Summary
Without relationships, qualitative research findings will be filed away and forgotten. By focusing on two core types of relationships, researchers can make their findings relevant and impactful. First, researchers must build trusting relationships with those they aim to learn from: clients of government programs, frontline workers, and community-based organization staff. And in order to do anything with the collected data, researchers must also build relationships with those who have the authority to actually improve the government programs and systems. In this session, speakers will share how they’ve realized the full potential of research through building authentic, trusting relationships to influence change.
Key Insights
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Building relationships is essential for understanding user needs in civic tech.
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Preparation and contextual knowledge are foundational to establishing strong connections.
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Reliability and consistent communication enhance relationships with stakeholders.
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Trauma-informed practices should guide research methodologies, respecting user vulnerabilities.
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Client feedback should drive product development to ensure relevance and usability.
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In-person interactions can build stronger relationships than remote ones.
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Long-term engagement fosters trust and deeper understanding with clients.
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Collaboration with community organizations bridges gaps in outreach and user recruitment.
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It is crucial to balance government partner needs with the insights from users for effective advocacy.
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Mistakes in research processes can be repaired through humility and truthfulness.
Notable Quotes
"Ultimately, we hope we can get that final mix of flour, butter, and eggs just right."
"Without good relationships, you won't get good data, and without good data, you won't have good project outcomes."
"Humility and trauma-informed practices should guide our research and relationship building."
"We need to make space for people to share their stories, recognizing their complete humanity."
"Our consistent and receptive relationship meant that County staff were excited to reciprocate."
"Building meaningful relationships with staff was essential to the success of our project."
"We practice deep listening to treat every individual's lived experience with care."
"We want to build ethical services and products that truly meet people’s needs."
"When we make a mistake, we try to respond gracefully because the stakes are high."
"Without those relationships, you might get the boot on episode one of the Great British Bake Off. "
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