Resilient Colorado Communities:
Training and technical assistance

Local Training and Technical Assistance

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Resilient communities are able to adapt and thrive no matter what disruptions they face. CRO staff are experts in the fields of adaptation and resilience. We are happy to answer any questions that your community may have. Please see resources and CRO staff contact information below to get engaged.

Surveys

Colorado municipalities and counties were surveyed in April 2019 to help the CRO build a Resilience and Community Recovery Program poised to support communities in addressing their vulnerabilities and risks. For more information see Resilience Planning in Colorado’s Local Governments: A Baseline Planning Survey and Two-page Survey Summary Report.

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Resilient Colorado Communities Program:

The CRO offers the following services under our Resilient Colorado Communities Program:

Resilience Workshops & Webinars

The CRO hosts trainings, workshops, webinars, and events to help Colorado communities build their own capacity. Our Training and Events page hosts a library of past and upcoming events that showcase resilience-in-action here in Colorado.

Our primary resiliency training is Camp Resilience – a free one-day, in-person workshop that helps community leaders in building a framework to be adaptive to change and positioned for the future. Participants will walk away from Camp Resilience able to integrate resilience into all aspects of your projects, programs, and plans. In 2024 we plan to host two more Camp Resilience workshops in the Spring and Fall, which will be announced in early 2024. Find out more through our Camp Resilience Overview. For more information or to express interest in attending the next Camp Resilience near you, contact Kate Guibert.

Local Resilience Planning & Implementation

A key part of resilience is proactively preparing for, adapting to, and planning for future uncertainties and changing conditions. The CRO supports integrating resilience into planning processes at all levels. The following resources and support from the CRO are available to Colorado communities looking to integrate resilience into their local plans:

  • Pre-Disaster Planning Tools and Resources:

    • Community Readiness and Resilience Planning Toolkit - This toolkit is a good first place to start for communities that are looking to lead their own resilience planning process.

    • Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guidance - Plan templates, workbooks, draft ordinances, and other resources are available to support planning for disaster recovery before a disaster occurs. Research has shown that communities with pre-disaster recovery plans tend to recover more quickly, efficiently, and equitably than those without.

    • Planning for Hazards - This guide provides detailed, Colorado-specific information about how to assess a community’s risk of hazards and how to implement several land use planning tools and strategies for reducing a community’s risk.

  • Recovery Services

  • Incorporating Resilience into Existing Plans - Incorporating resilience into your comprehensive plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, or other local plans is a strong way to build local resilience, without having to launch a separate planning process.

  • Regional Resiliency Roadmaps Program: Beginning in 2021, the CRO supported 16 regional community teams across rural Colorado to work with State partners and their own Roadmaps consultant in order to prioritize and strategize around shared regional objectives. We continue to work with the teams on implementing their plans, which are available on the Roadmaps Program webpage.

Resilience Funding and Best Practices

The CRO works across State agencies and with local governments to embed resilience in all of our work. In doing so, we provide the following funding, tools, and best practices for communities to use as they build out their own resilience-related work.

Funding: The CRO supports the creation and update of the comprehensive Local Community Funding Guide, which includes funding sources across all state and federal agencies, to help local governments and nonprofit community organizations navigate various funding sources available through a variety of funders. In addition, the CRO supports and manages the following funds directly:

  • The Energy and Mineral Impact Fund (EIAF) offers planning grants so that communities can hire consultants. See the EIAF webpage and talk to your Regional Manager about pursuing these funds for resilience-related planning efforts.

  • The Climate Resilience Challenge funds Climate Action Plans and projects by local governments.

  • The Microgrids for Community Resilience (MCR) grant program funds planning and construction microgrid projects to support communities increasing energy resilience.

  • The Rural Economic Development Initiative is designed to help rural communities comprehensively diversify their local economy and create a more resilient Colorado.

  • See the CRO Resilience Funding webpage for more.

Best Practices: 

The CRO is currently working across State agencies and with partners to develop a Local Government Climate Action Program that will catalyze climate action at the local level by coordinating cross-agency State efforts and funding to incentivize and support local governments in achieving priority climate actions. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage, guide, and provide feedback on the program in 2024. 

Facilitating Local Resilience Networks & Communications

The CRO works to build an ongoing network of resilience leaders across Colorado through peer exchanges. These exchanges aim to continue the conversations and momentum for those who have participated in Camp Resilience, as well as open the dialogue up to local government leaders and partners who are advancing resilience issues on the ground.

The CRO also facilitates topical peer exchange virtual meetings for communities to discuss challenges and opportunities about specific disruptions. For example, the Wildfire Peer Exchange launched amidst the 2020 wildfires in Colorado and continues to convene local emergency management, planners, and partners working in wildfire recovery and resilience. Other peer exchanges have been around the topics of COVID Recovery and Extreme Heat. Find out more about current peer exchanges and reach out to Marguerite Harden, Local Resilience Manager, to suggest other topics.


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