MBN 2023 Course Notebook
- Materials, resources and homework are posted below. Check back each week for updates.
- Scroll to the bottom to access archived materials from past sessions.
- Have a question? Please contact info@partnership-academy.net.

On the Horizon: Graduation!
Session 18: Commencement - May 31 & June 1
Please complete the Course Evaluation by June 16.
- Welcome
- Commencement Speakers: Case Study Presentations
- ALPHA: Philomena West, USDA FS, Assistant Deputy Area Budget Coordinator, Washington Office Research and Development, MD. A View from the WO: Forest Service Cross Deputy Area Projects (CDAPs) and What It’s Like Working for a National Office. (PDF)
- BETA: Connie Chan-Le and Henry Csaposs, USACE, Park Rangers, Los Angeles District, CA. A Second Chance in the Desert: Building partnerships and solutions at Mojave River Dam. (PDF)
- GAMMA: Wayne Nelson-Stastny, USFWS, Missouri River Recovery Project Leader, Missouri River Coordination Office, SD. The Missouri River: A River of Connections, A River of Change. (PDF)
- DELTA: Jo Anna Lutmerding, USFWS, Migratory Bird Program, USFWS HQ, VA. Artificial Lighting at Night: What it means for bird conservation and navigating a path forward. (PDF)
- Gathering In
- Graduation
Instructors: Anne Desmarais, Leigh Goldberg, Liz Madison, Jane Hanson, and MbN 2023 Peer Presenters
On the Horizon: Study Hall 4, June 5 - 16
- Complete the Course Evaluation by June 16.
- Optional to complete by June 16:
- Make up missed sessions for honors credit (15+ sessions completed). Review the recording in the Session archive below, and share your takeaway in the Self-Study Form for credit. Note: Recordings remain posted through June 16.
- Complete homework or other assignments.
- Questions about attendance? Email us at info@partnership-academy.net .
- All other class resources remain posted through June 2024.
Materials from completed sessions, including session recordings, are available below.
MBN 2023 Course Materials Archive
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Session 18: Commencement
Presentations Gathering In: Gift to the Group Alpha Padlet Beta Padlet Gamma Padlet Delta Padlet Gradu ation (PDF) Celebration, Kool and the Gang Peer to Peer Case Study Presentations ALPHA: Philomena West,...
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Session 17: Putting it All Together
Presentations The Road Behind, the Path Ahead (PDF) What's Possible Now: Vision and Strategic Thinking (PDF) Session 17 Recording (Gam ma) MbN Recordings are for course participants only and are password protected. See your weekly MbN email for the...
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Session 16: Reflect on the Journey
Presentation Sustaining Partnerships and Community Collaboratives (PDF) Peer to Peer Case Study Presentations ALPHA: Teri Tucker, NPS, Planning & Compliance Lead (Environmental Protection Specialist), Mount Rainier National Park, WA. Engaging the Public in Planning: Fryingpan...
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Session 15: New Paths to Follow
Presentations Partnership Assessment and the Partnership Impact ModelTM (PDF) Trust Ecology (PDF) Session 15 Recording (Beta) MbN Recordings are for course participants only and are password protected. See your weekly MbN email for the password. Additional...
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Session 14: Get Your Ducks in a Row
Presentations Agreements, Grants and Contracts: Working Internally and With our Partners Peer to Peer Case Study Presentations ALPHA: Matt Fockler, BLM, Socioeconomic Specialist, Great Basin Zone (NV, ID, UT), NV. Two Mississippi: A Case Study in...
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Session 13: Change Your Tack
Presentations Building Savvy and Resilience in Your Partnership Network (PDF) Succession Planning and Organizational Change (PDF) Session 13 Recording Beta, Organizational Change and Succession Planning Gamma, Building Savvy and Resilience in Your Partnership...
Participating in MBN 2023
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Course Learning Objectives
Applying knowledge and skills learned in this course, participants will be able to:
- strengthen an internal and external network of individuals and organizations to advance the mission of the agency;
- build trust with partners, interested parties, and the public using a professional skill set of 22 competencies;
- demonstrate professional competence in applying best practices for partnership, community collaboration, and tribal consultation;
- apply social science concepts and practices to support relevance and resilience in partnering and collaboration;
- recognize the relationship between sunshine laws including the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act to build accountability and trust between public agencies or organizations and their partners, interested parties, and the public.
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MBN Webinar Groups
Each of the 17 course sessions is offered four times as a live, 2-hour webinar. Course participants are assigned to one of the four webinar groups (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta) based on their day and time preference, as indicated on their application.
To support interaction and peer learning, each webinar will be hosted in a virtual classroom with 25-30 participants.
We anticipate schedule conflicts and participants may use the “flex option” to attend any one of the four webinars in any given week, as best suits their schedule.
- Wednesday, ALPHA cohort: 11AM Eastern, 10AM Central, 9AM Mountain, 8AM Pacific, 7AM Alaska, 6AM Hawaii
- Wednesday, BETA cohort: 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, 12PM Mountain, 11AM Pacific, 10AM Alaska, 9AM Hawaii
- Thursday, GAMMA cohort: 11AM Eastern, 10AM Central, 9AM Mountain, 8AM Pacific, 7AM Alaska, 6AM Hawaii
- Thursday, DELTA cohort: 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, 12PM Mountain, 11AM Pacific, 10AM Alaska, 9AM Hawaii
Because the Academy observes Daylight Saving Time, class times will change accordingly in March.
Check your welcome email for your assigned group. The Course Roster will be available after December 12, 2022.
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Webinar Best Practices
- Log in 5-10 minutes early to troubleshoot any technical difficulties.
- Webinars start and end on the hour.
- Audio will be automatically muted when you join the classroom.
- Instructors invite participation by calling on all participants. You may respond or pass the question to another attendee.
Set Yourself Up for Success:
Eliminate distractions.Close your email, turn off notifications.Put a “do not disturb” sign on your door.The chat box is a “judgment free zone.” Comments with typos and spelling errors are welcome.Let the instructor know if you have to be in listening mode due to background noise or other competing interests.Eliminate distractions.- Close your email, turn off notifications.
- Put a “do not disturb” sign on your door.
- The chat box is a “judgment free zone.” Comments with typos and spelling errors are welcome.
- Let the instructor know if you have to be in listening mode due to background noise or other competing interests.
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Classroom Use of Photos and Video
Classroom Use of PhotosDuring webinars, we use a photo roster to facilitate discussion.The photo roster provides participants with information such as your name, agency, job title, work unit, and city and state.We will not publicly post or use photos for any other purpose without your written permission.If you prefer not to use a personal photo, please send an alternate image to use in the classroom.Classroom Use of VideoOn camera participation is not required for this course.We understand that many participants join from sites with limited bandwidth.Because live video feed can significantly impact the quality of online instruction, we use it selectively.During class discussion and breakout sessions, participants are welcome to appear on camera.Classroom Use of PhotosClassroom Use of Photos
- During webinars, we use a photo roster to facilitate discussion.
- The photo roster provides participants with information such as your name, agency, job title, work unit, and city and state.
- We will not publicly post or use photos for any other purpose without your written permission.
- If you prefer not to use a personal photo, please send an alternate image to use in the classroom.
Classroom Use of Video
- On camera participation is not required for this course.
- We understand that many participants join from sites with limited bandwidth.
- Because live video feed can significantly impact the quality of online instruction, we use it selectively.
- During class discussion and breakout sessions, participants are welcome to appear on camera.
Changes on the job? Let us know so we can update your job title, work unit, supervisor, or other information.