Target Audience Research: Local Decision-Makers

BEPs Research Navigation

Target Audience Research

Study-specific findings for 15 audiences, PDF

Research Bibliography

Knowledge Area BEPs

Audience Description:

Local Decision-Makers are: people who provide recognized leadership in the community whether in elected, appointed, salaried, or volunteer positions

Findings by Outreach Theme

Findings by Essential BEPs

Study-Specific BEPs

These study-specific BEPs distill findings derived from the studies listed in the References below, which were identified using a meta-analysis technique.

Outreach Themes: BEPs are described by one or more of seven focus areas.

Outreach Themes

Research Recommendations

The Audience

 When designing education programs for decision makers:

  • Gather data about policy maker skills and preferences prior to designing training.

Message content

 No research available

Message delivery vehicle

 No research available

Outreach strategy

Provide policy makers with a link to local information sources.

Provide strategies and practice for differentiating objective information sources from biased information sources.

Identify and provide additional support for group-designated water “experts.”

Design partnership development training to build understanding and skills for partnership success factors and themes identified through the Leach and Pelky (2001) meta-analysis of empirical literature. (See Table 2, p. 382 for detailed list of these associated with each factor). Focus on factors influencing partnership success:

  • Maintain balance between partnership resources and scope of activity.
  • Pursue flexible and informal process.
  • Attend to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes.
  • Attend to institution analysis and development (IAD) processes.

Public participation

 No research available

Supporting and motivating professionals

 No research available

Evaluation

 No research available

Linking Study-Specific BEPs to Essential BEPs

Essential BEPs provide an overview of Best Education Practices derived from education theory and other meta-analysis studies. This table shows which Essential BEPs are highlighted by research about local decision-makers as a target audience. The entire collection of Essential BEPs is available on the Water Outreach website.

Education for:

The learning experience:

The Individual

 No relevant research findings

The Class or Group

 Is designed to focus on a targeted audience and is built on an understanding of audience skills and interests.

Web-Based Learning

 No relevant research findings

The Community

Evolves from work with a coalition or group.

Builds on locally existing skills and resources.

Supports a person who takes responsibility for managing or leading the process and relies on quality group planning and facilitation techniques.

Is flexible in response to both process and conditions.

Provides training to increase skills needed to accomplish goals identified by the group.

Builds effectiveness through linkages to other communities, partners, and resources.

Beyond the Community

Builds skills for flexibility and responsiveness to environmental issues and for facilitating community engagement.

Offers avenues for participation which are competent, fair, and enhance involvement for all levels of responsibility.

Supporting References

Berry, K. A., Markee, N. L., Stewart, M. J., & Giewat, G. R. (1996). County commissioners’ water knowledge. Water Resources Bulletin,32(5), 1089-1099.

Leach, W. D., & Pelkey, N. W. (2001). Making watershed partnerships work: A review of the empirical literature. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 127(6), 378-385.