Tips for an effective LCLIP

1. Agree the scope, resources (financial & staff) and aim of the LCLIP with senior management before initiating LCLIP.

  • How? Hold a meeting with senior management. See Agenda1 in the LCLIP pack.
  • Why? The agreed scope should be publicised to relevant services/units to show that the project has clear senior management ‘buy-in’.

2. Make sure the method and outputs of the LCLIP are sufficient to meet the aim/s.

  • How? Produce a Project initiation document or similar. See Example Project Initiation Document in the LCLIP pack. Supervise the initial stages of the media search, interviews and reporting.
  • Why? A number of LCLIPs have produced data that is not relevant, contains too much detail or misses key impacts or services.

3. Agree a timeline with the LCLIP Officer at the start and make sure they have sufficient time for officer interviews.

  • How? Use a Gantt or other method to manage project. See LCLIP Gantt Chart in the LCLIP pack.
  • Why? Authorities have testified that, unless afforded sufficient time, vital detail that could have been gathered from interviews is missed.

4. Avoid including information on climate science in the report.

  • How? Provide LCLIP Officer with example LCLIP reports. See LCLIP Summary Template in the LCLIP pack and the LCLIP Case Studies.
  • Why? Some LCLIPs have been overly focussed on the science of climate change without giving enough information on existing vulnerabilities

5. Avoid using the LCLIP to debate or prove climate change.

  • How? Describe the LCLIP as a project to assess current vulnerabilities to weather events. Use real weather events and news stories to open conversations about impacts and consequences. See Email1, Email2 & Example Interview Template in the LCLIP pack.
  • Why? Climate change and climate change adaptation may not have any resonance with affected services. It is more productive to focus discussions on significant weather events that have had real impacts. N.B. it is not necessary to convince services or officers that climate change is happening in order to get useful input from them.