Is all co-production created equal? Understanding drivers and outcomes

Session: 21. - The Science-Policy Interface in Great Lakes Research

Katherine Browne, University of Michigan, [email protected]
Maria Carmen Lemos, School of Natural Resources and Environment, [email protected]

Abstract

Despite a growing recognition of the importance of coproduced information in networks of decision-makers facing climate change, relatively little attention has been paid to how different types of users and forms of engagement (e.g. brokering and bridging of climate information) may yield different coproduction outcomes. In this study, we compare drivers and outcomes of co-production of a largernetwork (twenty-five cases) of users within the scope of the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), a boundary organization whose mission is to disseminate climate information in the Great Lakes region. We focus especially on drivers of co-production within boundary organizations (e.g. embeddedness, complementarity, financial and human resources, trust building, and legitimacy) to explore different forms of engagement and models of brokering and bridging information. Our case studies span a wide range of users, including cities, businesses, academic and professional organizations, and governmental agencies. We find that different kinds of resources and engagement matter in terms of desirable outcomes. In addition, while the supply of resources by boundary organizations is necessary to foster co-production, effective use and stable networks are often not achieved in the absence of sustained engagement and support. 

1. Keyword
climate change

2. Keyword
assessments

3. Keyword
environmental policy

4. Additional Keyword
Coproduction

5. Additional Keyword
Boundary organization