The effects of workshop participation in scenario-planning workshops on propensity to collaborate Survey findings Lisa Rayle Master in City Planning Master of Science in Transportation, MIT Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Chris Zegras SOTUR Workshop 3 9 July

Context Lack of coordinated policy is a major barrier to urban revitalization How can we achieve policy coordination and integration? Between sectors Between jurisdictions Between levels of government 2

Why collaboration is needed for successful urban revitalization policies 1.Mismatch—spatial and functional—between the reality of metropolitan areas and the authority of government entities designed to manage them. 2.A multi-jurisdiction, multi-scale, multi-sector problem like urban revitalization requires coordinated/integrated policies. 3.Given the mismatch between governance structure and reality, coordinated/integrated policies require inter- agency collaboration. 3

Research Question How can collaboration between government agencies emerge? What is the potential of the SOTUR scenario- building workshops to increase participants’ propensity for collaboration? 4

Survey approach 5 Measure of propensity to collaborate Hypothesis: participation in the workshops will increase respondents’ propensity to collaborate

Conceptual model of collaboration Collaboration Process Organization- Specific Factors [Propensity to collaborate] External Conditions [Incentives/ Disincentives] Outcomes Collaboration management structure 6 Catalyst

Internal factors: Propensity to collaborate Propensity to collaborate Mutual trust Structural embeddedness Existing links Strength of existing links Recognition of common interests + objectives Common interests + objectives Shared definition of the problem Recognition of shared definition of problem Perception of past failure to address problem Understanding of wider policy context Recognition of potential value of collaboration Organizational characteristics *highlighted= measured by survey 7

Theoretical basis The act of deliberation in the workshop process will: Change participants’ perceptions of each other Increase participants’ understanding of the problem [theories of communicative planning, drawing from Healy, Innes, et al., following Habermas] 8

Scenario-building workshop timeline Workshop 3 Demonstrate modeling techniques Project team synthesizes driving forces Project team elaborates scenario narratives; applies to models JanMarAprMayJunJul2010 Pre-workshop survey Post-workshop survey Subject of thesis research 9 Feb Workshop 1Workshop 2

Survey results Pre-WorkshopPost-Workshop Total survey responses Total participants: ~35 Good representation in terms of city, sector, and level of government of respondents

To what degree does your organization share objectives with other organizations of the following types? Recognition of shared objectives 11

Understanding of the problem 12

Strongly agree Moderately agree Moderately disagree Strongly disagree Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements Changes in perceptions 13 The workshop helped me gain a better understanding of urban revitalization issues I found that I shared similar opinions with other participants in my discussion group The workshop did not change my ideas about urban revitalization at all 2455

Importance and relevance of urban revitalization Pre-WorkshopPost-Workshop CountPercentCountPercent Considering the situation in which you work, how would you classify the importance of defining strategies and policies to promote urban revitalization? Very important 1777%1482% Important 523%219% A little important 00%16% Not important 00%0 How would you classify the relevance of issue of "urban revitalization" to the organization in which you work? Very relevant 1359%847% Relevant 732%741% A little relevant 29%16% Not relevant 00%16% 14

Post-workshop Did you meet any new acquaintances during the workshop(s)? ResponsesPercent Yes2091% No29% I already knew most of the participants in my discussion group(s) in the workshop(s) True317% False1583% New inter-agency links

Strongly agree Moderately agree Moderately disagree Strongly disagree Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements Attitudes toward policy 17 The existing urban revitalization strategies and policies in my city have been very effective We cannot achieve our urban revitalization objectives without changing the institutional system If we want to be successful in urban revitalization, the various agencies need to work together more Our current system can achieve our urban revitalization objectives, if only we have the political will to implement the right policies. 8810

Survey results Results on change in perceptions are somewhat conflicting –No great change in participants’ perceptions, but when asked directly there were indications of change. Clear increase in number of acquaintanceships, or inter-agency links 18

Survey limitations Represents only opinions of respondents – difficult to generalize to a wider situation Difficult to measure complex, subjective views through a short survey (longer interviews would be more informative) Post-survey immediately followed 2 nd workshop, but changes may take longer 19

Possible explanation for lack of evidence of change in perceptions Potential problems with the survey: –Poor survey design –Surveys generally a crude measure 2. Potential problems with the workshop –Ineffective design of SOTUR workshops –Participants already had good understanding of the issue –Scenario planning not suited to this context 3.Potential problems with scenario planning –Scenario planning, in general, does not actually change people’s attitudes –Participatory exercises, in general, do not have a significant effect on people’s views and understandings.

Conclusions and future work Evidence that workshops strengthened networks, but perhaps did not change perceptions What would happen scenario planning were conducted on a larger scale? Will the workshops actually lead to collaboration? (we measured only propensity) 21

Thank you Questions? 22