FOOD POLICY COUNCIL RESEARCH INTERNSHIP, Spring 2012

CAGJ seeks an intern who will do research co-coordinated by the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional Food Policy Council on other cities’ strategies for engaging diverse communities in their Food Policy Councils.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send an email to CAGJ’s Director, Heather Day ([email protected]) briefly summarizing why you are interested, and describing any relevant experience; attach resume.  Please be advised that this internship is unpaid.

Timeline for Completion: We are seeking an intern who will begin research in late March or early April. We wish to receive a preliminary report by mid-June, at which point we can determine whether more time is required.

Objective:
Research strategies employed by food policy councils like Detroit, Oakland and Philadelphia’s to engage a variety of potential food policy council stakeholders in listening sessions or other outreach.  What strategies are employed to make space and increase participation by under-represented communities?

Outcome:
A short write-up summarizing research for the Equity subcommittee and Regional Food Policy Council to digest.  Ideally there will also be time for the intern to give a presentation of this summary to the Equity subcommittee.

Research questions:
-What methodologies have been employed to engage a variety of potential food policy council stakeholders, particularly those who are traditionally excluded from policy making because they don’t have access for a variety of reasons.  Did these FPCs intentionally explore how to engage these constituents? If so,
*what specific strategies were used?
*what steps did they take?
*how did they define their goals?
*what have been the outcomes thus far?

-We know of one strategy, ie “Listening sessions”:
*where did these take place, eg in community centers, city offices, NGO offices, other?
*how were they organized -for ex  in collaboration with community groups OR by city employees, OR with flyers announcing them in the community OR radio PSAs (etc)?
*what questions were asked?
*how was the agenda developed?
*who facilitated?
*were they successful?

-Strategies to make space for and increase participation by under-represented communities:
– Examples:
*pay people to take the time from their job to attend day-time meetings
*make meetings more comfortable by encouraging a round of evaluations at the end of each meeting

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