Collaborating for Systems Change

Environmental health researchers, government agencies, and community groups have endorsed long-term community-academic partnerships as an effective strategy to support science-based improvements in environmental health. Social sciences concepts, approaches, and methods are fundamental to these trans...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New solutions 2016-11, Vol.26 (3), p.429
Main Authors: Korfmacher, Katrina Smith, Pettibone, Kristianna Grass, Gray, Kathleen M, Newman, Ogonnaya Dotson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community involvement
Environmental changes
Environmental health
Government agencies
Health care policy
Planning
Social sciences
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Summary:Environmental health researchers, government agencies, and community groups have endorsed long-term community-academic partnerships as an effective strategy to support science-based improvements in environmental health. Social sciences concepts, approaches, and methods are fundamental to these translational partnerships. However, appropriate roles for academic partners vary throughout the process of changing systems (policies, practices, programs, etc.). This can complicate planning, evaluating, and sustaining such partnerships. We set forth a conceptual framework for academic partners' roles at different stages of systems change. We apply this framework to three longstanding academic-community partnerships involving National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Community Outreach and Engagement Cores. We conclude by discussing how the framework can help academic partners tap appropriate expertise, redefine their roles, and evaluate their contributions to community efforts to improve environmental health.
ISSN:1048-2911
1541-3772
DOI:10.1177/1048291116662680