Case Study:

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is undertaking Resilient NJ, a two-year flood resiliency program in four sections of the state, seeking to address continuing threats to areas near rivers, bays, and the Atlantic Ocean a decade after Superstorm Sandy’s devastating regional impacts. The DEP is seeking to gain input from community members – particularly those in traditionally underserved areas — and other stakeholders about continuing flood risks to learn what programs and projects may best help mitigate potential impacts. Two of the four regions include Northeastern New Jersey (NENJ), with the cities of Jersey City, Hoboken, Newark, and Bayonne, and the Raritan River and Bay Communities (RRBC), which includes various Middlesex County municipalities.

InGroup, as a subcontractor, is assigned to NENJ and RRBC — the two most populous of Resilient NJ’s four regions. We created and launched highly interactive websites for both regions, and continue to update and maintain those sites, which are critical to seeking and gaining community and stakeholder input. Our team also is developing a series of engagement videos to help increase awareness and engagement among stakeholders. Additionally, InGroup developed a draft stakeholder engagement
plan for use as a blueprint in reaching communities – particularly underserved areas – in both the NENJ and RRBC regions, with primarily virtual interaction due to the pandemic.

InGroup has provided nearly 50 community outreach tabling events in two regions reaching a multitude of diverse neighborhoods, cities, and towns for NJDEP. Tabling events with community stakeholders has provided program awareness, resident feedback, and opportunities for communities to get involved.

Roles Included:

• Draft stakeholder engagement plan
• Staffing of community outreach events