<ol><li>Engage directly with local and community leaders. Align yourself with the local faith community, such as Black church leaders. If you don't have local leaders' buy-in and willingness to vouch for you, you are set up for failure.</li><li>Exercise patience and understanding. Projects progress at the speed of trust, which is earned over time. Many unserved and underserved communities have been promised many things and have been let down in one way or another. You must make the effort to understand the foundation of mistrust and underlying issues.</li><li>Align yourself mentally with local communities to empathize with their situations. These are real people who care about their communities, children, and institutions. You should have “we,” not “they,” as a mindset.</li></ol>

Win over influential local leaders to gain wider acceptance in the broader community.

Getting Started

<p>The<i><strong> Local Coordination</strong></i> module<i><strong> </strong></i>prepares you to apply for <a href="https://broadband.money/ntia-bead-nofo/notice-of-funding-opportunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD broadband grants</a> – as well as several other broadband grant programs in one or more states – from a single application. You can use this application to create a model from which you can create different iterations for different states. This is your “application model.”<br>You can use your application model to conduct research &amp; development, explore your territory with easy-to-use geospatial tools, to prepare for local coordination, and to line up matching funds in order to win IIJA BEAD grants.</p><p>The BEAD NOFO requires states, territories, the District of Columbia and other eligible entities to adopt a “comprehensive local coordination approach” that should be included in their Five-Year-Plan submissions to the NTIA.&nbsp;</p><p>States, territories, the District of Columbia, and other eligible entities must document their local coordination and outreach activities to local governments, community groups, union and worker organizations, tribal governments and under-represented populations. These local groups will be key partners for providers looking to win IIJA broadband grant funding to serve these local communities. &nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Who is this for?</strong></h2><p>This section is intended for existing local providers interested in learning how to win IIJA BEAD grants. Whether you have definite plans already, or need to explore the possibilities, this module is for you – if you already own and/or operate a provider business in at least one state or territory. This section can be completed directly, or via your consultant (you’ll be able to invite them to your application model).</p><h2><strong>Get ready for state plans</strong></h2><p>NTIA has already supplied crystal clear guidance to all grantees (the states) in requirements for sub-grantees (the applicants). So it’s possible to get going on the fundamentals now.</p><p>State plans will be finalized and approved by NTIA within the year. Once states finalize their plans, applicants will be able to complete their applications with additional sections that deal with specific state-level requirements.</p><p><code>❕ TIP: It is perhaps a mistake to wait on states, since incumbents are already working out their application plans now.</code></p><h2><strong>Get setup for effective local coordination</strong></h2><p>In the <i><strong>Local Coordination</strong></i> module, you’ll be paired with great prospective partners. Communities searching for strong providers will find you through the profile you have set up in the <i><strong>Getting Ready for BEAD</strong></i> module.</p><h2><strong>What’s covered in this section?</strong></h2><ul><li>How to win local community leaders' trust in areas that are unserved or underserved</li><li>How to successfully start engaging with local communities that are unserved or underserved</li><li>How to successfully execute partnership plans once you've earned local communities' trust.</li></ul><h2>&nbsp;</h2>

Partner with great communities & providers to meet NTIA local coordination guidelines.

Lesson 2: Cultivate Trust With Strategic Local Community Leaders

Win over influential local leaders to gain wider acceptance in the broader community.

Scott D. Woods

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