TALKING POINTS MAY 31, 2005 GENERAL ELECTRIC

TALKING POINTS MAY 31, 2005 GENERAL ELECTRIC

PROPOSAL:

1) WHAT WILL WE NEED TO SUSTAIN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON REGION BY 2030?

HOW CAN WE HELP PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES MEET PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES?

HOW CAN WE ANTICIPATE THE REGION’S CHANGING NEEDS?


2) PARTNER TO DEVELOP AN ACTUAL AND VIRTUAL ATLAS—INFORMATION SYSTEM, OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, WITH A FOCUS ON THE REGION’S NATURAL AND CULURAL LANDSCAPES AND ASSETS, AND THEIR LINKS TO THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THIS REGION

ISSUES:


1. CHALLENGE OF PROSPERITY AND GROWTH—7.5 M BY 2030 = + 2M; LOSING 28-43 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE DAILY; TRAFFIC, ENERGY, WATER, WASTE AND AIR PROBLEMS.

2. MEETING MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

4. TYRANNY OF SMALL DECISIONS: 400 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS BUT A LACK OF INTEGRATED DECISION-MAKING. SOLUTIONS DON’T OFTEN REFLECT CONNECTIVITY, INTERDEPENDENCE AND MUTUALITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT EFFORTS.

5. INFO IMPORTANT BUT IT IS OFTEN INACCESSIBLE TO DECISION-MAKERS

OBJECTIVES:

1. VISUAL IMAGE OF A HIGH QUALITY AND SUSTAINABLE REGION

2. INCREASE APPRECIATION, AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF ALL VALUES

3. ENGAGE CITIZENS POSITIVELY—CHANGE CRITICS INTO VALUED EXPERTS

4. ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT PEOPLE NEED—TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

5. CREATE NETWORKS OF LEADERS AND INFORMATION TO ASK—AND TO ANSWER—QUESTIONS

6. INCREASE OUR CAPABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF DECISIONS, AND MEASURE PROGRESS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

7. IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF MANAGEMENT

PROPOSAL:

1. USEFUL AND ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION/ THE BEST OF THE BEST INFORMATION, AND BEST PRACTICES—ELECTRONIC AND HARD COPY

2. COMMON GEOGRAPHICAL FRAMEWORK

3. VARIETY OF INFORMATION THEMES/ TOPICS AND SCALES

APPLICATIONS:

1. MANY USES AT MANY SCALES---TREND INFORMATION, NEED ANALYSIS, CONFLICT AVOIDANCE, SUITABILITY, ETC.

2. MANY USERS—COMMUNITY LEADERS, ENGINEERS, DEVELOPERS, GOVERNMENT LEADERS, BUSINESS INTERESTS, SCHOOLS, ETC.

3. DEMO PROJECT FOR US AND FOR OTHER NATIONAL CAPITALS

PARTNERS

1. NPS AND GENERAL ELECTRIC

2. DRAW SKILLS AND INFORMATION FROM OTHER PARTNERS: COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM; CENTER FOR URBAN ECOLOGY; GREATER WASHINGTON BOARD OF TRADE;

DEFINING THE REGION

MOSAIC: POTOMAC WATERSHED FROM BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS; COG BOUNDARY; PLUS RELATED URBANIZED AREAS—FROM US CENSUS

TASKS

1. ID KEY INFORMATION THEMES—NATURAL AND CULURAL LANDSCAPES RELATED TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CAPITAL

INSPIRATION—ATLAS OF IRISH RURAL LANDSCAPE, OTHER SIMILAR EFFORTS

2. ID EXISTING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION

3. COMPILE AVAILABLE SPATIAL AND WRITTEN INFROMATION

4. HOLD INFORMATION THEME PUBLIC FORUMS TO SHARE AND SEEK INFORMATION

5. DISPLAY INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY AND ON PAPER

6. PROVIDE INTERACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROJECT THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF DECISION-MAKING THROUGH INFO SHARING, BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTION.


PRODUCTS

1. SET OF ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, INCLUDING MAPS, PHOTOS, DRAWINGS AND NARRATIVES—PRODUCE CHAPTER BY CHAPTER.

2. HIGH QUALITY, APPLICATION ORITENTED PAPER ATLAS.

3. COMPANION STATE-OF-THE-ART INTERNET-BASED INFO SYSTEM TO MAKE INFO READILY AVAILABLE FOR APPLICATIONS BY ENGINEERS, INVESTORS, RESEARCHERS, GOVERNMENTS, ETC.

WHY THIS PROJECT?

1. NEW ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND INFORMATION ARE NEEDED TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE REGION.

2. HELP DECISION-MAKERS DEAL WITH COMPLEXITY AND RESPOND TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES

WHY NOW?

1. THE POTOMAC INDEX AND OTHER SOURCES—NOTE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY OF LIFE TO RESIDENTS, BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND LIVING RESOURCES.

2. PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC, ENERGY, AIR QUALITY AND WATER SUPPLY AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT MAY HINDER FUTURE PROSPERITY AND DIMISH THE QUALITY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE HERE.


WHY GENERAL ELECTRIC?

1. GE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE DEDICATED TO TURNING IMMAGINATIVE IDEAS INTO LEADING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST PROBLEMS.

2. COMPLEX PROBLEMS REQUIRE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES— GE HAS STATE OF THE ART PROBLEM SOLVING EXPERTISE

3. LINK TO EXISTING GE PROGRAMS, SUCH AS, ECOIMAGINATION ACTIVITIES IN WATER, ENERGY, TRTANSPORTATION, AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

4. GE’S EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER AND SOCIETY’S BENEFITS—AND THE SCORECARD APPROACH.

WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP?

1. MUST BE A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO ORGANIZATIONS KNOWN FOR QUALITY, WITH EXPERTISE AND PUBLIC CREDITIABILITY.

2. OPPORTUNITY TO BLEND GE’S TECHNOLOGY, CUSTOMER APPROACH AND VIEW OF THE FUTURE WITH THE NPS’S UNDERSTANDING OF LANDSCAPES, HISTORY AND THE PUBLIC

PARTNERSHIP AND THE DEMO PROJECT WILL SUPPORT OUR COMMON GOALS AND IS A SOUND INVESTMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE IN THE REGION.




NEXT STEPS

1. NPS TO PREPARE A PROPOSAL TO DISCUSS WITH GE LEADERS.