Research and Evaluation Task Force

PRESENT: Stacie Haines, Kate Klibansky, Esperanza Stancioff, Maryalice Crofton

Task force members convened at 1:00 pm using technology. 

DISCUSSION NOTES:

Membership. Luke Shorty is taking on a different role with the Commission so Stacie Haines will now chair this task force. In another change, Kate Klibansky's contract with the Commission has ended so she is joining the group as a member. 

Status of LD 1974. Passed unanimously through ENR. Completed language review. Next onto the floor vote, this will be a vote under the hammer (approval is presumed unless an objection is raised before the gavel drops). And, finally to appropriations (will be held until late in the session to be considered along with others that would affect the general fund). And, finally onto the governor.

We anticipate quick and easy passage on the floor. At this moment, we are preparing to advocate to Appropriations. This includes:

  • A sign-on letter circulated by Volunteer Maine
  • A petition being pushed out by Maine Conservation Voters
  • A petition being pushed out by Maine Youth for Climate Justice

Other next steps. 

Review of standards for programs. Maine is ahead of a federal Climate Corps program so establishing a set of standards based in science and proven results is up to us.  To do: Maryalice will pull together standards from other climate corps programs around the country, i.e. Colorado, for the task force to review.

As part of the standards work, the task force should identify the sources of research that programs can cite as proof the strategy they propose to implement will be effective. This evidence-based argument is required for AmeriCorps grants which is the highly likely source of federal climate corps funding. There will also be a requirement for performance measures which are not currently part of the federal set (menu) of measures from which grantees must chose.

We are seeking specific expertise to join the Research and Evaluation Task Force to help with development of standards.

Potential taskforce members:

  • Kristin Grant (Maine’s Sea Grant Program). (Esperenza will reach out?)
  • Heather Leslie (Darling Marine Center) (Esperenza will reach out?)
  • Ivan Fernandez (UMaine) (Stacie will reach out)

Common Core for training/workforce development. Development of common skills and abilities needed and what, if any, higher education institution will be involved.

Interagency committee. State agency coordination on climate corps programs is being discussed at federal level and current thinking is to require states to have an interagency committee that would coordinate projects. The Commission agrees that coordination is essential and such a group should probably be pulled together sooner rather than later. The Climate Corps Coordinator could do that soon after starting.

Next meetings:

April 15, 1 PM

May 20, 1 PM

June 24, 1 PM