Boundary spanning at the science–policy interface: the practitioners’ perspectives
Angela T. Bednarek,Carina Wyborn,Christopher Cvitanovic,Ryan Meyer,Rebecca Colvin,Prue F. E. Addison,S. L. Close,K. Curran,Mahmud Farooque,Erica Goldman,David Hart,H. Mannix,Bridie McGreavy,Adam Parris,Stephen Posner,C. Robinson,Melanie Ryan,Peat Leith +17 more
TLDR
It is suggested that boundary spanning has the potential to increase the efficiency by which useful research is produced, foster the capacity to absorb new evidence and perspectives into sustainability decision-making, enhance research relevance for societal challenges, and open new policy windows.Abstract:
Cultivating a more dynamic relationship between science and policy is essential for responding to complex social challenges such as sustainability. One approach to doing so is to “span the boundaries” between science and decision making and create a more comprehensive and inclusive knowledge exchange process. The exact definition and role of boundary spanning, however, can be nebulous. Indeed, boundary spanning often gets conflated and confused with other approaches to connecting science and policy, such as science communication, applied science, and advocacy, which can hinder progress in the field of boundary spanning. To help overcome this, in this perspective, we present the outcomes from a recent workshop of boundary-spanning practitioners gathered to (1) articulate a definition of what it means to work at this interface (“boundary spanning”) and the types of activities it encompasses; (2) present a value proposition of these efforts to build better relationships between science and policy; and (3) identify opportunities to more effectively mainstream boundary-spanning activities. Drawing on our collective experiences, we suggest that boundary spanning has the potential to increase the efficiency by which useful research is produced, foster the capacity to absorb new evidence and perspectives into sustainability decision-making, enhance research relevance for societal challenges, and open new policy windows. We provide examples from our work that illustrate this potential. By offering these propositions for the value of boundary spanning, we hope to encourage a more robust discussion of how to achieve evidence-informed decision-making for sustainability.read more
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Principles for knowledge co-production in sustainability research
Albert V. Norström,Christopher Cvitanovic,Christopher Cvitanovic,Marie Löf,Simon West,Simon West,Simon West,Carina Wyborn,Carina Wyborn,Patricia Balvanera,Angela T. Bednarek,Elena M. Bennett,Reinette Biggs,Reinette Biggs,Ariane de Bremond,Ariane de Bremond,Bruce M. Campbell,Josep G. Canadell,Stephen R. Carpenter,Carl Folke,Carl Folke,Elizabeth A. Fulton,Elizabeth A. Fulton,Owen Gaffney,Owen Gaffney,Stefan Gelcich,Jean-Baptiste Jouffray,Jean-Baptiste Jouffray,Melissa Leach,Martin Le Tissier,Berta Martín-López,Elena Louder,Marie-France Loutre,Alison M. Meadow,Harini Nagendra,Davnah Payne,Garry D. Peterson,Belinda Reyers,Belinda Reyers,Robert J. Scholes,Chinwe Ifejika Speranza,Marja Spierenburg,Marja Spierenburg,Mark Stafford-Smith,Maria Tengö,Sandra van der Hel,Ingrid van Putten,Ingrid van Putten,Henrik Österblom +48 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a set of four general principles that underlie high-quality knowledge co-production for sustainability research, and offer practical guidance on how to engage in meaningful co-productive practices, and how to evaluate their quality and success.
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