water systems consistently deliver safe, clean water. This case study and the others highlighted in the online training thus offer valuable insights for building trust.
To participate in these lessons and exercises at your own pace, sign up for the trust-building training today. Its free and open to anyone who’s interested. Take the trust building training today!