Healthy Green Neighborhoods Collaborative Pilot Program Project Facilitator – Position Description

Rockbridge Conservation seeks a Project Facilitator for a quarter-timme one-year position to launch the pilot year of the Healthy Green Neighborhoods Collaborative, with subsequent years dependent on funding.

This Collaborative is a new venture whose long-term goal is to create a more livable, healthy community for City of Lexington residents. During the pilot year, the project facilitator will assist a multi-organizational partnership to develop its “Collective Impact (CI)” model in order to advance and implement several conservation projects that demonstrate the CI concept in ac1on. The facilitator will also pursue additional sources of funding to keep the conservation momentum growing.

Background:

Convened by members of the Lexington Planning Commission in 2022-23, a Green Infrastructure Working Group, made up of local, pro-bono professionals, was tasked with determining how to implement the Green Infrastructure section of the 2040 Lexington Comprehensive Plan, adopted by Lexington City Council in 2020. Green infrastructure includes a broad array of elements in a community that promotes healthy living and healthy outcomes for residents, including green spaces that encourage walking and biking by making it safe and inviting to engage in those activities; improved air and water quality; increased biodiversity; and lower energy consumption. While the City has a good green infrastructure plan in place, it lacks the capacity to fully implement the identified projects on its own. One of the final recommendations of the Green Infrastructure Working Group was the creation of a Collective Impact-based public/private partnership that, with the City’s cooperation and approval, could take up projects that will benefit the City as a whole.

“Collective Impact (CI)” is the name of a widely researched model of partnership that enables communities to tackle big needs with maximum public/private synergy. In the CI model, a “backbone organization” (Rockbridge Conservation in this case) provides oversight to a Facilitator, who leads a sustained, coordinated effort among a group of organizations that find common ground around addressing a community problem (in this case, the need for green infrastructure).

With Rockbridge Conserva1on as the supervisory and fiduciary member, the Facilitator will take the lead in facilitating and coordinating the energies, vision, and resources of the allied group of organizations including the City, ensuring identified projects approved by the City move forward. (Click here to learn more about the CI model)

Projects arising from the Healthy Green Neighborhoods Collaborative will directly address the current and future health and well-being needs of residents. Guided by the CI model as executed by the Facilitator, the partner organizations will work collaboratively to create outcomes that are greater than the sum of their parts. By greening any one area of the City, residents in any neighborhood are benefitted from the expanded network of nature-based health benefits.

We anticipate a twelve-month startup period (July 1 – June 30) during which time, guided by the Facilitator, the Collaborative will identify and implement several resource-available projects. During this time, the Facilitator will also identify and secure additional funding for future projects. This time period will serve as a pilot for the program, with plans for continuation depending on its success and funding.

One of the primary goals of this project and the coordinator will be to identify and apply for additional grants to fund the longer-term implementation of Lexington’s Green Infrastructure Plan via the CI model and the coordinator position.

Facilitator duties include the following:

• Convene the Collaborative’s partner organizations on a monthly basis, to facilitate targeted discussion and reports from members about their allied work, to refine the CI model, identify new opportunities and potential timelines for their execution, and generate and disseminate minutes to all partner organizations.
• Develop a communication strategy for collaborating with the Collaborative’s partner organizations.
• Develop relationships with the Collaborative’s partner organizations and stay in contact with them.
• Identify and apply for grants to fund the Facilitator position in future years and to support Collaborative member organizations, as feasible, in their own efforts for securing related project funding.
• Accept supervision and guidance from Rockbridge Conservation as a staff member but note all duties in this position are dedicated to managing and strengthening the Healthy Green Neighborhoods Collaborative.

The above responsibilities are intended to describe the duties and tasks that the Healthy Green Neighborhoods Facilitator will be expected to perform. The Rockbridge Conservation Executive Director and the Collaborative’s partner organizations will collectively determine the priorities with the Rockbridge Conservation Executive Director providing supervisory oversight of the
position. You can read the recommendations of the Green Infrastructure Working Group’s Report here: Getting Greener in Lexington – Moving the Conversation Forward. This group based its recommendations on the Collective Impact public/private partnership model that, with the City’s cooperation and approval, could benefit the City as a whole.

Green Infrastructure Working Group Briefing Note

Qualifications:

• Evidence of successful group facilitation, coalition building, or multi-partner collaboration.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• General familiarity with non-profit operational and governing structures.
• Positive attitude, enthusiasm, and good people skills for bringing together community members and groups to implement collaborative projects.
• Ability to respond to the guidance and priorities of the multi-entity Collabora1ve.
• Understanding and familiarity with green infrastructure and environmental and urban planning.
• Must be familiar with the Lexington area and willing/able to work with local government and NGOs.
• Familiarity with local conservation organizations, civic groups, and community leaders a plus.

Skills:

• Computer programs, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Zoom, Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.
• Social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram
• Grant writing
• Ability to communicate encouragingly and persuasively with local government staff, elected officials, local Boards and Commissions, and NGOs on behalf of the Lexington Green Infrastructure Plan and the work of the Healthy Green Neighborhoods Collaborative
  

College degree required. Wage range: $18-$20/hour, depending on experience.
Please submit resume, letter of interest, and references to director@rockbridgeconservation.org before June 5, 2023.

Click here for a printable version of the job description (pdf)