Harris County Advances Community-Driven Flood Resilience Planning
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFD) launched the Community Flood Resilience Task Force (CFRTF) to ensure flood resilience planning incorporated the voices, priorities, and lived experiences of communities most impacted by flooding. Outreach Strategists serve as the lead facilitator and communications partner for the initiative, providing strategic engagement, consensus-building, administrative coordination, and equity-centered planning support to help guide development of the County’s long-term Flood Resilience Plan.
Results
Successfully support and facilitate the ongoing operations and long-term capacity building of the 17-member Community Flood Resilience Task Force
Facilitated 36+ CFRTF meetings, committee sessions, trainings, workshops, and stakeholder engagements
Maintained 90–95% Task Force membership participation and seat retention throughout the contract
Produce meeting summaries, reports, workshop materials, and public-facing communications in both English and Spanish that advanced equitable and community-informed flood resilience recommendations
Delivered annual CFRTF reports for 2022, 2023, and 2024 to document accomplishments, recommendations, engagement activities, and progress to Harris County Commissioners Court
Continue to lead engagement efforts that elevate historically underrepresented voices and strengthen collaboration between residents, technical experts, and County leadership
Delivered equity trainings and educational workshops that equipped Task Force members and County stakeholders with tools to advance inclusive flood resilience planning
Support regional coordination and stakeholder engagement efforts related to Harris County’s Flood Resilience Plan and broader resilience initiatives
Established sustainable communication, engagement, and operational systems to support continued CFRTF activities and long-term community participation
Delivered a refreshed and regularly updated CFRTF website to improve accessibility, stakeholder engagement, and public access to flood resilience resources and Task Force activities
Educational social media campaign simplifying flood resilience and infrastructure concepts.
Community notification door hanger informing residents about upcoming Community Engagement meeting
Strategy
Facilitate official CFRTF meetings, governance and committee meetings, workshops, trainings, and stakeholder engagement sessions to support collaborative decision-making and consensus-building among community members, county departments, and technical experts
Coordinate logistics, agendas, meeting materials, presentations, public notices, translations, accessibility accommodations, and meeting documentation for more than 36 public-facing and stakeholder meetings across Harris County
Support implementation of the CFRTF work plan and assist in preparing recommendations and reports for Harris County Commissioners Court and County leadership
Design accessible educational materials, graphics, one-pagers, and presentations to help communicate complex flood resilience, infrastructure, equity, and policy issues to community stakeholders
Develop and deliver equity-focused trainings and facilitate discussions on flood resilience inequities, nature-based solutions, floodplain regulations, financing strategies, and long-term community resilience
Guide development of a community engagement strategy to strengthen public participation in Harris County flood resilience planning and pilot collaborative engagement approaches
Manage communications and operational support for the Task Force, including maintaining stakeholder contact lists, engagement databases, website updates, and social media outreach
Serve as liaison between the CFRTF, Infrastructure Resilience Team (IRT), Harris County departments, regional agencies, and community organizations to strengthen coordination and alignment across resilience initiativesv
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Impact
Outreach Strategists continue to help strengthen Harris County’s approach to equitable flood resilience planning by creating inclusive processes that elevated community voices, supported informed decision-making, and built stronger alignment between residents, County leadership, and regional partners. The work advances long-term capacity for collaborative, community-driven resilience planning across Harris County.
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