CROSSING THE DIVIDES, DELIVERING THE GOODS: A CHECKLIST FOR COMMUNITY-CAMPUS PROJECTS, assuming an approach of reciprocal relationships in which the campus unit(s) and potential partner(s) decide what’s important and how it is to be accomplished.
Revised September 2019 from January 2008 Version
Sharon Irish, Research Affiliate, School of Information Sciences
General
Is there a clear and galvanizing idea/issue? Is it generally understood in the same ways by everyone?
Who is not at the table? Why? Are there too many/too few people involved?
What are the motivations for seeking a partnership?
Is there a process in place or in development for coalition building? Conflict management? (Partners must spend time together to foster mutual trust, eg)
Is there enough time to accomplish the goals?
What are the existing and potential funding sources? How will resources be shared?
Does each project have a process for documentation? Assessment?
Have ethical and self-reflecting processes been established? Who is responsible for what?
Are there/will there be opportunities for periodic reviews of these processes?
Is there a timeline or work plan with deadlines?
How will projects that have ended be presented? Maintained or renewed?
In the end, will the project be mutually beneficial, to the best of our knowledge?
Potential partners
Are the community partners sufficiently established? What level of commitment to the project is evident? (How many people are on board?)
What is their track record of accomplishment in collaborative work? (Evidence of administrative support? Inclusive processes? Length of commitment? Infrastructural support?)
Is their process transparent? (No overt effort to shut out a particular group.)
What will they get out of the project? Who is included in the outcomes?
Campus Unit(s)
What roles are there for unit students? Staff? Will there be training, if necessary? Who will conduct it?
Do unit participants have relevant skills/languages/cultural competencies?
What supervision will students receive?
What might the research possibilities be and how might they be advanced?
Are there faculty or staff members who have the appropriate interests/expertise?
Do the relevant people have sufficient time to get involved with integrity?
Is a collaboration/partnership the best way to accomplish the goal(s) of (most) of those involved? (The UIUC emphasis on “deliverables” and research publications may not serve every project well, for example. There are very real clashes of institutional values/priorities/structures.)
Decisions
What are the goals of partnerships? Whose goals are they?
- Research publications?
- Theoretical and/or methodological models?
- Systemic change within the University?
- Capacity building and social justice on campus and off?
- Long-term involvement with one or a few groups?
- Teaching students?
- Some combination of the above?
