COMMUNITY BASED RESEARCH CANADA

• Founded MAY CUexpo2008

• Steering Committee: University and civil society reps across Canada

• Linked to Global Alliance for Community Engaged research

• www.communityresearchcanada.ca

Global Policy Environment

2008 World Report on Higher Education, reports on the growing discourse around the world on engagement and renewed examinations of the relationship of higher education to the societies within which they are located.

Emergence of several global networks

UNESCO Brief

GACER BRIEF TO UNESCO JULY 2009• Global social, economic and environmental

crisis requires new knowledge creation and action across government, civil society and other stakeholders.

• Community-University partnerships in research, learning and knowledge mobilization are a growing trend in countries around the world, in both the South and North, in seek solutions to inter-related social, economic and environmental issues and challenges of poverty and sustainability

FUNDING & DEVELOPMENT OF CU

PARTNERSHIPSStudy commissioned by SSHRC found:

• Increased investment by research councils, government agencies, foundations, universities and civil society organisations

• Impacts and outcomes for knowledge creation in all areas of policy and practice (health, social and economic development, environment, housing, Aboriginal self-determination)

FUNDING & DEVELOPMENT OF CU

PARTNERSHIPS• Increasing development of university wide

structures for community engagement in research, service learning, civic and social responsibility

• Partnerships of civil society networks in the co-creation of knowledge and evidence-based policies

• Gaps: Funding, Supportive institutional arrangements, Policy linkages, Community capacity building, Practice and Knowledge Mobilisation and Exhange

CONCLUSION• We are at critical point in the evolution of

CU partnerships.

• Major potential for linking Post Secondary system resources to community needs

• Particularly important for the complex multi sectoral and interdisciplinary health-socio-economic, cultural and environmental issues facing Canadian communities

RECOMMENDATIONS • Research granting councils increase

support and policy direction, improve funding for community partners, invest in networking and knowledge mobilisation and exchange

• Governments engage in policy and programme linkages

• Universities and colleges strengthen supportive environments for CBR

FINDINGS

Government supported agencies are leveraging relationships with higher education and civil society to achieve distinct mandates that require new knowledge and its mobilization in the public interest (e.g. housing and homelessness).

FINDINGS

• Civil society organizations are using research to generate both knowledge for practice and create opportunities for co-producing policy with government and other stakeholders that is evidence-based and builds on the experience of communities and their organizations to create and manage change.

• Supported by Foundations, Philanthropy

FINDINGS

Institution-wide commitments to community engagement as an explicit mission of universities across a range of research, learning and knowledge mobilization activities to advance their social responsibility mandate (e.g. Uvic, UQAM, etc.)

FINDINGS

Leadership by foundations and civil society networks and organizations to bring together university-based representatives with community representatives to achieve social innovation and sustainable development objectives (e.g. McConnell Foundation, Canadian CED Network)

FINDINGS

Critical momentum with outcomes of benefit to communities, higher education, government and research funding councils, civil society. BUT substantial barriers and challenges.

BARRIERS

• Structures and systems within higher education institutions

• Research funding restrictions and policy direction

• Governmental policies• Community capacity and recognition• Fragmentation• Lack of knowledge mobilization across

siloed initiatives

RECOMMENDATIONS

Research Councils strengthen their lead role in CU research and knowledge mobilization partnerships by: Increasing investment; explicit supportive policies; incentives; grant conditions that build community capacity; support for next generation of students and practitioners; national networking; knowledge exchange across Council funded projects. (Pgs 6-8)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Tri-Council leadership in: Policy forum and policy statement on CU partnerships; Funding mechanism for CU partnerships involving inter-disciplinary research; Annual best practice event to build capacity and innovation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

SSHRC: Engage CU stakeholders in developing policy statement for Council; Support mechanisms to exchange best practices amongst grant recipients to build capacity and innovation; Work with stakeholders to document evidence of outcomes and determine future priorities

RECOMMENDATIONS

Universities/Colleges: Expand innovation in structures and systems of recognition to provide incentives for community engagement; Link up service learning, research partnerships, ethical purchasing, social responsibility; Pan institutional support for KM and CBR

RECOMMENDATIONS

Governments: Improve federal program funding arrangements to support CU research partnerships that contribute to horizontal policy development; Engage CMEC in exploring provincial territorial support to CU partnerships; Engage FCM in exploring municipal engagement

RECOMMENDATIONS

Civil Society: Networking and engagement through CBRC of Foundations, Aboriginal and First Nations organizations, immigrant and refugee organizations, social economy, and others in strengthening leadership role and capacity of civil society to use research partnerships to create policy and practice outcomes

NEXT STEPS

• Disseminate findings and recommendations

• Engage through the CBRC Steering Committee

• Expand research to inventory and detailed case studies to document impact

• Link to work with the Global Alliance funded by SSHRC and IDRC

• Strengthen UNESCO brief

QUESTIONS

• What’s missing in this analysis, what recommendations would you suggest ?

• What resources do you have that could be useful ?

• How could you use this material in your own settings ?

• What opportunities are there for further engagement with this initiative, CBRC, GACER, in your own settings/networks ?

MORE INFORMATION

www.communityresearchcanada.ca

BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED !