The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has just released a report titled, “A national study of local government research needs and roadmap for university collaboration.”

Its research found that there were seven fields in which localities have the greatest need for deeper and more thorough research than is currently available:  Housing, Economic Development, Human Services, Climate and Energy, Transportation, Community Engagement and Service Delivery.

According to the report, the list of research areas isn’t just a catalogue of local government needs. It’s a “demand-side signal from the largest implementers of public policy in the United States.” As the report states, “Cities and counties are responsible for translating federally-funded research into real-world outcomes. When their priority knowledge gaps are not reflected in funding priorities, research remains upstream from impact.”

Through a survey instrument, FAS attempted to discover the most significant barriers to local governments and universities working together on research questions.”

Some of the answers:

• Limited staff capacity and time 

• Not receiving priority in a political environment

• Location constraints 

• Timelines not aligning between a city/county and a university

• Lack of collaboration with stakeholders to do regional projects or studies 

The research discovered that “only a minority of cities and counties have a central office to coordinate research activities. Larger population cities were not significantly more likely to say “yes” (43%) but medium and large cities were more likely to say “not sure”.” 

What’s to be done to help cities and counties access the important research that universities can develop in order to help them run more efficiently and effectively?

Some of the answers from the report:

• “Establish a visible, standardized entry point for research collaboration. The front door can be a digital site; it can be a person who holds relationships across the organization. The ‘front door’ should be formally or informally responsible for connecting any research effort with the right person within their institution.”

• “Mutually write a problem statement. A local government can publish its own research or learning agenda. Or a process can be developed early on that will establish the appropriate scope of work for a research project, setting up for success the expected level of specificity to the answer. . .”

• “Cut to the chase. Methodologies are critically important to the research and scientific process. But when presenting evidence to a local government partner, or the community, less ‘how’ and more ‘what.’ The executive summary and recommendations provided should start with what the problem/answer is.”

• “To the extent possible, make the research targeted to the specific jurisdiction.”

• “Include comparisons to peer cities/counties.”

• “Build implementation considerations into the process.”

Finally, the report found that at the beginning of a project, it’s important for partners to confirm which departments will own adoption; the extent of staff capacity; the potential for student fellows and interns; the relevant policy windows and whether there’s a need for interim deliverables.

Other recommendations include the establishment of a procurement process or master contract to facilitate and streamline research. As the report notes, clear contract steps create a pathway for engaging universities.

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