Adaptive management – Integration and Implementation Insights

A tool for transdisciplinary research planning and evaluation

June 23, 2023September 2, 2021

By Brian Belcher, Rachel Claus, Rachel Davel, Stephanie Jones and Daniela Pinto

authors_brian-belcher_rachel-claus_rachel-davel_stephanie-jones_daniela-pinto — 1. Brian Belcher; 2. Rachel Claus; 3. Rachel Davel; 4. Stephanie Jones; 5. Daniela Pinto (biographies)

What are the characteristics of high-quality transdisciplinary research? As research approaches increasingly cross disciplinary bounds and engage stakeholders in the research process to more effectively address complex problems, traditional academic research assessment criteria are insufficient and may even constrain transdisciplinary research development and use. There is a need for appropriate principles and criteria to guide transdisciplinary research practice and evaluation.

In response to this need, Belcher et al. (2016) developed the Transdisciplinary Research Quality Assessment Framework based on a systematic review of literature that discussed the definition and measurement of research quality for inter- and trans- disciplinary research. Through applied testing in case study evaluations, we have revised and refined the framework to improve its utility.

Principles and Criteria

The tool provides guiding principles and corresponding criteria for transdisciplinary research design and implementation.

Producing evaluation and communication strategies in tandem

December 29, 2021August 14, 2018

By Ricardo Ramírez and Dal Brodhead

authors_ricardo-ramírez_dal-brodhead — 1. Ricardo Ramírez (biography)
2. Dal Brodhead (biography)

How can projects produce evaluation and communication strategies in tandem? Why should they even try? A major benefit of helping projects produce evaluation and communication strategies at the same time is that it helps projects clarify their theories of change; it helps teams be specific and explicit about their actions. Before returning to the benefits, let us begin with how we mentor projects to use this approach.

Enabling co-creation: From learning cycles to aligning values, rules and knowledge

August 24, 2022January 19, 2017

By Lorrae van Kerkhoff

How do we improve? In the context of sustainable development, we continually confront the question of how we can develop meaningful and positive actions towards a ‘better’ world (social, ecological, economic outcomes) despite inherent uncertainties about what the future holds.

Co-creation is one concept among several that seek to reorientate us from simplistic, largely linear ideas of progress towards more nuanced, subtle ideas that highlight that there are many different aspects of ‘progress’, and these can be deeply contested and challenging to reconcile. Enabling co-creation, then – or operationalizing it – means finding practical ways to work together, to deal with our different experiences, aspirations and expectations as well as the uncertainties of the future.

Co-creation sits within a learning paradigm that suggests engagement, social and mutual learning, adaptation and flexibility are key to enabling action in the face of uncertainty. But how do we think about learning?

Research impact: Six kinds of change

August 16, 2023March 29, 2016

By Gabriele Bammer

What kinds of change can implementation of research findings contribute to? Sometimes the aim is to make change happen, while at other times research implementation is in response to particular proposed or ongoing change.

Making change happen

Two ways of making change happen that are important for research impact are: 1) contributing to the on-going quest for improvement and 2) combatting practices or behaviours that have negative outcomes for individuals or society.

Examples of contributing to the quest for ongoing improvement include technological research such as invention of thinner lenses to revolutionise cameras and social research such as development and implementation of a disability insurance scheme.