Collaborative Decision-making Process Research Articles

Strengthening Collaborative Community and Research Partnership Decision-Making Processes to Achieve Health Equity

Strengthening Collaborative Community and Research Partnership Decision-Making Processes to Achieve Health Equity

Shared Care Planning for a pregnant patient with uveal melanoma treated with interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy)

Introduction: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most prevalent primary intraocular tumor in adulthood, with an important risk of metastasis, notably to the liver, rendering standard chemotherapy ineffective. Cases of UM onset during pregnancy are rare but can exhibit accelerated tumor growth. For these cases the best conservative treatment is interventional radiotherapy (IRT) also known as brachytherapy (BT). It is a form of radiotherapy that demonstrates efficacy comparable to the more common enucleation, while mitigating any risks of intrauterine toxicity. Objective: We reported the case of M., a 39-year-old pregnant patient, diagnosed with UM and undergoing brachytherapy treatment. Our aim is to make pertinent ethical considerations about: a. The ethical and clinical approach favouring a treatment strategy that preserves the affected organ and its functionality, b. The advance care planning process conducted within a multidisciplinary team. Case discussion: With the objective of preserving the mother’s health and ensuring the protection of the foetus, the team unanimously agreed, through a collaborative decision-making process, to proceed with the viable brachytherapy intervention. This approach results in a lower burden and maximizes benefits for both the patient and the unborn child. Conclusions: Considering a holistic evaluation, especially considering the patient’s pregnancy, the multidisciplinary approach proves fundamental. Collaboration between bioethicists and health-care professionals facilitated the development of a shared document for healthcare ethics planning, expressing the team’s ethical-clinical considerations.

Influencing Factors in Pursuing Graduate Degree Program toward Teachers’ Quality of Life

Teachers' pursuit of a master's degree is influenced by many factors, which can considerably affect their quality of life. This study examines these factors focusing on age, education, marital status, family income, job security, self-motivation, financial stability, and recognition, with a significant relationship between these factors and teachers' quality of life. Public elementary and secondary school teachers in Opol District of School Year 2023-2024 are the respondents of the study. A study involved two hundred (200) teacher-respondents, comprising one hundred seventeen (117) elementary and eighty-three (83) Junior and Senior High School teachers. It used Slovin's Formula to determine sample size; and statistical tools such as Pearson r correlation, mean scores, frequency and percentage, and standard deviation. The study found that self-motivation significantly impacts the quality of life of teachers, resulting in increased job security, financial stability, and job dedication. A master's degree empowers educators to become leaders, and mentors, thus influencing education. Empowerment strategies include professional development, praise, recognition, and collaborative decision-making. Further, the study recommends motivating teachers to go on professional development, praising their efforts, giving them recognition and respect, and encouraging collaborative decision-making processes. Moreover, the Department may provide leadership development programs that foster cooperative decision-making processes, incorporating professional growth and development for teachers.

How does collaborative freshwater governance affect legitimacy? Comparative analysis of 14 cases of collaboration in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2009 and 2017

ABSTRACT Collaborative governance is frequently thought to improve legitimacy and environmental outcomes. However, there remain gaps in our knowledge of whether and how collaborative governance influences legitimacy. Drawing on political systems theory and using a comparative case survey method, we explore legitimacy dimensions at the input, throughput, output, and outcome stages in 14 collaborative decision-making process in Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009-2017. Our qualitative inquiry utilizes coding categories that intertwine legitimacy with collaborative governance indicators. The analysis of these freshwater cases highlights the importance of input legitimacy within and across cases, emphasizing the critical nature of defining roles, responsibilities, authority, and mandate before collaboration. We delve into the implications of these findings for collaborative efforts in Aotearoa New Zealand and on an international scale.

Empowering non-governmental organization representatives: Enhancing collaborative and participatory governance through training initiatives

This research article explores the impact of training programs on non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, aiming to foster collaborative and participatory governance within the non-governmental sector. NGOs increasingly influence decision-making and the implementation of social programs through training programs designed for NGO workers, contributing to the creation of a sustainable and active civil society. Encouraging partners to actively share their knowledge and expertise is key to maintaining integration, trust, and equality in decision-making. This approach ensures greater integration, trust, and equality in decision-making. Ultimately, joint management and planning will only improve over time (Calò et al., 2024). The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey conducted among 225 NGOs with secondary data analysis of education programs designed specifically for NGOs. The findings highlight the crucial role of training initiatives in equipping NGO representatives with the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindset to effectively engage in collaborative decision-making processes and promote inclusive governance practices. Through the analysis of survey responses and examination of education program outcomes, key factors contributing to successful capacity-building efforts are identified, including tailored training content, interactive learning methodologies, and ongoing support mechanisms. The research provides insights into the significance of investing in training programs for NGO representatives and offers practical recommendations for designing effective training initiatives that can enable the development of collaborative and participatory governance within the NGO sector.

Bibliometric analysis of the scientific production on crowdsourcing in health

Introduction: online collaborative decision-making processes in health have developed over time and surpass the academic field. The objective of the research is to analyze the scientific production on crowdsourcing in health during the period 2019 - 2023. Methods: the research was developed under the quantitative paradigm approach, from a retrospective - descriptive and bibliometric study. A systematic search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results: the search was conducted in the SCOPUS database and 289 research results on crowdsourcing in health in the selected period were identified. Of the 289 research studies analyzed, 60% are original articles. The area of knowledge that stands out the most is medicine with 159 research papers. A total of 162 journals were identified in which the research was published, the most cited being Translational Psychiatry with 364 citations. In addition, the institutions with the highest representation are The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine with 23 and 17 researches respectively. The most relevant author is Tucker, J.D. with 17 publications. The country that published the most was the United States with 122 publications. Conclusions: It is concluded that crowdsourcing in health as an online collaborative process between institutions, specialists, patients or experts in the health sector allows solving research problems, based on tasks directed by the crowdsourcing administrator, has developed over time and surpasses the academic field.

Communicating the Crisis: Navigating the Challenges of Chemotherapeutic Drug Shortages with a Patient-Centered Ethical Dialogue Framework

Introduction: The United States finds itself gripped by debilitating drug shortages, thrusting thousands of patients nationwide into a precarious limbo and making the potential delay or cancellation of essential chemotherapy treatments a reality. In June 2023, the situation escalated to encompass a staggering 309 active drug shortages, including twenty-five chemotherapeutics, two of which are carboplatin and cisplatin. Communicating the nuances of a chemotherapy drug shortage to those affected transforms into a multifaceted and delicate endeavor that demands deep-seated empathy, preparation, and understanding. Mastering strategic, patient-centered communication becomes an ethical imperative and valuable skill for all physicians, amplifying the human connection at the heart of medicine. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists developed an ethical communication framework to guide physicians in navigating and discussing the complexities of modern drug shortages with patients. This framework promotes empathetic and informative dialogue with patients, empowering them to understand the situation and actively participate in their care decisions. Through this approach, we aim to foster a partnership between physicians and patients, mitigating anxieties and ensuring patients feel heard and supported throughout this trying period. Method: A multidisciplinary team of specialists convened, including physicians, advanced practice providers from hematology and oncology, and bioethicists. We developed an ethical and theoretical communication framework that will prove beneficial for both physicians and patients. Our framework facilitates compassionate and informed exchanges between healthcare professionals and their patients. Special care was given to consider the patient's background, perspectives, and beliefs. Results: The ethical communication framework for addressing chemotherapeutic shortages demonstrated promising potential for enhancing patient-provider interactions during times of crisis. The framework emphasizes open and transparent communication, facilitating patient understanding of the drug shortage situation and empowering patients to participate in their treatment actively. Conclusion: The developed ethical communication framework offers a patient-centered approach to addressing this crisis, aiming to empower patients with knowledge and understanding while fostering a collaborative decision-making process during crisis communication. By prioritizing empathy, transparency, and patient autonomy, the framework serves as a valuable tool for navigating the complexities of drug shortages and mitigating patient fears when discussing the drug shortage crisis. As the framework continues to be integrated into healthcare systems, ongoing evaluation and tracking of patient outcomes will provide valuable insights into its effectiveness and potential areas for improvement in communicating the crisis. Through strategic and empathetic patient-centered communication, physicians can play a crucial role in supporting patients during the national drug shortage crisis, ensuring that patients' voices are heard and their needs are addressed with compassion and understanding when communicating the crisis.

Shared decision-making between paediatric haematologists, children with sickle cell disease and their parents: an exploratory study

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) face various healthcare choices to be made during the disease process that may impact their lives. Shared decision-making (SDM) could improve their health outcomes. We assessed if, and to what extent, paediatricians engage children with SCD and/or their parents in the decision-making process. In this observational cross-sectional study, paediatric SCD patients and their parents visiting the outpatient paediatrics clinic of a university hospital participated in a SDM baseline measurement. Two evaluators independently and objectively analysed the level of patient involvement in decision-making from the audio-recordings of the consultations using the OPTION-5 instrument, a 0–20-point scale from which scores are usually expressed as a percentage of ideal SDM. The level of SDM, as perceived by patients, parents and paediatricians, was appreciated using the SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc questionnaires, respectively. Scores could range from 0% (no SDM) to 100% (exemplary SDM). Twenty-four consultations in which a decision needed to be made about SCD treatment were audiotaped and analysed; six were from each paediatrician. The group consisted of 17 male and 7 female patients from various cultural backgrounds between 2 and 17 years old, with a mean age of 9.4 years (SD 4.2). Median OPTION-5 scores were 25.0% [IQR] 20.0–40.0%; range 0–55%). Median SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc scores were 56.7% (IQR 39.4–88.9%) and 68.9% (IQR 57.8–77.8%), respectively.Conclusion: Although subjective scores of SDM were fair, the objectively scored level of SDM among children suffering from SCD leaves room for improvement. This may be realized by increasing knowledge about the benefits of SDM, child-centred SDM interventions and SDM-training for paediatricians that takes into account the complexity of intercultural challenges and risk communication between stakeholders.What is Known:• Children that suffer from sickle cell disease (SCD) are more vulnerable to factors that negatively impact the care that they receive as well as suboptimal health outcomes.• Shared decision-making (SDM) can help children participate in a collaborative decision-making process about their preferred treatment options and improve their health outcomes.What is New:• The level of participation in the decision-making process for patients suffering from SCD and the families that they belong to leaves room for improvement. The impact of intercultural challenges and the quality and consistency of risk-communication between stakeholders in paediatric SDM needs further exploration.• Paediatricians are more confident about their ability to involve the child and parents compared to how children and their parents experience their level of involvement in a shared decision-making process.

Towards Sustainable Construction: A Systematic Review of Circular Economy Strategies and Ecodesign in the Built Environment

This review discusses the unsustainable nature of current production and consumption patterns, particularly in the civil construction sector. To address this, the circular economy model has been proposed as a solution, but the impact reduction of circular strategies (CS) is not well understood. Thus, aligning CS with ecodesign can help achieve sustainable development. We conducted a systematic review of studies on CS and ecodesign strategies (ES) in the built environment, which led us to identify 23 essential strategies, including reuse, recycling, design for disassembly, and design for life extension. This article expands on previous research by identifying 51 CS and ES, some of which are interconnected, and adopting one strategy may benefit another. The authors propose a framework based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act concept to support and manage trade-offs when selecting strategies and to facilitate a collaborative decision-making process. The framework can also help manage the effects of using these strategies on circularity and environmental, social, and economic performance, ultimately improving the construction sector’s environmental performance.

Reliability-Guaranteed Uplink Resource Management in Proactive Mobile Network for Minimal Latency Communications

Proactive Mobile Network (PMN) has been proposed to support extremely low latency communications with multi-tier computing architectures, machine-centricity, and data-driven operation features. Nevertheless, the communication reliability of the PMN introduces new substantial technological challenges. As PMN employs unique proactive open-loop communication, any feedback-based control is avoided to enhance end-to-end latency. This paper focuses on machine-initiated uplink transmission in PMN and proposes a reliability-guaranteed resource management scheme. Without requiring feedback control information, our scheme uniquely decomposes conventional resource management into two collaborative decision processes: predictive resource allocation suggested by network anchor nodes (ANs) and proactive smart resource utilization by smart equipment (SE). These two decision-making processes are constructed as independent reinforcement learning (RL) problems, but implicitly share the states of radio resources according to operating environments. Different algorithms for different operating scenarios have been investigated for this dual-decision solution. Simulation results in various scenarios show that our scheme enables PMN’s reliability close to the theoretical optimal value and successfully serves radio resource utilization in the PMNs.

Facilitating community engagement: Researchers’ lived experiences in rural communities in the KwaZulu-Natal Ecohealth Program, South Africa

Community engagement approaches are case-specific, enabling communities to address health and well-being challenges. The stages of community engagement are progressive, and particularly, the early stage of community engagement ensures researchers have access to potential participants and research sites. This study aimed to document the processes, challenges and lessons learned by KwaZulu-Natal Ecohealth Program researchers in engaging with the Ingwavuma community. We used a phenomenological qualitative approach to document the KwaZulu-Natal Ecohealth Program research team’s lived experiences during community engagement process. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with researchers, staff, and the project investigator were conducted and thematically analysed. The findings revealed that the issue of language and cross-cultural interactions, which resulted in misunderstanding and incorrect interpretation of the data being communicated with communities, appeared to be a recurring issue that caused dissatisfaction in the community engagement process. Therefore, informing the community about the research study is a subjective experience that necessitates mindfulness when interacting and engaging with communities. We recommend an inclusive framework for a higher level of engagement that would give guidance to both researchers and communities to ensure active participation and a collaborative decision-making process.

Software-Tool Support for Collaborative, Virtual, Multi-Site Molecular Tumor Boards

The availability of high-throughput molecular diagnostics builds the foundation for Molecular Tumor Boards (MTBs). Although more fine-grained data is expected to support decision making of oncologists, assessment of data is complex and time-consuming slowing down the implementation of MTBs, e.g., due to retrieval of the latest medical publications, assessment of clinical evidence, or linkage to the latest clinical guidelines. We share our findings from analysis of existing tumor board processes and defininion of clinical processes for the adoption of MTBs. Building on our findings, we have developed a real-world software prototype together with oncologists and medical professionals, which supports the preparation and conduct of MTBs and enables collaboration between medical experts by sharing medical knowledge even across the hospital locations. We worked in interdisciplinary teams of clinicians, oncologists, medical experts, medical informaticians, and software engineers using design thinking methodology. With their input, we identified challenges and limitations of the current MTB approaches, derived clinical process models using Business Process and Modeling Notation (BMPN), and defined personas, functional and non-functional requirements for software tool support. Based on it, we developed software prototypes and evaluated them with clinical experts from major university hospitals across Germany. We extended the Kanban methodology enabling holistic tracking of patient cases from “backlog” to “follow-up” in our app. The feedback from interviewed medical professionals showed that our clinical process models and software prototype provide suitable process support for the preparation and conduction of molecular tumor boards. The combination of oncology knowledge across hospitals and the documentation of treatment decision can be used to form a unique medical knowledge base by oncologists for oncologists. Due to the high heterogeneity of tumor diseases and the spread of the latest medical knowledge, a cooperative decision-making process including insights from similar patient cases was considered as a very valuable feature. The ability to transform prepared case data into a screen presentation was recognized as an essential feature speeding up the preparation process. Oncologists require special software tool support to incorporate and assess molecular data for the decision-making process. In particular, the need for linkage to the latest medical knowledge, clinical evidence, and collaborative tools to discuss individual cases were named to be of importance. With the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic, the acceptance of online tools and collaborative working is expected to grow. Our virtual multi-site approach proved to allow a collaborative decision-making process for the first time, which we consider to have a positive impact on the overall treatment quality.

The Impacts of Ecotourists’ Perceived Authenticity and Perceived Values on Their Behaviors: Evidence from Huangshan World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site

Drawn to the unique natural and geographical advantages of ecotourism scenic areas, tourists can roam the natural environment and, at the same time, promote the sustainable development of the scenic area’s ecology. As a result, ecotourism has gradually become a popular type of tourism. Tourists’ perceived authenticity, perceived values, revisit intentions, and environmentally responsible behaviors, which are important variables in understanding their cognition and behaviors, have received extensive attention from scholars. However, few studies have combined tourists’ perceived authenticity, perceived values, revisit intentions, and environmentally responsible behaviors in the context of ecotourism. Taking Huangshan World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site in Anhui, China, as a case study, this study explored the relationship between the perceived authenticity and perceived values of ecotourists, and the respective relationships of perceived authenticity and perceived values with revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors. A survey research method was employed, and the structural equation modeling technique was used to determine the relationships among variables. The results indicated that the perceived authenticity of ecotourists had a significant positive impact on their perceived values. Tourists’ perceived authenticity and perceived values significantly and positively affected their revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors, respectively, while their perceived values played a mediating role in the impact of perceived authenticity on revisit intentions and environmentally responsible behaviors. Theoretically, this study introduces the concept of perceived authenticity into ecotourism, expands the research scope of perceived values, and fills the gaps in the research regarding the impact of perceived authenticity on environmentally responsible behaviors. Practically, it will assist tourism managers in developing a strategic plan for protecting the unique natural resources and cultural customs of scenic spots, producing a valuable interactive experience, and enhancing the collaborative decision-making process, which will lead to the sustainable development of ecotourism destinations.

The Evolution of Information and Communication Technologies: Towards uses oriented collaborative practices

In all sectors of activity, knowledge is the most important strategic lever in the organizations’ management. The informational practices induced by Web technologies and data exploitation are accompanied by a paradigm that disrupts the process of sharing and communicating information in organization. Knowledge generated by human and social activities broadens the scope of knowledge management systems. New forms of technologies are changing system’s design approaches. It is on these evolving aspects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that we will highlight the different challenges faced by organizations. In reviewing the literature on ICTs, several researches work highlight the importance of digital revolutions in the development of IS in general, and in particular Knowledge Management (KM) systems. In order to understand the evolution of KM Systems, we carry out the postulate that different angles of view have a positive correlation with our research perimeter: We identify that collaborative practices and decision-making approach are positively related to Knowledge Management systems’ design. The conceptual model links our hypothesis with the concept of knowledge management systems. We develop a conceptual model according to a review of literature in information science. Research finding can be used for designing Knowledge Management systems. Several actors can benefit from the repercussions on a pragmatic level. System designers can identify modern developments to provide more pragmatic applications. Decision-makers can identify how to harness Knowledge Management systems and also identify good practices in terms of collaborative approaches and decision-making processes.

Interprofessional intensive care unit (ICU) team perspectives on physical restraint practices and minimization strategies in an adult ICU: A qualitative study of contextual influences.

Guidelines advocate for minimization of physical restraint (PR) use in intensive care units (ICU). Interprofessional team perspectives on PR practices can inform the design and implementation of successful PR minimization interventions. To identify ICU staff perspectives of contextual influences on PR practices and minimization strategies. A qualitative descriptive study in a single ICU in Toronto, Canada. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 ICU staff. A deductive content analysis of interviews was undertaken using the integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework. Five themes were developed: risk-averse culture, leadership, practice monitoring and feedback processes, environmental factors, and facilitation. Participants described a risk-averse culture where prophylactic application of PR for intubated patients was used to prevent unplanned extubation thereby avoiding blame from colleagues. Perceived absence of leadership and interprofessional team involvement situated nurses as the primary decision-maker for restraint application and removal. Insufficient monitoring of restraint practices, lack of access to restraint alternatives, and inability to control environmental contributors to delirium and agitation further increased PR use. Recommendations as to how to minimize restraint use included a nurse facilitator to advance leadership-team collaboration, availability of restraints alternatives, and guidance on situations for applying and removing restraints. This analysis of contextual influences on PR practices and minimization using the i-PARIHS framework revealed potentially modifiable barriers to successful PR minimization, including a lack of leadership involvement, gaps in practice monitoring, and collaborative decision-making processes. A team approach to changing behaviour and culture should be considered for successful implementation and sustainability of PR minimization. The establishment of an interprofessional facilitation team that addresses risk-averse culture and promotes collaboration among ICU stakeholders will be crucial to the success of any approach to restraint minimization.

The Impact of Female Leadership in Collegial Courts on Time to Render Merits Decisions: Evidence from the Norwegian Supreme Court

What is the effect of gender on the deliberative process of judging? Drawing on previous research on female leaders’ inclination to foster a more inclusive and collaborative decision-making process, we argue that decision making takes more time in a collegial court when female justices preside over decisional panels. Analyzing an original data set on cases decided by the Norwegian Supreme Court between 2008 and 2019, we find that when a woman is the presiding justice, the duration of case disposition time increases. This effect, however, persists for only eight days. Our finding suggests that institutional practices take effect over gendered effects.

Cooperation under conflict: participatory hydrological modeling for science policy dialogues for the Aculeo Lake

Abstract. Hydrological modeling tools can support collaborative decision processes by visually displaying hydrological systems connections, uncertainties, as well as conflicting preferences over water management strategies. Nevertheless, many challenges remain in the real application of these technical tools to successfully implement, capture, and communicate with non-experts the complexities of coupled human hydrological systems. A 5-step process shows how a WEAP-based hydrological study aiming to explore the disappearance of a 12 km2 lake in the Aculeo basin in Chile was transformed into a multiple question-driven sociohydrological modeling process to help answer the diversity of questions instigating conflict. Collaboration allowed construction of a surface–groundwater hydrological model that responded to local stakeholders' uncertainties. While testing a subset of socially accepted management strategies under two climate change scenarios, combining the strategies allows recovering up to half the lake water volume. However, the 5-step participatory modeling process also shows how the increasing social–environmental conflicts over the causes and effects of the water scarcity are challenging barriers to overcome with modeling tools. As presented in this article, although flexible approaches and research agendas could better support the exploration of synergies towards collaboration and production of useful and socially acceptable hydrological models, there are still value-driven aspects of water management that need to be explored to better support science policy dialogues.

Collaborative decision-making: A framework for decision-making about life-sustaining treatments in children with medical complexity.

Caregivers of children with medical complexity (CMC) face decisions about life-sustaining treatments (LST) like tracheostomy. We sought to develop a clinically relevant and realistic model for decision-making about tracheostomy placement that might apply to other LST in CMC. This qualitative study, conducted between 2013 and 2015, consisted of 41 interviews with 56 caregivers of CMC who had received tracheostomies and 5 focus groups of 33 healthcare providers (HCPs) at a tertiary-care children's hospital in North Carolina. Participants were asked about their perspectives on the tracheostomy decision-making process. Data were transcribed, and coded. Using thematic content analysis, we inductively developed a tracheostomy decision-making framework and process. Many factors influenced caregivers' decisions, including children's well-being and caregivers' values, faith, knowledge, experience, emotional state, and social factors; preserving the child's life was the most important. HCPs consider many clinical and nonclinical factors; recommending tracheostomy for children with limited survival, perceived poor functioning and quality of life, and progressive conditions is ethically difficult. The framework of tracheostomy decision-making has inter-related caregiver- and HCP-level factors that influence the process. The framework contains elements not captured in a shared decision-making model, but better fits a collaborative decision-making (CDM) model. The tracheostomy CDM process that emerged from the data has two nonsequential components that HCPs could use: (1) gaining understanding and (2) holding decision-making conversations. CDM could be a useful model for clinicians guiding families about tracheostomy for CMC. The applicability of CDM for decision-making about other LSTs needs further exploration.

Collaborative Decision-Making: A Proposal of an Semi-Automatic Facilitation Based on an Ontology

In this paper, we focus on a recommendation approach for collaborative decision-making. This recommendation is possible by designing an ontology in a first step. The construction of this ontology is based on a state of the art on collaborative decision-making, on ontology engineering and on collaboration engineering. An eight-step ontology development methodology was adopted and implemented to design the ontology. A corpus made up of one hundred and seventy-seven (177) documents was the starting point for the extraction of terms from the ontology and the Unified Modeling Language (UML) language is used as a description language of the ontology. This ontology is the starting point for a facilitation support system in a collaborative decision-making process. In a second step, we defined rules, based on our expertise on collaborative decision-making, used to guide a group of decision maker or a facilitator.

The relationship between values and knowledge in visioning for landscape management: relevance for a collaborative approach

ABSTRACT Respecting connections between the diversity of values and forms of knowledge is essential to support a decision-making that fosters relationships between ecosystems and people. However, little theory has been developed for clarifying interactions between values and knowledge, and their relevance for environmental policy. We surfaced the overlooked relationship between values and knowledge by studying individual cognitive and emotional processes during a guided visioning exercise in the context of the multifunctional landscapes of Östergötland, Sweden. We investigated these cognitive processes using 30 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires organized around three types of relationships: vision ⇔ values, vision ⇔ knowledge, and especially values ⇔ knowledge. The analysis of the relationship between vision and values reveals that all types of values including core human values, relational, and intrinsic values are important in shaping the decision-making context in which landscape management visions arise. The relationship between vision and knowledge uncovers the mix of experiential and theoretical knowledge that informs the decision-making context. Interviews unfold three modalities in terms of how values and knowledge relate: i) linked and not necessarily connected (e.g. when individuals perceive a high conflict between their knowledge and their values leading to one construct silencing the other); ii) mutually reinforcing (e.g. when values and knowledge are seen as feeding into one another); and iii) intertwined (e.g. when individuals perceive that values and knowledge can co-exist). We discuss our findings in the context of their relevance for a collaborative decision-making process for balancing consensus and dissensus in multifunctional landscapes.