Building Community for Participatory Modeling: Network Composition, Trust, and Adaptive Process Design

Abstract

Complex environmental problems span multiple disciplines and scales of inquiry. Discovering solutions requires inclusive problem-solving spaces. Participatory modeling represents a collaborative research approach that engages stakeholders to co-produce knowledge and problem responses. Scholarship largely features the results of scientific modeling. Lacking are assessments of the nature of participant engagement and collaboration. Our paper offers insights on how to structure, support, and evaluate interactive spaces for participatory modeling, especially during the initial (community building) phase of projects when collaborative culture is established. The Floridan Aquifer Collaborative Engagement for Sustainability (FACETS) convenes stakeholders in the Southeast US from farming, forestry, government, conservation, and academia. We explore network assembly, trust diversity, and iterative process design in FACETS. Through longitudinal reflexive monitoring facilitators appreciate the range of participant needs, integrate feedback into agenda design, and catalyze group reflection.