Final Report: Producing Usable Science: Testing the Effectiveness of Stakeholder Engagement in Climate Research
Dates
Acquisition
2021-10-28
Citation
Alison Meadow, Final Report: Producing Usable Science: Testing the Effectiveness of Stakeholder Engagement in Climate Research: .
Summary
This project was designed to test whether the quality of engagement between climate scientists and resource managers and the subsequent usability of the science produce changed when a social scientist was added to a research project to guide engagement activities. The goal of the project was to use social science expertise to strengthen engagement and, through the stakeholder engagement, improve the delivery and use of climate science data. In the two cases we completed, we observed that social science expertise did change the nature of engagements between the climate scientists and stakeholders and the attitude of the scientists toward working directly with stakeholders. In the first case, the most significant change was on the part [...]
Summary
This project was designed to test whether the quality of engagement between climate scientists
and resource managers and the subsequent usability of the science produce changed when a
social scientist was added to a research project to guide engagement activities. The goal of the
project was to use social science expertise to strengthen engagement and, through the stakeholder
engagement, improve the delivery and use of climate science data. In the two cases we
completed, we observed that social science expertise did change the nature of engagements
between the climate scientists and stakeholders and the attitude of the scientists toward working
directly with stakeholders. In the first case, the most significant change was on the part of the
graduate student, who decided at the end of her research assistantship that she would like to
pursue a career in applied climate research so she could continue to work closely with on-theground
decision makers. In the second case, we observed the creation and growth of a new
climate services network as the climate researcher slowly built connections and trust within an
agricultural community that had not previously worked closely with climate researchers. This
new network and connections helped the research team create new data products targeted
specifically at the needs of the growers. The connections between the research team and the
grower community have persisted beyond the original project funding and have led to new
collaborations and the provision of technical assistance.