LB 9-88 - Public Engagement in Scientific Assessment: Lessons Learned from the National Climate Assessment

Background/Question/Methods:

The National Climate Assessment (NCA) is a quadrennial assessment mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The report, led by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, evaluates the current state of the science of global change and analyzes the effects of global change on regions and sectors of the United States. This includes an analysis of the impact of global change on biological diversity. To date, four NCAs have been released, the most recent in 2018. Work on the fifth assessment, NCA5, is currently underway. Ecosystems are discussed in a designated chapter (“Ecosystems and Biodiversity”), in all 10 regional chapters, and in a number of the national topic chapters.



Public engagement is critical for ensuring that the final report represents the priorities and needs of decision makers across the country and the American people as a whole. This poster will report on the expanded approach used to engage the public during the NCA5 public engagement workshop series, hosted in January and February 2022. It will report on outcomes of the workshops, and make recommendations for future public engagement efforts in the scientific assessment space. It will also inform the ESA community of future engagement opportunities.

Results/Conclusions:

Public engagement during the scientific assessment development process is vital for understanding needs, raising awareness, and building trust. In early 2022, USGCRP hosted 34 public workshops to inform the scope of the assessment and increase transparency around the assessment process. All workshops were free, virtual, and open to the public.



The workshops attracted over 7,000 registrations by approximately 4,000 individuals from all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam, and others. Approximately 2800 people participated via plenary discussions, break-out rooms, and through interactive collaborative tools. Most were participating in an NCA workshop for the time, which demonstrates the value of the workshops in broadening the NCA audience. A public comment period, which ran concurrent to the workshops, resulted in around 900 written comments.



The workshops yielded meaningful input to the assessment writing process. Authors adjusted content and filled gaps in expertise so as to meet the needs identified by the public. Critical lessons learned were collected and can be used to inform future efforts.



There will be more opportunities for public engagement this year, including a call for Review Editors and a request for public comment on the third order draft of NCA5.