Contribution of R&D to
Socio-economic Outcomes
Presented at 2011 AEA Conference,
RT&D Technical Interest Group
George Teather Performance Management Network Inc.
george.teather@pmn.net
Beth MacNeil Canada Forest Service
beth.macneil@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
Ajoy Bista Canada Forest Service ajoy.bista@nrc-rncan.gc.ca
Background / Challenge
• Evaluation traditionally used to support accountability,
resource allocation, program improvement
• Increasing need to demonstrate contribution of gov’t R&D
programs to achievement of departmental objectives
• Canada Forest Service/ Natural Resources Canada is
responding to that challenge
• Use evaluation methodologies to tell “performance story”
showing R&D influence on immediate and intermediate
policies and longer term socio-economic outcomes
• Target is NRCan senior management, central agencies and
Parliament
Methodology
• Case study approach
– focus on specific forest management programs (wildland
fire, forest pest)
– Indepth analysis employing multiple evaluation
methodologies
• Logic model
– framework for examining pathway between research and
achievement of outcomes
– problem/R&D response/partners / recipients/ influence on
behaviour (policies, programs, regulations )/ impacts on
forest health, public safety
• Performance story
– clear narrative describing contribution of R&D to
achievement of program, departmental objectives and
long term socioeconomic impacts
Initiation and Diffusion of Science Research Impacts
Situation
Research Research activity
Analysis (SA) investment (RA)
(INV)
That produces
results
Academic
Networks
Research Capacity
Research Results (RR)
Canadian Forestry
Research
Consultation / Collaboration / Engagement (CCE)
•Environment
•Economy
Research Investment (RI)
State of
Canada’s
Forests and
Forest Sector
Knowledge Pool (KP)
Competencies
Infrastructure
Applied
Emerging
Exploratory
Forest
Networks
Application of CFS
knowledge that influences
decision making…. (IDM)
NRCan / CFS
Policies/Programs
Resource allocation
Intervention programs
Practices / advice
Other Government
Departments (Fed / Prov)
Policies/Programs
Resource allocation
Regulation
Practices / advice
That affect public and private
management of Canada’s forest
resources and their use (FM) (FI)
That contribute to the state of
environmental sustainability,
stewardship, economic
competitiveness, safety and
security (ENV, ECON, SS)
Canada
Government forest resource
management legislative and regulatory
framework, policies and practices that
reflect CFS science knowledge and
information (FM)
Industry forest management, renewal
and harvesting practices that reflect CFS
science knowledge and information (FM)
Environment
Improved state of
environmental
sustainability and
stewardship
International
Uptake of Canadian forest management
practices by other countries (FI)
Economy /
Prosperity
Improved state of
economic
competitiveness
Municipal / Community
Planning
Advice
Level of Canadian content in international
forest resource management regulations,
reports and practices (FI)
Safety (Security)
Improved state of
safety and security
Non-Government
Organizations
Policy/Advocacy/ Program
Acceptance among international
community that Canadian forest resources
are being managed in a sustainable
manner
International
Policies
Regulations
Agreements
Industry
Planting
Harvesting,
Value -added
Marketing
Assumptions / Conditions
The context of the process: What is the issue being researched and translated? What issues and stages of
knowledge translation is currently the focus? Who are the key actors? What are characteristics of the setting?
What is the ‘supplier’ and ‘receptor’ environment?
• The definitions of how the knowledge translation process is framed by the actors themselves
• The decision-making processes that exist
• The critical events that take place
Continued and increased international
acceptance of Canadian forest products (FI)
External Factors
What social, economical, environmental, political, cultural,
technological or other factors effect these results?
Wildland Fire - Problem
• 8000 wildland fires/yr avg
• Consume 2 million hectares of forest and
woodland (over twice annual harvest)
• Impacts on
– forest health
– economic value
– human safety and health
– property
• Contribution to GHG emissions
Wildland Fire R&D Response
• Research focus on wildland fire behaviour, fire
risk and mitigation, particularly at urban-wildland
interface
• Developed Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating
System (CFFDRS) as part of Canadian Wildland
Fire Information System (CWFIS)
• Contributed to development of Fire Smart decision support tool to minimize wildland fire
losses
• Advice and recommendations to federal,
provincial and municipal decision makers
Partners / Stakeholders/Beneficiaries
• Canada is a federation, with provinces responsible for
forest resources
• CFS fire research group collaborates with provincial
gov’t agencies, universities and other Canadian and
international agencies
• Key strategy
– maximum use of scarce resources
– ensures relevancy of research
– increases awareness of research results among provincial
gov’t agencies responsible for forest management and fire
control
• Benefits from research in other countries
Influence of CFS Fire Research
• CFFDRS, CWFIS, FireSmart and other fire models used
by:
– Provincial gov’ts in development and implementation of
wildland forest fire, emergency preparedness and land use
policies
– Municipalities in development of land use and zoning
policies and regulations
– Forest industry in development of sustainable forest
management and harvesting practices
– Federal gov’t /NRCan in calculation of carbon/GHG
emissions and analysis of climate change effects
– Many other countries, US states as basis for wildland fire
preparedness
Outcomes
• Wildland fire research products embedded in
Provincial, federal policies and regulations
• Contributes to Canadian record of never having
had a fatality from forest fires
• Contribution to international obligations to
report on Canadian GHG emissions
• CFFDRS recognized as international standard for
fire preparedness, contributes to fire
preparedness and mitigation policies and
practices in several othercountries, US states
Socio-economic Outcomes
• The performance story clearly shows the
influence of CFS fire research on federal,
provincial and municipal policies and regulations,
contributing to important national policy
objectives and socio-economic outcomes
– Economic prosperity through protection of forest
resources, sustainable forest management practices
– Public safety and protection of property through
improved wildland fire preparedness and response
policies and programs
– Improved environment, reduction in carbon/GHG
emissions
CFS Logic Model of Wildland Fire Research Contribution to Forest Sector Outcomes
Initiation and Diffusion of Science Research Impacts
Situation
Analysis
(SA)
Research
Research activity
Investment
(INV)
Canadian Forestry
Research
That produces
results
Academic
Networks
Research Investment (RI)
•Over 8000
wildfires per
annum
•2.1 million
hectares lost
per year, more
than 2 times
annual harvest
•Encroachment
by
communities
•Climate
change
efforts
Research Results (RR)
Knowledge Pool (KP)
Portfolio
management
Applied
Emerging
Exploratory
State of
Canada’s
Forests and
Forest Sector
Research Capacity
Consultation / Collaboration / Engaged (CCE)
Wildland Fire
Infrastructure
Competencies
Forest
Networks
Assumptions / Conditions
•Consistent resources commitment to efforts
•Common priorities and threat understanding among key partners
•Supplier-receptor relationships and capacity is appropriate
•Reach of key decision makers
Application of CFS
knowledge that influences
decision making…. (IDM)
Canadian Forest Service /
NRCan
Emergency preparedness
and response programs
Wildland fire policies
Climate change programs
Fire effect on carbon /
GHG models
That affect public and private
management of Canada’s forest
resources and their use (FM) (FI)
Canada (FM)
Contribution of Wildland Fire
research models, information and
advice (CWFIS, CFFDRS, WFBPM and
National Wildland Fire Strategy) to
emergency preparedness and
response programs, forest resource
policies and practices
That contribute to the state of
environmental sustainability,
stewardship, economic
competitiveness, safety and
security (ENV,ECON, SS)
Environment
Improved state
of environmental
sustainability
and stewardship
Environment Canada /
DFAIT
Carbon / GHG reporting
Contribution of Wildland Fire
research to Canadian Carbon/GHG
and climate change analysis and
reports and international reporting
commitments
Provincial / Territories
Emergency preparedness
and response programs
Wildlife fire policies
Contribution of Wildland Fire
research to Canadian forest
management and harvesting
practices
Economy /
Prosperity
Improved state
of economic
competitiveness
(reduced
commercial
resource loss)
International (FI)
Contribution of Wildland Fire
research to international fire
emergency preparedness and
mitigation policies and practices
Safety (Security)
Improved state
of safety re: fire
risk
Municipality / Community
Planning, zoning advice
International
Emergency preparedness
and response programs
Wildlife fire policies
Industry
Forest management and
harvesting practices
Insurance practices
Uptake of Wildland Fire
management practices by other
countries
Contribution of Wildland Fire
research to international carbon /
GHG models and reports
External Factors
•The Federal-Provincial authorities over the forest natural
resource means strong provincial jurisdiction and control over ongoing management
•Sector economic constraints may effect management practices
CFFDRS – Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System, CWFIS – Canadian Wildfire Information System, WFBPM – Wildfire Behaviour Prediction Model
Forest Pest Research
• Challenge
– native and foreign invasive species attack and kill wildland
and urban trees (mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer,
plum pox virus)
– loss of merchantable timber, increased fire threat, urban
environment effects
• Similar approach to show contribution of R&D to socioeconomic outcomes
– Collaborative research
– Close relationship with provinces, municipalities
– Influence on policies, practices, as intermediary to longer
term outcomes
Information Requirements
• Development of performance story makes use of
the logic model approach and collection of
credible evidence
–
–
–
–
–
Challenge
Resources / activities
Partners/stakeholders
Direct influence -change in policies and programs
Analysis of long term outcomes
• Evidence from files, reports, interviews/surveys,
expert opinion
Summary
• Narrative “performance story” uses logic model approach,
evaluation methodologies to describe influence of CFS
research on solving national challenge and achievement of
socio-economic outcomes
• Story describes CFS research strategy in addressing
challenge, pathway from research to long term outcomes
–
–
–
–
Research challenge
Relevance
Effective partnerships with key users of research data
Influence of research models and decision tools on policies
and practices
– Contribution to socio-economic objectives