Practicing power sharing in Community Research
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Sharing power can be a transformative concept that holds the potential to reshape how we engage with communities, especially in research and evaluation processes. In 2022, we were invited to take part in the Children and Young People Now Conference to speak on our experience of power-sharing in Community Research, as a more progressive way of evaluating early help with and for the community. Here’s what we shared:
Community-Centric Approach
The session, led by Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin, previous Director for Scotland at Dartington Service Design Lab, highlighted a partnership with LEAP, a 10-year initiative focused on systemic change in early childhood development. This initiative, rooted in the community, emphasised a collective impact to address long-term systemic issues, particularly in underserved communities.
Insights from Community Researchers
One of the session's highlights was the participation of community researchers, all of whom are parents who had utilised LEAP services as parents of the early years. Their involvement is not just voluntary; they are paid for their contributions, underscoring the value placed on their insights and work. The researchers shared four key insights:
The power of dreaming for a better system: Anita discussed the importance of reimagining traditional systems and ideologies. She emphasised the need to explore alternative future visions that offer equitable power distribution.
This system that we operate in is superficial and focused on symptomatic issues - it tells us that the problem of societal inequalities lies within individual choices and behaviour, which creates a system of victim blaming. This is also a system which informs an overwhelming majority of research ideology and methodology. So the widely accepted hierarchy of evidence defines randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews of such trials as the gold standard.
But such research designs can't easily be translated to examining the real root and structural causes of societal power imbalances. So these traditional and current day systems and research ideologies restrict our ability to visualise and explore alternative scenarios that depict a sustainable and more equitable shift in the distribution of power. So what can we do about this?
Let's redefine and reframe our thinking. Let's combine research with the expertise and experience and imagination of real people living in real communities to map out what kind of society might enable more equitable power sharing. And at the risk of being labelled fantastical, let's take courage and challenge traditional systems, policies and methods with alternative visions.
If we don't do this, then focus will remain on those superficial and symptomatic issues. The same ideas will continue to get recycled and refined. And this will be at the expense of the real and root causes of societal power imbalances going unchallenged and under-researched with no long-term sustainable change.
Power through inclusion and championing marginalised voices: Natoya highlighted how power can be shared through inclusion. She stressed the importance of including all community members, particularly those marginalised by language barriers, discrimination, or isolation.
One of the main ways of reducing inequalities in children and families is to make sure they are all included in decisions that will affect them. By doing this, families can take control of their own lives and in turn strengthen the community. Unless people are included, it is impossible to share power.
It starts with respect. We want people to feel respected and to know that although their values may be different, they all contribute to building and developing a healthy community. It is with power that families can take control of their own lives and in turn strengthen the community.
Reaching the whole community and putting effort into elevating and championing marginalised voices is critical. This means firstly reaching those who suffer isolation, those who struggle with language barriers, those who face discrimination, whether by race, gender, faith, disability, and so forth. And secondly, creating a platform where they can say what they need and then incorporate change.
Finally, it takes practicing patience. Taking your time allows opportunities to build trust.
Unless that is done, nothing will change. Knowing and learning the needs of the community, putting real work in and giving power to the people. As a team of community researchers, our aim includes reaching those in need of a service.
Building power by creating boundaries and trust: Ela emphasised the importance of transparency, open communication, and setting boundaries to build trust within the community.
It is an imperative to start community research with open and honest conversations about what power sharing actually is and what it means for us individually and collectively within the community. Not everyone might be familiar with the terms used in the research world across society and on a more global scale.
Clarifying this may help us all to move forward feeling empowered to own our personal power and agency. When it comes to sense of ownership, there is no us or our research project without the community’s full participation, therefore we must build equity and allow participants to be along the journey in every step of the research. But, it’s important to note, to form respectful and mutually beneficial relationships in our communities, we need to ensure that we all understand and agree on what shape we want our relationship to take.
In addition, we should strive for clear and purposeful two-ways communication where we are actively listening to each other. And finally, it is important to state that while everyone is equally valued as they are, we all would like to feel safe and comfortable when we interact with others. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to set specific boundaries, both personal and professional. Authenticity is a very powerful tool while we connect and build relationships with members of the community. And that means while sharing our personal life stories, we often also expose our vulnerabilities. So we must create safe and supportive spaces for researchers and participants alike, so that we can feel safe and make others feel safe to share in an open and authentic way.
How does power sharing support evaluations?
Claire from the LEAP evaluation team shared reflections on power sharing, noting that the initiative seeks to involve parents as equal partners in the research process. This approach not only builds community capacity but also ensures that services are designed with the community's input.
By recruiting parents from the LEAP community and training and supporting them to collect data and conduct qualitative analysis, we gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the perspective of those who stand to benefit most from LEAP, our services and others’.
As a systems change initiative, this means that it seeks to influence a range of different factors that affect children's lives and focusses as much as possible on the root causes of problems rather than their symptoms. At the centre of the many domains we work across, we focus on developing community capacity, connections and positive narratives. The evidence suggests that community involvement is essential to system level initiatives and that effective place-based approaches ensure that families are fully involved in the co-design and co-production of strategy and programmes.
The evidence also suggests that a key enabling factor is a willingness to work on equal terms with residents in the community. Our hope is that through this work, LEAP will leave a sustainable legacy of developed community capacity, connections and positive narratives.
Conclusion
Power sharing is not just a concept; it's a practice that requires commitment, transparency, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. By involving community members as equal partners in the research process, we can create systems that truly reflect and respond to the needs of the people they serve. This session was a testament to the potential of power sharing to drive meaningful and lasting change in communities.
For more on power sharing and building a transformative approach, we encourage you to view more resources on our Community Research page here. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about how to put this learning into practice in your own community.