Linking Knowledge with Action Through Municipality-University Partnerships: Predicting Interest in and Preferences for P

1. Linking Knowledge with Action Through Municipality-University Partnerships: Predicting Interest in and Preferences for Partnerships Karen K. Hutchins1, Laura Lindenfeld1, Linda Silka2, Kathleen P. Bell2, and Jessica Leahy3Departments of Communication and Journalism1, School of Economics2, and School of Forest Resources3, University of Maine, Orono October, 2011 Introduction To improve links between knowledge and action, Sustainability Science must address the process through which researchers build stakeholder partnerships. Maine’s municipal agents are key stakeholders in Maine’s because of strong local control, and promoting a sustainable future in Maine requires insights into their perspectives. Therefore, we conducted a statewide mail survey of 2500 municipal officials in 499 municipalities. Our work seeks to align stakeholders’ needs with research through improved understanding of stakeholder problems, perceptions, and partnership preferences. The survey assessed municipality problems and concerns and examined interest in and preferences for developing partnerships. It also was used as a tool to gauge interest in future collaborations. Results Research indicates that the majority of municipal officials have not worked with faculty/staff and student researchers, but that the majority of officials who have worked with researchers had experiences that were extremely helpful. Conclusions - Over half of the respondents answered ‘not sure’ when asked if UMS researchers could assist them in resolving some of the issues in their municipalities. Regression analyses indicate that this belief is a key determinant of respondents’ interests in developing community-university partnerships. - If increased partnerships are a goal, UMS researchers must help municipal officials better understand researchers’ abilities to address municipal problems. This analysis lends insight into the factors that influence community-university partnerships and the type of questions we need to ask when pursuing a partnership. It encourages people seeking a collaboration to assess their partner’s preferences prior to engagement as a means for ensuring improved alignment and successful collaborations. • Regression analyses indicate that our model, used to predict the likelihood of municipal officials’ interest in pursuing partnerships, was significant at p<.001 and predicted 31% of the variance in reported likelihood of interest. Model factors included: • Trust in University of Maine System (UMS) researchers; • Belief that UMS researchers can assist municipal officials in resolving problems. • Type of experience with Maine researchers; • Helpfulness of the experience with Maine researchers, and Literature Cited Dillman, D.A., Smyth, J.S. & Christian. L.M. (2009). Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: A Tailored Design Method. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Johnson, R.J. & Scicchitano, M.J. (2009). Willing and able: Explaining individuals' engagement in environmental policy making. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 52(6), 833-846. Leahy, J.E. & Anderson, D.H. (2008). Trust factors in community-water resource management agency relationships. Landscape and Urban Planning, 87, 100-107. Sarawitz, D. & Pielke, R.A. (2007). The neglected heart of science policy: reconciling supply of and demand for science. Environmental Science & Policy, 10, 5-16. Sabatier, P.A., Focht, W., Lubell, M., Trachtenberg, Z,. Vedlitz, A., & Matlock, M. (2005). Swimming Upstream: Collaborative Approaches to Watershed Management. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Shephard, A. & Bowler, C. (1997). Beyond the requirements: Improving public participation in EIA. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 40(6), 725-738. Figure 2. Officials’ Experience with Researchers Overall Model: Adjusted R2 - 0.314 Materials and Methods In August, 2010, using a modified version of Dillman’s (2009) Tailored Design Method for surveys, we mailed over 2500 surveys to every municipality in Maine to officials in 13 different municipal positions. We achieved a 46% response rate (1176), Representing 86% of municipalities. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to develop a model for predicting interest in and preferences for partnerships. Qualitative research complemented the regression analyses by providing additional insight into partnership preferences and concerns. Results indicate that the belief that UMS researchers can help resolve municipality issues is the strongest predictor of interest in developing a partnership (ß = .306, p <.001). Frequency analysis (see Fig. 5) demonstrates that Maine university and college researchers are a relatively unknown entity to municipalities, indicating that improved outreach to and collaboration efforts with officials are needed. Figure 4. Regression Results Figure 3. Helpfulness of the Experience with Researchers Figure 1. Survey Design Acknowledgments We thank SSI colleagues, Maine municipal officials, Jeff Austin of the Maine Municipal Association and Maine residents for reviewing, editing, and pre-testing the survey. • Initial qualitative analysis of text responses reveals that municipal officials are concerned with: • the time required for partnerships, • ownership of data, • researchers’ knowledge of municipal government, • equality in the partnership. For Further Information Contact Karen Hutchins at karen.hutchins@umit.maine.edu. For more information on Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative visit: www.umaine.edu/sustainabilitysolutions. Figure 5. Belief in UMS Assistance Supported by the NSF award EPS-0904155 and ME EPSCoR at the University of Maine