Consulting Services to Build Capacity in Community Research
Healthy Communities
Community-Based Ecosystem Stewardship
Economics for Peace Institute provides consulting services under the branch name, Participatory Strategies Group | PSG. We provide customized services to communities and local, state and federal government. We also work in overseas settings. We advance community research through demonstration and training.
The foundation of our consulting practice rest on an anthropological and political economic analysis to ensure optimal information towards strengthening public decisions. Gaps in first hand observation contribute to ongoing social and ecological degradation. Asserting what is known is central to ecological and social restoration. Providing access to data collected from local people to local people is necessary to ensure unbiased interpretation and for verification and governance purposes
Secondary Research • Through participatory research strategies, the Institute’s goal is to build capacity for community research. We facilitate access to scholarly or government publications for research and decision-making purposes. We provide summaries and literature review upon request and to meet identified goals to better inform public decisions.
Primary Research • We work through community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) to restore self-sufficiency, sustainable livelihood and community well-being – the underpinnings of restoring people and planet in decline. CBPAR builds upon participant observer methodologies in the ethnographic sense while drawing attention to empowering local people with access to their own information. Information belongs to local people and our work is to protect their access to affirming what matters most to their survival. CBPAR includes qualitative and quantitative research. CBPAR also includes processes for informed decision making that include organizational learning, consensus, mediation, and dispute prevention.
On-the-ground, participatory action research protects biodiversity by protecting cultural diversity – an awareness of local knowledge in stewarding natural resources and caring for community well-being. Both are the underpinning of individual prosperity and happiness.
A focus on the economic levers of restorative practice is fundamental to our approach. Our work demonstrates distributive equity to restore ecological and cultural diversity. We teach the-ground.work in place-based communities in ways that mesh with self-identified, existing indicators of sustainability. We empower resilience within communities through demonstrable organizational learning processes.
In concert with local people, participatory research measures the extent to which the conditions of happiness exist in a community. We support resilience in real terms with growing economic equity. Hierarchy is the antithesis of restoration practice.
In addition to conservation, we specialize in agro-ecology and fisheries because of our critical first hand experience in sustainable livelihood as small scale growers, ecosystem stewards and producers. Within an array of sustainable practices, we are experienced in natural building, farm-to-table, upcycling, outdoor recreation, holistic health, foraging, biodynamics, rewilding and organic agriculture.
Participatory strategies favor one on one rapport and conversation over digital communications in any form. We do not provide social media forms of community engagements. We do offer support in web based information management tools for planners and for local people.
We advance the means to grow meaningful work for local people. Meaningful work reflects the capabilities of the producer or service provider in ways that also restore community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Our goal is to expand the number of people who have the conditions for happiness – a precept of the American Declaration of Independence. Happiness not at the expense of others, but happiness by building up others and ourselves.
We provide transformative research and training as required to reach the goals of our clients. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to “getting it right” and doing the good work that must be done.
For now, please review capabilities and qualifications on Institute founder’s website.
PSG responds to RFPs.
If you would like to work with us as a consultant, be in touch. We are growing our capacity to provide consulting services and welcome conversations with individuals for whom our work resonates and who can demonstrate exemplary integrity in their volunteer or work experience prior.
In 2023, the Participatory Strategies Group completed a leading edge study on operationalizing resilience for a Coast Salish Tribe. Climate study results will be made available. Please contact us with your specific use case or need.