A major innovation of our project that distinguishes it from other air monitoring networks at that time (2013) was that the community was involved in each stage of design and implementation.
Not only were community members participants in the scientific research process, they also participated in the design of the research and in key decisions about the direction of the project.
Community Leadership
This project developed out of a long-term relationship between Tracking California and the local community-based advocacy group Comite Civico del Valle (CCV). CCV served as the local coordinating partner for all project activities, and facilitated the involvement of other community partners. CCV staff were involved as equal partners with Tracking California in all project decision-making, and CCV staff led installation and maintenance of the monitors. CCV Executive Director Luis Olmedo was involved with Tracking California in the development of the original grant proposal that was funded under this project, and he served as a Co-Investigator on the grant.
Community Steering Committee (CSC)
With the leadership and coordination of CCV, the CSC guided each stage of the project. The CSC included residents from different regions of Imperial County, and included youth members and representatives of various community organizations. The diversity of the CSC ensured that different community voices are represented in the key project decisions.
Broader Community Network
A wider network of community residents was involved in the project, including volunteers who proposed and assisted with data gathering for possible sites for the air monitors, individuals and organizations serving as hosts for the monitors, and community members involved in using the research data to plan action strategies.
Community decision-making
Community input was key in deciding the locations of the first 20 monitors. In the site selection process:
- The CSC identified 11 priority communities in Imperial Valley
- 45 residents from these communities identified potential air monitor sites
- Then local air monitors hosts were recruited at the sites
Similarly, in developing the data display, there was community input at every level:
- CSC members determined priorities for the data display
- CSC members provided extensive input to make the display useful and accessible
- Data is visualized on the IVAN web platform that had been developed by the community
Transparent and Equitable Decision-making
To reach the promise of real community-engaged research, the project was guided by shared decision-making and equitable partnerships in a collaborative and transparent process. The involvement of all the project partners in decision-making was facilitated through regular meetings by phone, webinar, and in-person, at times convenient to community partners, with the decision-making documented for transparency.
These principles of transparency and equity also applied to the distribution of the grant funds. The intent of community engagement must be supported with adequate financial support for community activities and capacity-building activities. Effort was made throughout the project to ensure that community partners were adequately funded and that project resources were shared fairly across partners.
Community Science
This project builds on and supports community science (also known as "citizen science". In research projects, it is common for community members to be excluded from participating in scientific decisions because they may not have the scientific background to make meaningful choices. Our solution whenever possible was to provide the necessary training about the scientific concepts so that there was a common baseline of understanding to allow community members to be more meaningfully involved in conducting the science.
Promoting community science and community engagement:
- Increases community awareness of the issues
- Promotes community engagement in broader public health activities
- Equips community members with the scientific understanding needed to advocate for their community with government and business organizations
- Strengthens and builds the local public health workforce
- Builds trust and relations between researchers and community
This project provided training to community members to establish a common knowledge base in air pollution, air monitoring science, interpretation of air monitoring data, using data for action planning, and specific topics of interest to local residents such as coccidioidomycosis (valley fever).
Substantial engagement of and leadership by community members at every stage of planning and implementation of this project have:
- Enhanced the responsiveness of the research to community priorities
- Ensured that the data displayed through the network will be accessible, usable, and useful to the local community
- Fostered community ownership of project and built local capacity
- Promoted the potential for network to be sustainable after the research funding ends