Last year, I had the opportunity to join 24 other researchers at the UK–France Knowledge Frontiers Symposium on the theme of Governance. The symposium was organised jointly by The British Academy and CNRS, with support from the French Embassy in the United Kingdom.
Over two days, the symposium provided an exploration of governance as a multifaceted and evolving concept, structured around three thematic sessions. The final session asked a central question: How do different people and groups shape governance, and how have they done so across time and space?
At a moment marked by the silencing of stories, the erasure of data, the loss of roles and responsibilities, and the dismantling of climate programmes and systems infrastructure, the symposium provided a welcome space to reflect on the fragility of governance and the intersecting roles of power, legitimacy, and urgency.
A key highlight was a visit to the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, where we were introduced to the idea of translators, intermediaries, and guides, both the human and non-human actors who support the telling and transmission of stories across time and space.
As part of the symposium, Sergio Ramirez Luelmo (Université de Haute-Alsace) and I successfully secured seed research funding to continue exploring the relationship between knowledge and governance, and we are now seeking collaborators and
participants.
Call for Collaborators
Across Scotland, more than 300 community emergency groups and many more local-level organisations are working to strengthen local resilience in response to a variety of emergencies. This collective effort presents a valuable opportunity to learn from practice and deepen understanding of how training supports effective community action.
Dr Jennifer Rao-Williams (University of Dundee) and Sergio Ramírez Luelmo (Université de Haute-Alsace) have been awarded British Academy-CNRS Knowledge Frontiers Symposium Seed Funding for a project on knowledge and governance. As part of this project, we are seeking collaborators to take part in an evaluation of community resilience training programmes delivered within the past 12 months. We aim to identify and evaluate a specific training programme or product that has been delivered in Scotland to support community resilience.
What will the evaluation explore?
The evaluation will focus on:
- Participants’ experiences of undertaking training
- Learning outcomes and practical impacts
- Themes of governance, agency, and community empowerment
The study will be guided by the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model.
A collaborative opportunity
Alongside the core evaluation framework, there is scope to adapt or extend evaluation questions to explore themes of particular relevance to the training provider, organisation, community, or programme. This approach aims to generate learning that is both practically useful for a diverse audience.
We welcome involvement from:
- Organisations or groups that have delivered community resilience training, and/or
- Individuals who have participated in resilience training and are willing to take part in an interview (in person or online)
Programmes delivered across multiple locations are of particular interest, as this would enable exploration of both urban and rural perspectives on community resilience.
If you are interested in collaborating or would like further information, please email jraowilliams001@dundee.ac.uk
