DHHL Waiʻanae and Nānākuli Regional Plan Updates

HACBED provided support to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) in its 10-month process of updating the Wai‘anae and Lualualei Regional Plan (previously updated in 2010) and the Regional Plan for the Traditional Native Lands of the Ahupua‘a of Nānākuli (previously updated in 2009). In consultation with its Wai‘anae and Nānākuli regional beneficiaries and other stakeholders, as well as members of DHHL, this update process sought to articulate a communal vision, incorporate any changes that have occurred since the last planning process, and frame and organize current and future initiatives.

For the update process, HACBED organized, coordinated, and conducted the following activities for each of the two regional plans:

Research
HACBED, in partnership with DHHL, updated, analyzed, and summarized data in the regions. This included demographic data, political representation, use designation changes, new or updated land use development proposals, major land ownership changes, policy changes, funding for projects or programs, changes in existing or proposed infrastructure elements, and community economic development initiatives.

Stakeholder Interviews and Focus Groups
HACBED conducted stakeholder interviews and focus groups in the regions. Focus groups were carried out using the ʻOhana Dialogue methodology in which a space is created for conversations in an informal setting to uncover more honest information and feelings in an organic fashion.

Meetings for Regional Plans
HACBED conducted community meetings within the regions. Preparation for the meetings consisted of planning with DHHL, analyzing the results of specific interviews and focus groups that could help to inform the meetings, developing handouts and other materials to be distributed at the meetings, creating the schedule and agenda, developing the presentations for the meetings, and acquiring all necessary supplies. Materials created included two videos that provided an overview of the DHHL planning process: “DHHL Waiʻanae & Lualualei Regional Plan Update 2018 – Overview” and “DHHL Nānākuli Regional Plan Update 2018 – Overview.” Follow-up activities consisted of refining and analyzing the transcripts from the meetings, digitizing responses provided on posters and chart paper, following-up with any attendees if additional information was required, and identifying themes and similarities between participant responses to highlight widespread issues and concerns.

Finalize Regional Plans
HACBED provided an updated regional plan for each of the two regions that followed a similar format to the other recently updated DHHL regional plans. This included updated sections that introduced the plan and process, vision and values, planning area, existing land uses, infrastructure, priority projects, and potential projects. The potential projects section consisted of projects identified by community members that, while not currently a top priority, are valued by the community and may become priority projects in the future.