Technical Tuesdays

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The Flood Control District of Maricopa County (District or FCD) is responsible for reducing the risk of flooding to people and property. FCD builds and maintains structures, identifies floodplains, issues permits for development within floodplains, operates flood warning systems and conducts flood hazard studies to identify risks and provide flooding solutions. The District is composed of multiple divisions with functions ranging from infrastructure planning and design, permitting and regulation, hazard identification, hydrology simulations, operations and maintenance, administrative support and public outreach. Staff responsible for each of these functions must work in tandem to accomplish District goals. District leadership recognized the siloed nature with which some of these functions were performed, with staff unaware of how their work fit into the overall District mission. Staff were continually innovating and refining processes and improvements that had application in other areas but had no way of sharing them with other staff. In addition, many staff members were required to interact with outside stakeholders but rarely had the opportunity to practice their public speaking skills in a safe environment. “Technical Tuesday” was created as a solution to these issues by allowing staff to volunteer to discuss topics relevant to a wider audience.