Welcome to Meridian Institute's searchable project description database! Please search for a description of a current or historical project by issue category below, process type, or through the website search feature.
Agriculture and Biotechnology
Chemicals, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
Climate Change, Energy, and Air Quality
Endangered Species
Environmental Cleanup and Waste Management
Forests, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Natural Resources
Health
Mining
Nanotechnology
Nuclear Materials and Chemical Weapons
Oceans and Fisheries
Science and Technology
Security and Homeland Security
Sustainable Communities, Corporations, and Development
Transportation
Water and Watersheds
A joint committee of the USDA and EPA, the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC), was established in 1998 to enhance stakeholder input on the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).
Meridian convened a broad cross-section of stakeholders to discuss the USDA programs and funding goals of pest management activities within the Department
Following a meeting in September 2000 with some of the world's leading experts on biosafety issues, Meridian Institute conducted an in-depth assessment of issues related to biosafety and the implementation of the Biosafety Protocol.
Meridian facilitated strategic planning and stakeholder sessions for IFPRI, which is part of the global network of organizations dedicated to international agricultural research. IFPRI is in the process of developing its goals for the next ten years and these meetings are a key part of that planning process.
Meridian facilitated a two-day retreat at The Hague for the Directors and Board Chairs of the sixteen Centers for International Agricultural Research to discuss ways to enhance and streamline efforts to focus on agricultural products and techniques that benefit developing countries.
Meridian facilitated a meeting of diverse stakeholders engaged with agriculture and biosafety issues in Africa to advise the Forum on Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) about the focus of a new FARA biosafety initiative.
In September 2000, shortly after adoption of the Biosafety Protocol, Meridian Institute convened a meeting involving some of the world’s leading experts on biosafety, in particular the Biosafety Protocol, to help identify critical issues where multi-stakeholder discussions would be of high value.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the major agricultural commodity groups (e.g., corn/soybean/wheat growers, livestock producers, and farmer groups) met three times over the course of two years in educational sessions with scientists, policy experts, and environmental organizations to discuss the critical global climate change issues for agriculture.
Through a series of meetings facilitated by Meridian, participants achieved consensus on "Critical Elements in Transitioning to Biologically Based Pest Management Systems."
The Meridian Dialogue on Liability and Redress under the Biosafety Protocol brought together key stakeholders to discuss issues associated with the implementation of Article 27—Liability and Redress—of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Meridian facilitated two meetings for the CIMMYT senior management team to discuss the implementation of their strategic plan, which was developed in 2002.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian Institute organized a meeting in December 2003 with leaders from major biosafety initiatives in Africa to discuss the current status and future direction of biosafety programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
Meridian has assisted the German Marshall Fund with the design and facilitation of four workshops to explore critical issues relating to the use of biotechnology in agriculture.
Meridian helped a 36-member task force from the National Pork Producers Council develop a plan for restructuring the organization.
Meridian's team of facilitators helped to plan and implement a collaborative forum designed to build communication and address conflicts among Wyoming recreationists, conservationists and Ranchers.
Meridian Institute provided facilitation and strategic assistance to McDonald’s Corporation and the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, a project of Environmental Defense, as part of McDonald's effort to develop a policy prohibiting the use of certain classes of antibiotics.
Meridian facilitated various internal strategic planning efforts, including three large international meetings, for Emergent Genetics, Inc., a seed biotechnology company seeking to institute a new strategic direction and better integrate research and operations globally.
Meridian Institute assisted the Rockefeller Foundation in establishing the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) to benefit resource-poor small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Meridian Institute helped CIMMYT, the international agricultural research center located outside Mexico City, to develop a long-term strategic plan, an implementation plan, and relevant future scenarios through an extensive collaborative decision-making process.
Meridian facilitated the development of a mechanism for U.S. universities and research institutions to collaborate on intellectual property (IP) management for humanitarian use to help meet food security needs in developing countries and for specialty crop development in the U.S.
In September 2003, Meridian Institute staff facilitated two meetings among some of the world's leading experts on plant genetic resources, to assess experience to date developing and implementing policies regarding genetic resources and to identify strategic opportunities for future work and investments regarding those policies.
Meridian is working with the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) Management Team on overall strategy and is assisting with GCP sponsored meetings involving project collaborators and stakeholders.
In March 2002, Meridian Institute facilitated a meeting of African and other experts to explore opportunities for enhancing biosafety scientific expertise in sub-Saharan Africa.
As a follow-up to two meetings held in 2003, Meridian Institute facilitated a meeting among diverse stakeholders in October 2004 to discuss plant genetic resources in East and Central Africa.
Food Security and Ag-Biotech News is a free daily e- news service produced by Meridian Institute and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Meridian conducted an issue mapping process for the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). The process identified and analyzed the range of stakeholder opinions on the nexus between trade, development, and agriculture and identified areas of possible future activity for the GMF.
On May 2, 2005, more than 20 staff from The Rockefeller Foundation and eight invited experts participated in an all-day meeting that focused on the role of the Bayh-Dole Act in promoting innovation and the implications of this model for innovation systems in developing countries.
A multi-day meeting in Sonning, England, of approximately thirty individuals representing various components of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to synthesize several work products that had been developed in advance of International Centers Week related to the CGIAR's renewal initiative. The group developed a product that served as the basis for discussions among Consultative Group members at International Centers Week 2000.
Meridian convened and facilitated a one-day workshop in The Hague on Liability and Redress issues in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The workshop provided an overview of some of the substantive and procedural issues related to liability and redress. The workshop was scheduled immediately in advance of the third meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Cartagena Protocol to help inform negotiators about this complicated issue.
Meridian staff facilitated a three-day, multi-stakeholder meeting in Bellagio, Italy, in September 2005 to discuss "open source" models of collaboration in the fields of agriculture and health. A meeting summary is available for download in PDF format.
Meridian staff conducted two issue mapping processes for The Rockefeller Foundation, to help that organization understand the key issues relating to agricultural biotechnology and how the Foundation might best direct its grant-making and convening activities in that arena.
Meridian facilitated this conference that explored practices and policies promoting land-based economic activity to sustain families, communities and ecosystems while providing multiple benefits to society. The conference was attended by more than 200 individuals, including farmers, foresters, government officials, companies, community organizations, and advocacy organizations.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting of the board chairs and center directors of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
The Committee to Advise on Reassessment and Transition (CARAT) was a Federal Advisory Committee convened by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consult with and make recommendations to these agencies regarding strategic approaches for pest management planning and tolerance reassessment for pesticides as required by the Food Quality Protection Act.
Meridian Institute supported a Design Team of agricultural, educational, ICT, development, and evaluation experts in developing a strategy and solution proposals for the best ways that smallholder farmers and their support institutions might share, develop and gain access to new information about agricultural practices and technology that would improve their lives.
FIELD is an information and networking resource for an international community interested in agricultural technologies for use by small-scale farmers in developing countries.
The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) is a multi-stakeholder group developing voluntary biomass to biofuel sustainability principles and standards for the production of feedstocks for second generation (cellulosic) refineries.
Meridian Institute has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring together leading scientist and innovators with key players in the maize, cassava, and dairy value chains in Africa. The goal is to identify out-of-the-box, innovative post-harvest management and processing technologies to add significant value for smallholder farmers by reducing inefficiencies in these value chains.
A joint committee of the USDA and EPA, the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC), was established in 1998 to enhance stakeholder input on the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).
Meridian staff served as lead facilitator of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), a federally chartered advisory committee charged with developing recommendations on a strategy for screening and testing chemicals and pesticides as to their potential to disrupt the endocrine (i.e., hormone) systems of humans and other biota.
The dialogue on Assembled Chemical Weapons focused on identifying alternatives to the baseline incineration process for the demilitarization of assembled chemical weapons.
Meridian facilitated a National Advisory Council formed by the vinyl industry to help provide the industry with policy advice.
Meridian managed a dialogue between Shintech, Inc., and community members to determine whether the community would be willing to host a new polyvinyl chloride production facility.
This innovative project at Dow Chemical Company's Midland, Michigan, facility resulted in reduced toxic emissions and annual cost savings for the company.
Meridian Staff facilitated a multi-party process to develop and implement a strategic plan for the management of mercury contamination in the tributaries to the San Francisco Bay/Delta.
Meridian facilitated a workshop convened by SC Johnson to review issues associated with the development and use of anti-microbial products.
This series of public meetings is designed to obtain input on the design of a voluntary program to test commercial chemicals to which children may have a high likelihood of exposure.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
Meridian is facilitating a chartered Federal Advisory Committee that is providing high-level policy advice to the EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) on its diverse programs.
Meridian provided neutral facilitation services for this Expert Panel Workshop convened by Serono Symposia International and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Committee to Advise on Reassessment and Transition (CARAT) was a Federal Advisory Committee convened by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consult with and make recommendations to these agencies regarding strategic approaches for pest management planning and tolerance reassessment for pesticides as required by the Food Quality Protection Act.
Meridian assisted Dow AgroSciences in the creation, convening, and implementation of an advisory committee of external stakeholders.
Meridian provided neutral oversight and facilitation of an assessment of water management practices at Coca-Cola facilities in India.
Meridian served as lead mediator, working with parties in the negotiations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, states, vehicle manufacturers, the steel industry, the environmental community and auto dismantlers and scrap recyclers.
The Council on Sustainable Biomass Production (CSBP) is a multi-stakeholder group developing voluntary biomass to biofuel sustainability principles and standards for the production of feedstocks for second generation (cellulosic) refineries.
Meridian assisted participants during a day-long planning session to draft and agree on key priorities for action in California during the subsequent five-year period.
Meridian staff facilitated a series of meetings of the Residential Energy Code Advisory Group, which was convened by E-Star Colorado to discuss ways to assist local jurisdictions with residential energy code adoption, compliance, and enforcement.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the major agricultural commodity groups (e.g., corn/soybean/wheat growers, livestock producers, and farmer groups) met three times over the course of two years in educational sessions with scientists, policy experts, and environmental organizations to discuss the critical global climate change issues for agriculture.
Meridian facilitated a senior management retreat of the EPA Office of Air Quality, Planning and Standards in North Carolina.
Meridian Institute conducted an assessment of the potential to collaboratively resolve air quality and other environmental issues at the Mohave Generating Station in Nevada.
This project is developing a voluntary nitrogen oxide reduction program from ground support equipment (GSE) and aircraft.
In July 2002, Meridian Institute convened and facilitated the Forum on a Greenhouse Gas Accounting System: Taking Stock and Prioritizing Action.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
At the request of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Meridian helped convene and facilitated a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on issues and options related to legislative proposals for multi-pollution under the Clean Air Act.
Meridian staff facilitated two meetings of national leaders of the conservation and ranching communities and the energy industry to discuss the impacts of oil and gas development on ranching and fish and wildlife on public lands.
Meridian is facilitating two pilot watershed planning efforts for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, to address issues associated with coal bed methane development.
Meridian Institute facilitated a dialogue among diverse interests to develop recommendations for best management practices for coal bed methane development in the Rocky Mountain West.
Meridian staff facilitated this climate change workshop, which involved high-level policy makers and NGO leaders from the U.S. and Europe.
Meridian staff facilitated two meetings among U.S. environmental group leaders in which participants discussed how their organizations could work together more effectively on climate change and energy issues.
Meridian Institute is facilitating a collaborative effort to further the development of a comprehensive system of indicators and statistical data regarding the nation’s environment and natural resources.
Meridian Institute conducted an “issues mapping” effort for the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility and the World Bank regarding the provision of infrastructure services in developing countries.
Meridian facilitated a two-day meeting of seventy participants for the National Governors Association (NGA). The meeting was designed to inform a 16-member task force of state officials about electric transmission line siting issues. Meridian also assisted the group in developing consensus recommendations for the NGA Natural Resources Committee about NGA policy on the issue.
Meridian and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in convened a working conference, Climate Science and Climate Action: Bridging the Gap in Aspen Colorado in the fall of 2005.
Meridian Institute is assisting with a collaborative process to develop technology-based climate measures and related low-carbon finance mechanisms needed to accelerate technology commercialization.
Meridian is working under a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to research the potential and need for a large, multi-stakeholder, global conference on climate change. Meridian also is investigating what alternatives, if any, might better meet current and emerging needs in the field.
The California Climate Change Workshop was organized jointly by Stanford University’s Institute for the Environment, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of California at Davis, with process support from the Meridian Institute.
Meridian Institute has assisted several large companies and national environmental organizations to establish the U.S. Climate Action Partnership.
Meridian has been providing facilitation, process design, and strategy development services for internal initiatives, collaboration among state legislatures and developing new institutions within NCSL.
Meridian served as the lead moderator and facilitator for this pre-conference seminar which was designed as an action-oriented effort to explore short and long-term energy policy options in the absence of a national energy strategy.
Meridian provided moderation and facilitation support to the 2004 Aspen Green Building Conference
Meridian worked closely with the Natsource, LLC management team to design, coordinate, and facilitate a two-day off site strategy retreat for the senior management team.
Meridian Institute is providing support to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and its grantees and partners to design and implement the “Tropical Forest Carbon Grantmaking Strategy: A Strategy for Collaborative Philanthropic Support for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)”. To maximize the strategy’s impact on building a technically and politically sound international mechanism for REDD, Meridian is facilitating coordination among donors and is working closely with other Packard Foundation grantee organizations to design, coordinate, and facilitate REDD-related workshops and other activities.
Meridian Institute worked with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and other partners to design and facilitate a workshop in Tokyo, Japan where researchers, negotiators, and others defined key questions for analysis prior to negotiations at the 14th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change on the topic of integrating Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) into the global climate protection regime.
Meridian facilitated a two-day meeting of leaders from state executive offices, energy agencies, and public utility commissions from the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States that focused on identifying opportunities to advance regional cooperation on clean energy.
The Government of Norway`s International Climate and Forest Initiative, part of the Ministry of the Environment, commissioned Meridian Institute to convene a team of international REDD experts to assess policy options for integrating a REDD mechanism in a potential Copenhagen agreement in December 2009 as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.
Meridian staff facilitated a two-day strategic planning session for the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project. This coalition of NGOs is advocating for the reintroduction of wolves into Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Meridian facilitated a meeting to explore how to better share information related to the recovery of the Pacific Salmon and other threatened and/or endangered species.
In 1999, Meridian facilitated two workshops among diverse stakeholders regarding the implementation of Endangered Species Act (ESA) provisions for private landowners.
The Puget Sound Salmon Leaders' Forum has been an ongoing effort to help develop a "shared strategy" to recover the endangered salmon in the Puget Sound area.
Meridian Staff designed and facilitated a two-day strategic planning retreat for Sinapu, an environmental organization working for the restoration and protection of carnivores in the Rocky Mountain region.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting among approximately 40 individuals concerned with salmon recovery in the Willamette River Basin.
Beginning in 2002, Meridian Institute has provided process design and facilitation support to RECOVER – the inter-agency body that provides scientific and technical support to managers involved in implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the CERP Adaptive Management Strategy. CERP implementation, which has been described as the worlds largest ecosystem restoration effort, will involve making improvements and modifications to the system of canals, levees, and water control structures that provide water supply, flood protection, and water management to south Florida, in order to restore the south Florida ecosystem and meet other water needs.
Meridian provided process assistance to a legislatively mandated task force that was formed to seek ways to accommodate conflicting uses (military training and endangered species protection) at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Arizona.
Meridian assisted a 14-member, multistakeholder Working Group to develop recommendations for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Wildlife Commission regarding the management of wolves that migrate into the state.
Meridian staff facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop to review options for reducing ship strike mortality to endangered Right Whales.
Meridian Institute designed and facilitated two conferences as part of the White House Initiative on Recycling.
Meridian staff facilitated a community planning and design process for the Port of Houston Authority, regarding the proposed construction of a 1,000-acre terminal/cruise ship facility in Galveston Bay.
Meridian facilitated a planning session for USPS environmental coordinators to prioritize issues and launch a strategic planning process that will integrate environment in USPS business activities.
This project is developing a voluntary nitrogen oxide reduction program from ground support equipment (GSE) and aircraft.
Meridian facilitated a meeting at which more than 80 diverse stakeholders provided input to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) about an Internet-accessible database that includes information about contaminated environmental media, facilities, and wastes at DOE facilities.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
Meridian is facilitating and coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders working to reclaim and clean up a copper mine in western Nevada.
Meridian Institute was the lead facilitator for two Environmental Summits convened by the Western Governors’ Association (WGA).
Meridian facilitated and coordinated a federal advisory panel convened by the Environmental Protection Agency to focus on the future role of the Superfund program in addressing the nation's hazardous waste sites.
Meridian staff facilitated two meetings of national leaders of the conservation and ranching communities and the energy industry to discuss the impacts of oil and gas development on ranching and fish and wildlife on public lands.
Meridian helped to design and facilitate a meeting on regulatory options related to coal ash disposal.
Meridian convened and facilitated a one-day workshop in The Hague on Liability and Redress issues in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The workshop provided an overview of some of the substantive and procedural issues related to liability and redress. The workshop was scheduled immediately in advance of the third meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Cartagena Protocol to help inform negotiators about this complicated issue.
Meridian Institute provided assistance to EPA's "Arctic Strategy" initiative which focused on issues of particular concern to EPA in Alaska, such as contaminants in subsistence foods.
Meridian staff co-facilitated a large stakeholder meeting to discuss the redevelopment of contaminated sites in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley.
Meridian Institute assisted an internal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) steering committee that was tasked with developing recommendations to the Deputy Administrator on ways to improve results-based management within EPA.
Meridian Institute served as the facilitator for an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) senior management session to assess the integration of regional and national program priorities.
Meridian Institute provided internal assistance to this office within the Office of the Administrator as the agency restructured its operations.
This conference was sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, convened by the World Resources Institute, and facilitated by Meridian Institute. It involved senior level decision-makers from all relevant sectors of society.
Meridian provides advice to the Ruckelshaus Institute for Environment and Natural Resources at the University regarding the role of collaborative problem solving processes in natural resource decision making.
Meridian staff facilitated a two-day strategic planning session for the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project. This coalition of NGOs is advocating for the reintroduction of wolves into Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Meridian staff facilitated a series of strategic planning sessions for the board and staff of Forest Trends, an organization that focuses on accelerating the use of markets to further advance sustainable forest management.
Meridian Institute facilitates the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, an ongoing multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on shared leadership and learning around the goal of sustainable forest management.
Meridian staff facilitated a series of strategic planning sessions for the senior staff of ABI, which renamed itself as NatureServe as a result of the strategic planning process.
Assisted the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to convene and facilitate a series of workshops to explore how pilot projects can be used to determine how collaboration, consensus building, and appropriate dispute resolution processes can improve the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
This project assists in building cooperative efforts and partnerships among the federal agencies addressing mining related issues.
Meridian Institute provided mediation for the settlement of two longstanding lawsuits related to Air Force operations in southwestern Idaho.
John Ehrmann presented a lecture about challenges of utilizing collaborative approaches in environmental and natural resource disputes during the University of Wyoming's Summer Lecture Series.
This dialogue project resulted in a consensus report that includes thirteen recommendations aimed at reducing forest fragmentation in the United States by implementing changes in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Meridian facilitated a meeting to explore how to better share information related to the recovery of the Pacific Salmon and other threatened and/or endangered species.
In 1999, Meridian facilitated two workshops among diverse stakeholders regarding the implementation of Endangered Species Act (ESA) provisions for private landowners.
Meridian Institute, along with two partner organizations, conducted a situation assessment of the controversy over the management of bison and elk herds near Jackson, Wyoming.
Meridian staff convened and facilitated a panel of experts to produce a comparative analysis of the U.S. Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative programs.
The Puget Sound Salmon Leaders' Forum has been an ongoing effort to help develop a "shared strategy" to recover the endangered salmon in the Puget Sound area.
Meridian Institute worked with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments to help build a more constructive relationship between the U.S. Forest Service and local governments in Colorado's Blue River Watershed (home of our Dillon office).
Meridian Staff designed and facilitated a two-day strategic planning retreat for Sinapu, an environmental organization working for the restoration and protection of carnivores in the Rocky Mountain region.
Meridian assisted the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources (IENR) at the University of Wyoming in conducting a collaborative process which resulted in resulted in a report containing a series of recommendations to the National Park Service regarding how best to manage open space south of Grand Teton National Park.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting among approximately 40 individuals concerned with salmon recovery in the Willamette River Basin.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
Meridian's team of facilitators helped to plan and implement a collaborative forum designed to build communication and address conflicts among Wyoming recreationists, conservationists and Ranchers.
Meridian staff facilitated a workshop for Defenders of Wildlife and its partners regarding how to integrate consideration of biodiversity into land use planning.
At the request of the UDSA Forest Service, Meridian Institute designed and facilitated a two-day workshop in February 2003 on options to provide diversity of plant and animal communities in land and resource management planning.
Meridian staff facilitated two meetings of national leaders of the conservation and ranching communities and the energy industry to discuss the impacts of oil and gas development on ranching and fish and wildlife on public lands.
Meridian facilitated a meeting to develop new goals, objectives, and structures for the Treated Wood Council.
Meridian facilitated a workshop that resulted in guidance for decision makers and others regarding information about the conservation and management of cougars.
Beginning in 2002, Meridian Institute has provided process design and facilitation support to RECOVER – the inter-agency body that provides scientific and technical support to managers involved in implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the CERP Adaptive Management Strategy. CERP implementation, which has been described as the worlds largest ecosystem restoration effort, will involve making improvements and modifications to the system of canals, levees, and water control structures that provide water supply, flood protection, and water management to south Florida, in order to restore the south Florida ecosystem and meet other water needs.
Meridian staff facilitated two teambuilding and strategic planning sessions for the Core Planning Team at the Grand Mesa, Uncompagre, Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest in Southwestern Colorado.
Since 2003, Meridian Institute has been working in partnership with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to design and facilitate annual Collaborative Forest Restoration Program workshops and to facilitate the FACA committee that makes recommendations about which CFRP projects to fund.
Meridian facilitated a meeting among staff of The Nature Conservancy and members of its International Leadership Council (ILC), in order to develop recommendations regarding the ILC's goals and structure and make associated updates to the ILC's charter.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting of stakeholders from academia, industry, and federal agencies in May 2005 to discuss the need, purpose, scope, and implementation strategy for the Loblolly Pine Genome Project.
Meridian Institute, in cooperation with the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, will conduct a Workshop on Assessing Environmental Outcomes of Community-Based Collaboratives (CBCs) on September 12-13, 2003 at the Snowbird Resort and Conference Center near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Meridian Institute facilitated a dialogue among diverse interests to develop recommendations for best management practices for coal bed methane development in the Rocky Mountain West.
Meridian staff facilitated two workshops regarding options for addressing beach erosion and replenishment on Fire Island in New York.
In 2003, Meridian was asked by the Grand Mesa Uncomphagre Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest to consult with stakeholders in Western Colorado regarding the structure and design of the "County Partnership in Restoration" program—an innovative initiative to involve multiple stakeholders in regional forest restoration.
At the request of the Forest Roads Working Group, Meridian served as convenor and facilitator of a multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on how to resolve the longstanding issue of the degree of permanent protection that should be provided for roadless areas in the National Forest System.
Meridian Institute facilitated a three-day synthesis workshop for the Science/Policy Interface Task Force of IUFRO.
In November 2004, Meridian Institute facilitated the Global Connections Forum, a workshop sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, to enable forestry and resource management experts to discuss community-based approaches to sustainable natural resource management and conservation around the world.
Meridian provided process assistance to a legislatively mandated task force that was formed to seek ways to accommodate conflicting uses (military training and endangered species protection) at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Arizona.
Meridian assisted a 14-member, multistakeholder Working Group to develop recommendations for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Wildlife Commission regarding the management of wolves that migrate into the state.
The Collaborative Adaptive Management Network (CAMNet), a joint project of Meridian Institute and Steve Light, Ph.D., advances excellence in the practice of collaborative adaptive management through dialogue across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographic boundaries.
In the Florida Everglades, restoration of the ecosystem is said to hinge on the completion of the WCA-3 Decompartmentalization Project. Decision makers in the region determined to pursue the development of this crucial project through a collaborative adaptive management approach.
Meridian Institute facilitated multi-stakeholder workshops for Shell International that served to inform the development of Shell’s five-year biodiversity strategy.
Meridian Institute was hired to facilitate a two-and-a-half day conference to discuss whether and how to expand the Sustainable Forest Partnership (SFP). The conference ended with general agreement by participants on ways to strengthen and expand the SFP and likely future involvement with the expanded partnership.
Meridian Institute facilitated a workshop for U.S. Forest Service personnel, to enable them to plan for the implementation of the 2004 National Forest Management Act planning rule.
Meridian facilitated a strategic planning process regarding a newly acquired Nature Conservancy property in Colorado’s San Louis Valley.
A Meridian staff member co-facilitated a workshop on the use of collaborative decision making approaches under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Meridian convened and co-facilitated a dialogue group that produced recommendations for ecosystem-based management at the Nellis Air Force Range in Nevada.
Meridian staff served as lead facilitator for this dialogue among the managers and leading stakeholders of the five major forest certification programs.
Meridian staff served as lead facilitator for this second international dialogue among the managers and leading stakeholders of the five major forest certification programs.
Meridian staff assisted the Board of the nonprofit Pinchot Institute for Conservation in conducting an internal strategic planning process.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting sponsored by the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry regarding the future of the global forest products market and its implications for forest biodiversity.
Meridian Institute is facilitating a collaborative effort to further the development of a comprehensive system of indicators and statistical data regarding the nation’s environment and natural resources.
Meridian staff organized and moderated several sessions on forest certification at the Forest Leadership Forum in Atlanta.
Meridian assisted multiple stakeholders in structuring a collaborative problem-solving process for addressing landowner and threatened species' needs through development of a county-wide plan and served as convening facilitator for public and steering group meetings.
The Sustainable Forestry Board identified a policy priority of developing new strategies and standard language for addressing forests of exceptional conservation value within the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s 2002-04 program enhancements. Meridian was the co-facilitator for the Working Group and the consensus recommendations resulted in the development of a plan for a detailed, collaborative database identifying forest communities that are critically imperiled or imperiled, based on existing conservation status ranking systems.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting among federal and state agency personnel regarding the performance-based funding allocation methodology approved by Congress for Urban Community Forestry programs.
As a follow up to the 2004 Hurricane Lessons Learned Conference, Meridian Institute facilitated the 2005 Hurricane Planning in the Southeast U.S. Conference to bring together federal and state responders, along with industry and other participants.
Meridian is partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to provide strategic and process advice to a series of pilot projects with members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Ecosystems Champions Group (ECG).
In the fall of 2006, Meridian facilitated three regional listening sessions for the Conservation Fund on conserving open space in the United States and the role of the USDA Forest Service in such an effort.
Meridian Institute provided expertise in adaptive management to help the Northwest Colorado Stewardship (NECOS) in its efforts to develop an adaptive management based alternative for the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Management Plan in northwestern Colorado.
Sponsored by the US Animal Health Association, the 2005 Brucellosis Working Symposium, held in Laramie, WY, brought together experts in the field to explore brucellosis vaccines and diagnostics for the Greater Yellowstone Area wildlife.
Meridian is facilitating a collaborative effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Federal Assistance and its state grantee agencies to develop a strategic plan for over $650 million in annual Federal Assistance grants to state fish and wildlife agencies.
Meridian facilitated a week-long retreat of the USDA Forest Service's Open Space Conservation Initiative development team to draft a plan for open space conservation.
For the US Army Corps of Engineers, facilitated a two-day workshop to explore non-structural damage reduction options for Suffolk County Long Island’s South Shore.
Meridian Institute is providing support to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and its grantees and partners to design and implement the “Tropical Forest Carbon Grantmaking Strategy: A Strategy for Collaborative Philanthropic Support for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)”. To maximize the strategy’s impact on building a technically and politically sound international mechanism for REDD, Meridian is facilitating coordination among donors and is working closely with other Packard Foundation grantee organizations to design, coordinate, and facilitate REDD-related workshops and other activities.
Meridian Institute worked with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and other partners to design and facilitate a workshop in Tokyo, Japan where researchers, negotiators, and others defined key questions for analysis prior to negotiations at the 14th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change on the topic of integrating Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) into the global climate protection regime.
Meridian staff served as lead facilitator of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), a federally chartered advisory committee charged with developing recommendations on a strategy for screening and testing chemicals and pesticides as to their potential to disrupt the endocrine (i.e., hormone) systems of humans and other biota.
This series of public meetings is designed to obtain input on the design of a voluntary program to test commercial chemicals to which children may have a high likelihood of exposure.
Meridian co-facilitated a two-day stakeholder dialogue on intellectual property rights and medicine for the World Business Council on Sustainable Development.
Meridian Institute provided facilitation and strategic assistance to McDonald’s Corporation and the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, a project of Environmental Defense, as part of McDonald's effort to develop a policy prohibiting the use of certain classes of antibiotics.
Meridian assisted an interdisciplinary team from Europe and the United States to design and facilitate stage one of Aventis' "Pharma Scenarios for Sustainable Healthcare" effort.
Meridian facilitated a multistakeholder roundtable discussion on the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and their alternatives in electronics.
Meridian, in partnership with Search for Common Ground-USA, facilitated a national policy dialogue among diverse stakeholders that resulted in a comprehensive set of consensus recommendations for expanding health care coverage for the uninsured in the United States.
Meridian provided neutral facilitation services for this Expert Panel Workshop convened by Serono Symposia International and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting among members of a large trade association, in order to help them develop a common position on proposed changes to federal regulations.
Meridian Institute has provided Planned Parenthood with a variety of internal problem solving, strategic planning, and organizational development services, as well as facilitating internal dialogues around issues of conflict.
On May 2, 2005, more than 20 staff from The Rockefeller Foundation and eight invited experts participated in an all-day meeting that focused on the role of the Bayh-Dole Act in promoting innovation and the implications of this model for innovation systems in developing countries.
Meridian staff facilitated a three-day, multi-stakeholder meeting in Bellagio, Italy, in September 2005 to discuss "open source" models of collaboration in the fields of agriculture and health. A meeting summary is available for download in PDF format.
Meridian staff facilitated three meetings among public health leaders from throughout the United States to develop a vision for a state-of-the-art public health system that can achieve public health goals in the 21st century.
Meridian Institute and Energetics facilitated a tabletop exercise to explore how an outbreak of pandemic influenza would affect U.S. businesses and government, and how these two could work together to ensure the continuity of essential functions and services during a pandemic.
Meridian facilitated a two-day meeting of seventy participants for the National Governors Association (NGA). The meeting was designed to inform a 16-member task force of state officials about electric transmission line siting issues. Meridian also assisted the group in developing consensus recommendations for the NGA Natural Resources Committee about NGA policy on the issue.
In 2006, Meridian Institute facilitated two Pandemic Flu Preparedness Workshops for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For the Duke Energy Foundation and ORC Worldwide, Meridian facilitated a two-day national contractor safety conference.
Meridian facilitated a one-day strategic planning staff retreat for the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures (OPHEMC).
Meridian helped the Healthcare Sector establish a sector coordinating council (SCC) to facilitate its efforts to preserve and restore the critical functions of the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
Meridian provided facilitation and strategic planning support for the Executive Committee of the U.S. Animal Health Association during the process of hiring a new Executive Director
Sponsored by the US Animal Health Association, the 2005 Brucellosis Working Symposium, held in Laramie, WY, brought together experts in the field to explore brucellosis vaccines and diagnostics for the Greater Yellowstone Area wildlife.
In April 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a study entitled Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce. This report documents the critical shortage of both professionals and direct care workers needed to meet the health care requirements of the United States rapidly growing and increasingly diverse older population, and proposes steps to address that shortage by enhancing geriatric competence of all those who care for the elderly, increasing recruitment and retention, and redesigning models of care.
Assisted the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to convene and facilitate a series of workshops to explore how pilot projects can be used to determine how collaboration, consensus building, and appropriate dispute resolution processes can improve the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
This project assists in building cooperative efforts and partnerships among the federal agencies addressing mining related issues.
Meridian Staff facilitated a multi-party process to develop and implement a strategic plan for the management of mercury contamination in the tributaries to the San Francisco Bay/Delta.
Meridian is facilitating and coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders working to reclaim and clean up a copper mine in western Nevada.
Meridian helped to design and facilitate a meeting on regulatory options related to coal ash disposal.
Meridian Institute facilitated a dialogue among diverse interests to develop recommendations for best management practices for coal bed methane development in the Rocky Mountain West.
A Meridian staff member co-facilitated a workshop on the use of collaborative decision making approaches under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Meridian is facilitating a chartered Federal Advisory Committee that is providing high-level policy advice to the EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) on its diverse programs.
In 2003 and 2004, Meridian Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars convened a series of dialogue sessions focused on the relationship between nanotechnology and federal regulation in the United States.
Meridian Institute is convening a multistakeholder dialogue on the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology for poor people in developing countries.
Meridian assisted in the design and facilitation of an intensive visioning and planning process to develop the technology requirements for the United States Army's "Objective Force Warrior Program." The process emphasized the ability to address traditional, asymmetric, and special operations requirements for soldiers in 2010.
Meridian Institute facilitated the 2004 (USA) and 2006 (Japan) meetings of the International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development. These meetings, each involving representatives from more than 25 countries and the European Union, focused on how to best ensure nanotechnology research and development programs are carried out in a responsible manner.
Meridian facilitated the first meeting of the International Council on Nanotechnology in October 2004 in Houston, Texas.
Meridian organized and facilitated two informational meetings regarding nanotechnology for senior leadership of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development in Chennai, India to address the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology water purification technologies for developing countries and to develop recommendations and identify activities to inform decisions and catalyze actions by diverse stakeholders.
Nanotechnology and Development News is a free daily news service produced by Meridian Institute.
In January 2006, Meridian facilitated the IRGC Workshop on "A Conceptual Risk Governance Framework for Nanotechnology."
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Commodities, and Development 29 – 31 May 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to: examine nanotechnology applications that are effecting or may effect demand for agricultural and mineral commodities; identify mechanisms to anticipate, measure, analyze, and address the impact of nanotechnology applications on commodity-dependent developing countries; and catalyze actions that could proactively address potential opportunities and risks associated with shifting demand for commodities resulting from nanotechnology research and development.
The dialogue on Assembled Chemical Weapons focused on identifying alternatives to the baseline incineration process for the demilitarization of assembled chemical weapons.
These workshops provided a venue for early public input on a proposed rule that would allow for the recycling of low-level radioactive material.
Meridian convened and facilitated a one-day workshop in The Hague on Liability and Redress issues in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The workshop provided an overview of some of the substantive and procedural issues related to liability and redress. The workshop was scheduled immediately in advance of the third meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Cartagena Protocol to help inform negotiators about this complicated issue.
Meridian provided advice on options for restarting negotiations between the U.S. and Canada on fishery regimes for the management of Pacific Salmon to the Special Envoy for the President, William Ruckelshaus.
The Puget Sound Salmon Leaders' Forum has been an ongoing effort to help develop a "shared strategy" to recover the endangered salmon in the Puget Sound area.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
Beginning in 2002, Meridian Institute has provided process design and facilitation support to RECOVER – the inter-agency body that provides scientific and technical support to managers involved in implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the CERP Adaptive Management Strategy. CERP implementation, which has been described as the worlds largest ecosystem restoration effort, will involve making improvements and modifications to the system of canals, levees, and water control structures that provide water supply, flood protection, and water management to south Florida, in order to restore the south Florida ecosystem and meet other water needs.
Meridian Institute provided strategic advice and facilitation services to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, a 16-member Federal Advisory Committee created by the Oceans Act of 2000. The Commission published its final report in September 2004.
Meridian staff facilitated a multi-stakeholder workshop to review options for reducing ship strike mortality to endangered Right Whales.
Meridian staff conducted an issues assessment regarding the management of the Bering Sea ecosystem.
Meridian Institute is serving as convenor, process designer, facilitator, and secretariat of a joint effort between members of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission to accelerate the reform of U.S. oceans policy.
Meridian Institute provided strategic planning assistance and facilitation for Long Live the Kings, an organization dedicated to the restoration of Pacific Salmon.
Meridian Institute led a strategic planning retreat for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in the State of Washington.
In January 2003, Meridian assisted the full membership of the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) in drafting and agreeing on a new strategic vision for CBFWA, as well as to outline an action plan for the next three to five years. The future direction of CBFWA has not been examined in a number of years, and the fish and wildlife policies in the Columbia River Basin are in a state of considerable flux because of proposed significant changes to hydropower operations that may reduce benefits to fish and wildlife. In addition, Bonneville Power Administration is facing a long-term financial crisis that may significantly reduce opportunities to mitigate damage to fish and wildlife. In a three-day meeting, Meridian facilitators identified a new vision, priorities and actions items to be adopted at an upcoming annual meeting.
Meridian staff facilitated a dialogue among state and federal agency personnel that resulted in a consensus-based action plan to address priority issues for managing, on a regional basis, the Gulf of Mexico’s ocean and coastal resources.
Meridian Institute provided facilitation for an organizational meeting of the North Pacific Research Board.
Meridian Institute facilitated a strategic planning retreat in February 2007 for the Board of Trustees of the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation.
Meridian staff is facilitating a nine-month process for SeaWeb, a communications-based nonprofit organization that works to advance ocean conservation.
Meridian convened and facilitated the New England Grantee Workshop in March 2008 to bring together representatives from eight organizations funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that work to promote area-based management and fisheries management reforms in New England.
Meridian staff served as lead facilitator of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), a federally chartered advisory committee charged with developing recommendations on a strategy for screening and testing chemicals and pesticides as to their potential to disrupt the endocrine (i.e., hormone) systems of humans and other biota.
The dialogue on Assembled Chemical Weapons focused on identifying alternatives to the baseline incineration process for the demilitarization of assembled chemical weapons.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the major agricultural commodity groups (e.g., corn/soybean/wheat growers, livestock producers, and farmer groups) met three times over the course of two years in educational sessions with scientists, policy experts, and environmental organizations to discuss the critical global climate change issues for agriculture.
This project is developing a voluntary nitrogen oxide reduction program from ground support equipment (GSE) and aircraft.
Meridian worked with the Congressionally-created Tennessee Center for Homeland Security to plan, design, and facilitate formation of the Tennessee Consortium for Homeland Security.
Meridian facilitated a series of meetings designed to promote public private partnerships and collaboration related to for national security technology development and deployment.
Meridian facilitated two meetings for the CIMMYT senior management team to discuss the implementation of their strategic plan, which was developed in 2002.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian has assisted the German Marshall Fund with the design and facilitation of four workshops to explore critical issues relating to the use of biotechnology in agriculture.
Meridian Institute assisted the Rockefeller Foundation in establishing the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) to benefit resource-poor small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Meridian Institute helped CIMMYT, the international agricultural research center located outside Mexico City, to develop a long-term strategic plan, an implementation plan, and relevant future scenarios through an extensive collaborative decision-making process.
Meridian is facilitating a chartered Federal Advisory Committee that is providing high-level policy advice to the EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) on its diverse programs.
Meridian facilitated the development of a mechanism for U.S. universities and research institutions to collaborate on intellectual property (IP) management for humanitarian use to help meet food security needs in developing countries and for specialty crop development in the U.S.
In 2003 and 2004, Meridian Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars convened a series of dialogue sessions focused on the relationship between nanotechnology and federal regulation in the United States.
Meridian Institute facilitated a dialogue among diverse interests to develop recommendations for best management practices for coal bed methane development in the Rocky Mountain West.
Meridian is working with the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) Management Team on overall strategy and is assisting with GCP sponsored meetings involving project collaborators and stakeholders.
Meridian Institute is convening a multistakeholder dialogue on the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology for poor people in developing countries.
Meridian assisted in the design and facilitation of an intensive visioning and planning process to develop the technology requirements for the United States Army's "Objective Force Warrior Program." The process emphasized the ability to address traditional, asymmetric, and special operations requirements for soldiers in 2010.
Food Security and Ag-Biotech News is a free daily e- news service produced by Meridian Institute and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Meridian Institute facilitated the 2004 (USA) and 2006 (Japan) meetings of the International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development. These meetings, each involving representatives from more than 25 countries and the European Union, focused on how to best ensure nanotechnology research and development programs are carried out in a responsible manner.
Meridian facilitated the first meeting of the International Council on Nanotechnology in October 2004 in Houston, Texas.
Meridian organized and facilitated two informational meetings regarding nanotechnology for senior leadership of the Rockefeller Foundation.
On May 2, 2005, more than 20 staff from The Rockefeller Foundation and eight invited experts participated in an all-day meeting that focused on the role of the Bayh-Dole Act in promoting innovation and the implications of this model for innovation systems in developing countries.
Meridian convened and facilitated a one-day workshop in The Hague on Liability and Redress issues in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The workshop provided an overview of some of the substantive and procedural issues related to liability and redress. The workshop was scheduled immediately in advance of the third meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Cartagena Protocol to help inform negotiators about this complicated issue.
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development in Chennai, India to address the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology water purification technologies for developing countries and to develop recommendations and identify activities to inform decisions and catalyze actions by diverse stakeholders.
Nanotechnology and Development News is a free daily news service produced by Meridian Institute.
Meridian staff facilitated a three-day, multi-stakeholder meeting in Bellagio, Italy, in September 2005 to discuss "open source" models of collaboration in the fields of agriculture and health. A meeting summary is available for download in PDF format.
Meridian assisted the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) in conceptualizing new approaches for obtaining and better integrating the advice of the international scientific community into the strategic directions and project level decision making by the GEF.
Meridian staff facilitated a three-day workshop among leaders from professional societies on the topic of data sharing and archiving.
Meridian helped the information technology sector establish a Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate its critical infrastructure protection efforts.
In January 2006, Meridian facilitated the IRGC Workshop on "A Conceptual Risk Governance Framework for Nanotechnology."
In 2006, Meridian Institute facilitated two Pandemic Flu Preparedness Workshops for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
FIELD is an information and networking resource for an international community interested in agricultural technologies for use by small-scale farmers in developing countries.
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Commodities, and Development 29 – 31 May 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to: examine nanotechnology applications that are effecting or may effect demand for agricultural and mineral commodities; identify mechanisms to anticipate, measure, analyze, and address the impact of nanotechnology applications on commodity-dependent developing countries; and catalyze actions that could proactively address potential opportunities and risks associated with shifting demand for commodities resulting from nanotechnology research and development.
Meridian Institute has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring together leading scientist and innovators with key players in the maize, cassava, and dairy value chains in Africa. The goal is to identify out-of-the-box, innovative post-harvest management and processing technologies to add significant value for smallholder farmers by reducing inefficiencies in these value chains.
Meridian worked with the Congressionally-created Tennessee Center for Homeland Security to plan, design, and facilitate formation of the Tennessee Consortium for Homeland Security.
Meridian facilitated a series of meetings designed to promote public private partnerships and collaboration related to for national security technology development and deployment.
For the Department of Homeland Security, Meridian facilitated an off-site retreat for the Undersecretary of Information Analysis, the Undersecretary of Infrastructure Protection, and each of their management teams.
Meridian helped members of the food and agriculture sector establish a Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate their efforts to preserve and restore the critical functions of the nation’s food and agriculture production and delivery systems.
Meridian assisted in the design and facilitation of an a three-part visioning process to help formulate a logistics strategy for 2015-2018, designed to elp the private sector meet the needs of the United States Department of Defense.
Meridian assisted in the design and facilitation of an intensive visioning and planning process to develop the technology requirements for the United States Army's "Objective Force Warrior Program." The process emphasized the ability to address traditional, asymmetric, and special operations requirements for soldiers in 2010.
Meridian facilitated a multi-stakeholder meeting regarding key water security issues; sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in May 2004.
Meridian Institute and Energetics facilitated a tabletop exercise to explore how an outbreak of pandemic influenza would affect U.S. businesses and government, and how these two could work together to ensure the continuity of essential functions and services during a pandemic.
Meridian Institute helped design and facilitate a meeting hosted by the Under Secretary of Preparedness for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to solicit feedback from state, local, and tribal representatives on the White House report, “The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned.”
Meridian helped members of the transportation sector establish a number of modal Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate the sector’s critical infrastructure protection efforts.
Meridian helped members of the communications sector establish a Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate their critical infrastructure protection efforts.
Meridian helped the commercial facilities sector establish a Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate its critical infrastructure protection efforts.
In the March-July 2005 period Meridian assisted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection (IP) in designing and facilitating a series of internal off-site retreats on the re-organization of the IP Directorate.
Meridian designed and facilitated an informal, off-site discussion to review the status and purposes of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, NIPP, the role and relationship of the sector specific agencies and sector specific plans in this process as well as the role that the unfolding partnership model of sector coordinating councils and government coordinating councils could appropriately play.
The Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, convened an all day off-site meeting to meet with the principal leaders from each federal agency responsible for the protection of the 17 federally designated critical infrastructure sectors and key resource areas as designated under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP).
Meridian staff is helping the National Security Directorate (NSD) at ORNL develop a multi-year initiative in the areas of Next Generation Counterproliferation, and Post-Conflict/Post Disaster International Development, through the NSD’s Thought Leadership Initiative.
Meridian helped the information technology sector establish a Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate its critical infrastructure protection efforts.
As a follow up to the 2004 Hurricane Lessons Learned Conference, Meridian Institute facilitated the 2005 Hurricane Planning in the Southeast U.S. Conference to bring together federal and state responders, along with industry and other participants.
Meridian facilitated the organization and development of a maritime modal Sector Coordinating Council within the national transportation sector.
Meridian was asked to facilitate a de-brief discussion on the TOPOFF (Top Officials) 3 Large-Scale Game for the Department of Homeland Security in May 2005.
In 2006, Meridian Institute facilitated two Pandemic Flu Preparedness Workshops for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Meridian facilitated a working group of members from the private and public sectors to develop, as an addendum to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the Sector Specific Plan for drinking water and wastewater utilities in the United States.
Meridian Institute helped design and facilitate a process to solicit and collect broad stakeholder input to inform review and revision of the National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Meridian facilitated a one-day strategic planning staff retreat for the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures (OPHEMC).
Meridian helped the Healthcare Sector establish a sector coordinating council (SCC) to facilitate its efforts to preserve and restore the critical functions of the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
Meridian facilitated the organization and development of a highway and motor carrier modal Sector Coordinating Council within the national transportation sector.
Meridian Institute facilitated a strategic planning retreat for the Department of Homeland Security’s Private Sector Office.
Meridian provided facilitation and planning support for a strategic planning session of Pharmaceutical Industry representatives working to improve the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Meridian facilitated a joint task force formed between the Communications Sector Coordinating Council (C-SCC) and the Information Technology Sector Coordinating Council (IT-SCC) to explore the need and appropriate construct of a regional coordination capability that would be used in times of disaster.
Meridian assisted the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Battelle Memorial Institute, the lead consultant, on a project to develop a blueprint for the cement industry to become more sustainable over the next twenty years.
Meridian facilitated EPA budget annual priorities meetings involving the senior management of the Agency.
Mike Lesnick conducted a lecture at Yale on the use of collaborative decision-making processes.
John Ehrmann and Barbara Stinson co-authored a chapter, Joint Fact Finding and Use of Technical Experts, in a new book just published by The Consensus Building Institute.
Meridian facilitated a National Advisory Council formed by the vinyl industry to help provide the industry with policy advice.
Meridian assisted Bechtel in the design and facilitation of a session focusing on instituting more sustainability-related processes in the company.
Meridian managed a dialogue between Shintech, Inc., and community members to determine whether the community would be willing to host a new polyvinyl chloride production facility.
Meridian was part of an international facilitation team that designed and facilitated an international meeting convened by the WBCSD in the Netherlands.
Through a grant from the Tremaine Foundation, Meridian conducted a workshop for the Senate Committee on Public Works and the Environment on the use of collaborative problem solving to augment the legislative process.
Meridian staff facilitated a community planning and design process for the Port of Houston Authority, regarding the proposed construction of a 1,000-acre terminal/cruise ship facility in Galveston Bay.
Meridian Institute conducted a company-wide strategic planning process for this $65 million construction management company in Vail Valley, Colorado.
Meridian provided ongoing facilitation of the President's Council on Sustainable Development.
Meridian facilitated a senior management retreat for SC Johnson, focusing on the development of sustainable business goals and practices for the year 2003.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian Institute organized a meeting in December 2003 with leaders from major biosafety initiatives in Africa to discuss the current status and future direction of biosafety programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
Meridian helped a 36-member task force from the National Pork Producers Council develop a plan for restructuring the organization.
Meridian co-facilitated a two-day stakeholder dialogue on intellectual property rights and medicine for the World Business Council on Sustainable Development.
Meridian Institute provided facilitation and strategic assistance to McDonald’s Corporation and the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, a project of Environmental Defense, as part of McDonald's effort to develop a policy prohibiting the use of certain classes of antibiotics.
This nine-session course for decision makers and opinion leaders on economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental health was designed by a partnership of local leaders and facilitated by the Meridian Institute.
Meridian facilitated two separate meetings in 2003 related to EPA's strategic plan revision.
Meridian Institute helped CIMMYT, the international agricultural research center located outside Mexico City, to develop a long-term strategic plan, an implementation plan, and relevant future scenarios through an extensive collaborative decision-making process.
Meridian facilitated a meeting among staff of The Nature Conservancy and members of its International Leadership Council (ILC), in order to develop recommendations regarding the ILC's goals and structure and make associated updates to the ILC's charter.
Meridian is facilitating a chartered Federal Advisory Committee that is providing high-level policy advice to the EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) on its diverse programs.
Meridian facilitated the development of a mechanism for U.S. universities and research institutions to collaborate on intellectual property (IP) management for humanitarian use to help meet food security needs in developing countries and for specialty crop development in the U.S.
Meridian and two partner organizations conducted a multistakeholder scoping process to select projects and sites for community revitalization and river recovery along a stretch of the Missouri River.
Meridian conducted an issue mapping process for the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). The process identified and analyzed the range of stakeholder opinions on the nexus between trade, development, and agriculture and identified areas of possible future activity for the GMF.
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development in Chennai, India to address the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology water purification technologies for developing countries and to develop recommendations and identify activities to inform decisions and catalyze actions by diverse stakeholders.
Meridian provided facilitation and planning support for two projects for the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Washington Center.
Meridian assisted the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) in conceptualizing new approaches for obtaining and better integrating the advice of the international scientific community into the strategic directions and project level decision making by the GEF.
Meridian staff assisted the Board of the nonprofit Pinchot Institute for Conservation in conducting an internal strategic planning process.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting among experts tasked with choosing recipients of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth Awards.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting sponsored by the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry regarding the future of the global forest products market and its implications for forest biodiversity.
Meridian staff facilitated a meeting in which experts discussed and provided feedback on a draft land use plan for the U.S. Capitol Complex in Washington, DC.
Meridian Institute conducted an “issues mapping” effort for the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility and the World Bank regarding the provision of infrastructure services in developing countries.
Meridian staff facilitated workshops aimed at developing “sustainability scenarios” for the United States.
Meridian facilitated a two-day meeting of seventy participants for the National Governors Association (NGA). The meeting was designed to inform a 16-member task force of state officials about electric transmission line siting issues. Meridian also assisted the group in developing consensus recommendations for the NGA Natural Resources Committee about NGA policy on the issue.
Meridian coordinated issues between six industry sector subcommittees and the Common Sense Initiative Council to address critical recommendations to Administrator Carol Browner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Meridian Institute facilitated negotiations between the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and its Internet Technology (IT) providers for provision of all IT services for the Center’s locations around the world over ten years and ssisted in the development of goals and objectives, criteria, and contract needs to meet IT goals for the diverse activities of IFPRI’s work in developing countries.
As this small to medium-sized, Northeast paper mill strives to remain competitive in the shrinking high-end paper market, Meridian provided strategic planning assistance to generate the most promising new ideas and new market activities and facilitated a three-day retreat of senior managers, developing strategic action items in five new areas.
Meridian provided strategic planning and facilitation assistance to several divisions of the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA particularly the American Wood Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (1998),the Strategic Planning Group (2004), and the Sustainable Forestry Board (2005).
Meridian provided neutral oversight and facilitation of an assessment of water management practices at Coca-Cola facilities in India.
Meridian is partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to provide strategic and process advice to a series of pilot projects with members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Ecosystems Champions Group (ECG).
For the Duke Energy Foundation and ORC Worldwide, Meridian facilitated a two-day national contractor safety conference.
For the Kenan Institute Washington, Meridian facilitated a forty-member study group focused on opportunities for the U.S. government to support global CSR activities.
In 2005 the Rockefeller Foundation's new President, Judith Rodin initiated a strategic review of the organization. The process entailed two internal task forces: one that focused on program strategy and another on operational issues. Meridian assisted the Program Strategy Task Force in identifying the key questions and issues the Foundation should consider in charting a path forward and helped commission papers and organized and moderated expert panels to help contribute to this process. Meridian also helped to facilitate internal Task Force sessions that focused on reviewing and revising the Foundation's mission, issues, and strategy.
Meridian is providing ongoing strategy development, process design and facilitation for the congressionally-funded Community and Regional Resilience Initiative (CARRI) to increase communities’ resilience to natural and man-made disasters.
Meridian conducted a comprehensive strategic planning effort for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
Over the course of several years, Meridian supported and facilitated meetings between the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and its customers. The purpose of these meetings was to improve the services the railroad offers.
Meridian staff facilitated a community planning and design process for the Port of Houston Authority, regarding the proposed construction of a 1,000-acre terminal/cruise ship facility in Galveston Bay.
This project is developing a voluntary nitrogen oxide reduction program from ground support equipment (GSE) and aircraft.
Meridian assisted Justice and Sustainability Associates in conducting the initial phase of a public participation process that captured community views and ideas about light rail and bus rapid transit options under consideration for four priority transit corridors in the District of Columbia.
Meridian Institute conducted an “issues mapping” effort for the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility and the World Bank regarding the provision of infrastructure services in developing countries.
Meridian helped members of the transportation sector establish a number of modal Sector Coordinating Council to facilitate the sector’s critical infrastructure protection efforts.
Meridian facilitated a series of forums designed to obtain input from railroad freight customers on a wide variety of service quality issues.
Meridian facilitated the organization and development of a highway and motor carrier modal Sector Coordinating Council within the national transportation sector.
Meridian has been providing facilitation, process design, and strategy development services for internal initiatives, collaboration among state legislatures and developing new institutions within NCSL.
Meridian Institute facilitated periodic public meetings for stakeholder review and input on the Stewart Meadows wetlands restoration effort on New Mexico’s San Antonio River.
In partnership with 15 federal agencies and numerous other stakeholder groups, Meridian convened and facilitated the first National Watershed Forum in the summer of 2001 with about 500 participants.
Meridian Staff facilitated a multi-party process to develop and implement a strategic plan for the management of mercury contamination in the tributaries to the San Francisco Bay/Delta.
The Puget Sound Salmon Leaders' Forum has been an ongoing effort to help develop a "shared strategy" to recover the endangered salmon in the Puget Sound area.
With financial support from the Hewlett Foundation, Meridian Institute is facilitating several local watershed initiatives throughout the western United States, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and California.
Through Summer 2000 Meridian Institute assisted the Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee in considering steps for better managing groundwater in Texas.
Meridian Institute worked with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments to help build a more constructive relationship between the U.S. Forest Service and local governments in Colorado's Blue River Watershed (home of our Dillon office).
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), an international collaborative effort involving nearly 1,200 scientists, provided decision-makers and the public with scientific information concerning the effects of ecosystem changes on human well-being, as well as options for responding to those changes.
Meridian provided a team of external reviewers and facilitators to assist the senior management team in developing a global vision for the organization.
Meridian is facilitating several collaborative community watershed groups in northern New Mexico in support of Total Maximum Daily Load implementation by the State of New Mexico Environment Department to comply with Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.
Meridian staff assisted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water (OW) in analyzing and improving its performance measures by designing and facilitating a meeting of the OW Accountability Work Group.
Meridian is facilitating and coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders working to reclaim and clean up a copper mine in western Nevada.
Meridian is facilitating two pilot watershed planning efforts for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, to address issues associated with coal bed methane development.
Beginning in 2002, Meridian Institute has provided process design and facilitation support to RECOVER – the inter-agency body that provides scientific and technical support to managers involved in implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the CERP Adaptive Management Strategy. CERP implementation, which has been described as the worlds largest ecosystem restoration effort, will involve making improvements and modifications to the system of canals, levees, and water control structures that provide water supply, flood protection, and water management to south Florida, in order to restore the south Florida ecosystem and meet other water needs.
Starting in 2002, the Meridian Institute facilitated a series of meetings involving a diverse group of western water experts to think "out of the box" and develop a long-term vision for western water.
Meridian Institute partnered with several organizations on a Colorado pilot project for the National Watershed Health Project, which is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of watershed partnerships.
Meridian Institute, in cooperation with the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, will conduct a Workshop on Assessing Environmental Outcomes of Community-Based Collaboratives (CBCs) on September 12-13, 2003 at the Snowbird Resort and Conference Center near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Meridian Institute facilitated a dialogue among diverse interests to develop recommendations for best management practices for coal bed methane development in the Rocky Mountain West.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Cimarron Watershed.
Meridian staff planned and facilitated an interactive strategic planning session with a diverse group of stakeholders participating as members of the Yuba Watershed Council.
Meridian and two partner organizations conducted a multistakeholder scoping process to select projects and sites for community revitalization and river recovery along a stretch of the Missouri River.
The Collaborative Adaptive Management Network (CAMNet), a joint project of Meridian Institute and Steve Light, Ph.D., advances excellence in the practice of collaborative adaptive management through dialogue across disciplinary, organizational, institutional, and geographic boundaries.
In the Florida Everglades, restoration of the ecosystem is said to hinge on the completion of the WCA-3 Decompartmentalization Project. Decision makers in the region determined to pursue the development of this crucial project through a collaborative adaptive management approach.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Jemez River Watershed.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Red River Watershed.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s San Juan Watershed.
Meridian Institute convened and facilitated two meetings for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the topic of national water quality standards pertaining to effluent-dependent and effluent-dominated waters in the arid West.
Meridian Institute is providing planning and facilitation support for the Global Water Partnership’s Working Group on “Vitalizing the GWP”.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Conejos Watershed.
Meridian Institute convened the International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development in Chennai, India to address the potential opportunities and risks of nanotechnology water purification technologies for developing countries and to develop recommendations and identify activities to inform decisions and catalyze actions by diverse stakeholders.
Meridian facilitated a multi-stakeholder meeting regarding key water security issues; sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in May 2004.
Meridian Institute is facilitating a collaborative effort to further the development of a comprehensive system of indicators and statistical data regarding the nation’s environment and natural resources.
Meridian Institute conducted an “issues mapping” effort for the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility and the World Bank regarding the provision of infrastructure services in developing countries.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Mimbres Watershed.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Upper Rio Grande Watershed.
Meridian provided neutral oversight and facilitation of an assessment of water management practices at Coca-Cola facilities in India.
Meridian Institute facilitated a collaborative, multi-stakeholder watershed restoration effort in New Mexico’s Rio Chama Watershed.
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