Today’s interview is with Don Waye, who moderates the EPA’s NPSINFO listserv. Government agencies are usually wary about sponsoring online communities, but the 1,600 NPSINFO subscribers carry on a civilized discussion about polluted runoff and related topics that is a credit and an asset for EPA. Let’s find out how Don keeps the dialogue on track and what he would recommend to others contemplating starting an online community of their own:

Eric: Could you briefly recap the purpose and history of the NPSInfo listserv?

Don: NPSINFO is an EPA-sponsored public forum for open discussion of runoff pollution issues on both the regulated side (through stormwater permits) and unregulated side (traditional nonpoint source issues from agriculture to urban land uses). It is a free electronic list that anyone can join. Most participants are with local governments and environmental consultants, with decent representation from universities, as well. I’ve been with EPA for nearly 6 years now and can remember participating in a modem dial-up bulletin board precursor to NPSINFO in the early 1990s as a regular non-EPA watershed program administrator before the Web or email existed as we know it. I think there were a dozen people or so active on it then. Now we have roughly 1800 people and continue to add about 20 new subscribers a month. One constant throughout has been that the forum exists as a means to encourage collaboration, cross-fertilization of ideas, and to bridge the gap between ignorance and knowledge in the belief that knowledge is empowering and that we can make a positive difference for the environment.

Eric: How would you describe the benefits of hosting this listserv for the EPA?

Don: The benefits for EPA match our mission to better protect our environment. We accomplish this by linking the thoughts and ideas of an incredible array of experts across the nation, and in some cases, beyond. But it is hardly just about EPA; we are merely the hosts. The list provides real-time access to answers and information that is not otherwise available. It also allows EPA and all participants a chance to not only learn from each other, but to value and appreciate different perspectives to the same issues. I get excited when I see real, practical questions fielded by world experts in caring for our water resources (usually outside EPA) without getting bogged down in layers of bureaucracy or protocol.

Eric: What steps do you take to steer the discussion, and how much time does this require?

Don: As EPA’s list moderator, I have no desire to steer discussion other than to keep things inbounds and relevant. I think the discussion enjoys an incredibly high signal-to-noise ratio. Most everyone who subscribes to NPSINFO are people who must deal with stormwater or nonpoint source runoff issues professionally and as such are very busy. Every once in a while I need to send reminders to people who stray from the purpose of the list. Most of these are gentle and private, and are well-received. A few are not. By moderating the list proactively, I can stay on top of potential issues that could dilute the strength of our signal before they have a chance to drag the discussion down. For example, I don’t think we’ve had any incidences of flaming or ranting in years because there is such a pervasive attitude of mutual respect in this community.

This is a very fortunate situation and it makes my duties quite easy. Most weeks, list administration duties take less than an hour a week. But there are occasional flurries of activities that can take a half-day per week.

Eric: How would you reach this community if you didn’t have a listserv?

Don: In the early days of the list, that would have been easy to answer. The fact is, we wouldn;t have reached this community any other way. Or more accurately, we wouldn’t have been able to assemble this community in quite the way that we have. As Web 2.0 opportunities begin to abound and evolve, this question is becoming tougher to answer. That is, the days of NPSINFO are probably numbered, although we are only beginning to scan the horizon to see what other possibilities exist to better serve our community and broaden it, as well, I hope.

Eric: What advice would you give to another government agency that was considering starting an open community like this?

Don: Go for it. It’s not too late. The whole idea to me is about building and nurturing a desired community and breaking down the barriers that prevent it from becoming a reality. If one idea on the mechanics of how to build the community doesn’t pan out, don’t get discouraged. Just try something else. Follow models that have been proven and figure out how to make the technology work for you. EPA has dozens of electronic forums on a wide array of topics and dozens more electronic notification lists. Some are more popular and vibrant than other. One of the smartest things I did with regard to managing NPSINFO is to build an online Resource Center for the list, where people can learn about the list’s purpose, etiquette guidelines for posting, and managing their subscription, to try to make it as dummy-proof and clear as possible.

Click here to learn more about NPSINFO and sign up yourself.