Tri-County Operations Assessment

Portland Metro Area, Oregon

In 2023 CAPA was contracted by the Multnomah County Health Department to conduct an operations assessment – an overview of current plans, programs, stakeholders, and activities – related to summer heat in the Clackamas-Multnomah-Washington tri-county region. This scan included review of 15 planning and procedure documents, 39 stakeholder interviews, and a workshop with 15 government staff from all three counties to take a deeper look at gaps in county operations, roles and responsibilities, and potential parameters for a future regional heat strategy. 

Interviews explored the work that each county had previously done to address heat, how coordination occurs during a heat emergency, and challenges to coordination that staff encounter. These sessions included county staff from public health, social/human services, and emergency management as well as representatives from coordinated care organizations, the State of Oregon, and community-based organizations.

CAPA designed and facilitated a subsequent workshop with staff members from the three counties. This event emphasized actionable directions and definition of existing and potential roles. Participants were first grouped by county and asked to brainstorm a “heat actions roadmap” for various time intervals including ongoing/yearround, one week before a heat wave, during a heat wave, and up to three months after a heat wave. Then, in sector-specific small groups participants articulated shared valves and best practices that guide their work, noting differences and similarities in comparable departments across the three counties. 

The resulting report details existing operations and ongoing coordinations; shared values, goals, and practices that could be leveraged in a regional heat strategy; limitations that may prevent smooth development and implementation of such a strategy, including disparities in staff capacity and resource access across the three counties; and recommendations for advancing toward a comprehensive heat strategy.

Client

Multnomah County Health Department

Related Services

Jurisdictional Scan, Operations Assessment

Media

Report Sample