Getting Involved in the Cooperating Technical Partners Program

Once you become a Cooperating Technical Partner, you can get involved with out Collaboration Center, Communities of Practice, CTP Recognition Center and training opportunities.

CTP Collaboration Center

For participants with active partnership agreements, FEMA encourages you to email the CTP Admin to register at the Collaboration Center. This one-stop shop includes the following information:

  • Training materials, courses and opportunities
  • Annual grants guidance toolbox
  • Onboarding toolbox for new Cooperating Technical Partners (a resource for FEMA Regions)
  • Meeting notes
  • Discussion board
  • FEMA-CTP resources center

If you are already a Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) and need access to the CTP Collaboration Center, email the CTP Admin.

CTP Onboarding Process

Once registered for the Collaboration Center, participants undergo an introduction to connect with their FEMA region. The CTP onboarding tools and resources include a standard operating procedures (SOP) document and information on grants guidance.

CTP Community of Practice (CoP)

The CTP Community of Practice (CoP) began in 2015 as a mechanism to improve FEMA-CTP communications. If you are a CTP partner and not currently participating in the CoP, email the CTP Admin to join the CTP CoP.

CTP Recognition Program

FEMA launched the Cooperating Technical Partner Recognition Program in 2017 to recognize participating partners who demonstrate flood mapping program proficiency and best practices in management, technology, innovation, mapping and/or communications. Nominations are reviewed by hundreds of industry peers who award recipients and honorable mention.

Each year FEMA hosts the Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) Recognition Program to honor a CTP doing excellent work. These awards go to participants who demonstrate program proficiency and best practices in management, technology, innovation, mapping and/or communications and outreach for flood mapping.

  • 2023 Winner: National Wildlife Federation – Resilient Schools Consortium
  • 2022 Winner: Colorado Water Conservation Board
  • 2021 Winners: Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Water Survey (Winner) and Maryland Department of the Environment (Honorable Mention)
  • 2020 Winners: Harris County Flood Control District (Winner) and Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (Honorable Mention)
  • 2019 Winners: Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Winner) and Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Honorable Mention)
  • 2018 Winners: Kentucky Division of Water (Winner) and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Honorable Mention)
  • 2017 Winners: San Antonio River Authority (Winner) and Illinois State Water Survey (Honorable Mention)
Graphic
Thumbnail preview of a Story Map on ArcGIS

Story Maps

As a result of receiving this recognition, FEMA works with the recipient to create a story map about their award-winning efforts.

View Winners' Story Maps

Training Resources

CTP 101 is an introductory course providing a broad overview of the CTP Program, including mission, activities, funding processes, and available tools and resources.

Once you've executed a Partnership Agreement, you can take additional CTP training, like the CTP Special Topics Course.

There are also several important training resources are accessible from the CTP Collaboration Center Training page, including:

  • Webinars spanning technical, communications and program management topics.
  • Learning Self-Assessment Tool, which is used to identify CTP and FEMA Staff roles and map them to recommended competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities). NOTE: FEMA is updating its Learning Self-Assessment Tool. This space will be updated when it is available.

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