Taming Disruption: A Case Study of Regional Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call. Such an emerging issue can force our organizations and communities to change in dramatic ways, virtually overnight. So how do we better prepare ourselves to successfully manage disruption? The Research Triangle region of North Carolina is developing a framework with tools to enable its communities, both large and small, to do this through thoughtful, regional collaboration. Our future depends on our ability to respond quickly and thoughtfully to the disruptive impacts of change.

This case study describes how the Triangle J Council of Governments helps local communities deal with a host of emerging issues, from climate change to workplace and workforce disruption to artificial intelligence. The initiative began with a regional summit in 2021, followed by preparation of resources for local communities: a Tracking Disruption briefing book and trend cards on drivers of change. Follow-up activities include creating a regional working group and conducting workshops to prioritize issues and identify the most relevant emerging trends at the local and regional levels. The result is a strategic framework for injecting a future focus into local governmental planning and operations, thereby building the region’s readiness to manage change.

NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Foundational. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.