New publication on assessing the impact of research-industry collaborations
A new CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) report evaluating the industry impact of the Cities as Water Supply Catchments (CaWSC) research program has revealed the critical role of the program in “seeding and strengthening networks and relationships”.
The five-year CaWSC research program began at Monash University in 2010, within the then Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (now Monash Water for Liveability Centre). The early success of this program was the genesis to the successful bid to establish the CRCWSC, which began in July 2012.
Dr Annette Bos and Dr Megan Farrelly, researchers for the Development of an evaluation and learning framework to inform CRCWSC impact assessment project (D6.1), interviewed government and industry practitioners for the five case studies, which included three in New South Wales – Central West Councils Salinity and Water Quality Alliance, Warringah Council, Marrickville Council —and two Victorian examples— VicUrban (now Places Victoria) and the Victorian Strategic Policy arena.
“The objectives of this evaluation were to identify how, and to what extent, the CaWSC research program and industry engagement led to impacts; examine the factors critical to establishing and maintaining these impact pathways; and establish the roles and responsibilities of the researcher and industry partners in establishing and maintaining these pathways,” the authors stated.
Between April and July 2014, 24 interviews were undertaken with participants in the CaWSC program.
The study revealed the critical role of the CaWSC program in improving research-industrynetworks, facilitating knowledge sharing, informing changes to local government policies and helping to establish on-ground projects.