Browsing by Author "Lachapelle, Paul"

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Access to Power or Genuine Empowerment? An Analysis of Three Community Forest Groups in Nepal
(Society for Human Ecology, 2004) Lachapelle, Paul; Smith, Patrick D.; McCool, SF
The introduction of community forestry in Nepal represents an attempt to decentralize control and instill democratic reform in the management of forest resources through the direct involvement of individuals in decision making and benefit sharing. Detailed analyses of community forest outcomes, specifically an understanding of the process of self-governance and the exercise of power, remains a critical gap. Using a purposive sampling methodology, we identified 38 forest users representing a diversity of interests in three communities of the middle hills of Nepal and conducted in-depth interviews focusing on perceptions of an ability to exercise power in forest management. Power in this context is defined as the ability to create rules, make decisions, enforce compliance and adjudicate disputes. Our results identify inferiority, vulnerability, and a lack of transparency as factors that keep forest users from exercising power. We conclude that while community forestry offers tremendous potential to practice self-governance, the behavior of individuals based on complex informal institutional arrangements, such as caste and gender, must be accounted for in such formalized policy initiatives. Opportunities to influence power through mandated processes alone fail to fully explain or affect the potential for community forestry. Instead, we note that genuine empowerment is related to capacities involving the skills and confidence necessary to exercise power.
Advancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government
(Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems, 2021-10) Berglund, Erika; Hassanein, Neva; Lachapelle, Paul; Stephens, Caroline
For several decades, food policy councils (FPCs) have led the effort to place food on local government policy agendas. While FPCs are making progress in supporting local food systems, they also face institutional and organizational challenges. In recent years, a handful of cities and counties have endeavored to further food system reform with the establishment of full-time government staff positions focused on food policy. As of spring 2020, there were 19 confirmed food policy positions housed in local governments across the United States. While there is considerable literature on FPCs, little research has been published regarding food policy staffing in local governments. Accordingly, this study uses original in-depth interviews with 11 individuals in municipal or county food policy positions to understand the purpose and function of governmental food policy staff positions and their impact on local food systems. Our findings suggest that these positions help to coordinate and nurture local food programs and policies and have the potential to facilitate meaningful participation of individuals and groups in the community in food system reform. We discuss the potential benefits and challenges for governmental food policy positions to support food democracy, and provide the following recommendations for communities interested in establishing or strengthening similar positions: (1) identify and coordinate existing opportunities and assets, (2) foster and maintain leadership support, (3) root the work in community, (4) connect with other food policy professionals, and (5) develop a food system vision.
Applying indigenous CBPR principles to partnership development in health disparities research
(2011-07) Christopher, S.; Saha, R.; Lachapelle, Paul; Jennings, D.; Colclough, Y.; Cooper, C.; Cummins, C.; Eggers, Margaret J.; FourStar, Kris; Harris, K.; Kuntz, Sandra W.; LaFromboise, V.; LaVeaux, Deb; McDonald, T.; Real Bird, James; Rink, Elizabeth; Webster, C.
This case study of community and university research partnerships utilizes previously developed principles for conducting research in the context of Native American communities to consider how partners understand and apply the principles in developing community-based participatory research partnerships to reduce health disparities. The 7 partnership projects are coordinated through a National Institutes of Healthâ€“funded center and involve a variety of tribal members, including both health care professionals and lay persons and native and nonnative university researchers. This article provides detailed examples of how these principles are applied to the projects and discusses the overarching and interrelated emergent themes of sharing power and building trust.
Apsaalooke Upsauloouk Bucha Unnaylayda - Crow Men's Health
(MSU Extension, 2009) Lachapelle, Paul; Real Bird, James
Whether they talk about it or not, health is a very important part of all Crow mens' lives. A modern lifestyle of fast-food and little exercise has put this health in jeopardy. In this video, Crow men talk about their feeling on health and the Crow Men's Health Ride. The 2008 ride to Sacrifice Cliff/Four Dances Vision Site acknowledged the importance of health and recognized the young Crow men who gave their lives to save the tribe from smallpox.
Big Skies, Bold Partnerships: Moving Mountains Together Proceedings of the 2017 CDS-NACDEP Conference
(The 2017 Community Development Society / National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Conference (CDS-NACDEP), 2017-07) Hains, Kris; Hains, Bryan; Lachapelle, Paul; Rice, Trudy
These proceedings are the outcome of the 2017 Community Development Society / National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Conference (CDS-NACDEP) that took place June 11-14 in Big Sky, Montana. Each of these abstracts underwent a double blind peer review in the winter of 2016-17 and lead authors were notified in the spring of 2017 regarding acceptance. This effort represents the first attempt by both of these organizations to provide a systematic and standardized opportunity for the review process as well as a formal documentation of the reviewed materials. Only Abstracts accepted as Session Presentations are provided here; no Poster Abstracts are detailed in this publication. The abstracts are presented alphabetically by the first author’s last name. The Abstract is presented verbatim as it was submitted by the authors. The compilers wish to recognize and acknowledge and many peer reviewers that provided their time and expertise for the review process as well as the many authors who contributed to this effort. We hope you enjoy these proceedings!
Citizen Participation and Interaction
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2010) Lachapelle, Paul
City of Bozeman Ethics Handbook
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2010) Lachapelle, Paul
This ethics handbook is produced by the city of Bozeman Board of ethics to educate citizens and train employees and public officials in best practices and legal requirements. In addition, this handbook details specific ethical requirements and provides guidance on obtaining information and filing complaints. The City Code of Ethics provides legal requirements outlining conduct and best practices as detailed in Chapter 2.01 of the Bozeman Municipal Code.
Community Strategic Visioning as a Method to Address Poverty: An Analysis from Select Rural Montana Communities
(Extension Journal, Inc., 2010) Lachapelle, Paul; Austin, Eric; Clark, D.
Community strategic visioning is a citizen-based planning process in which diverse sectors of a community collectively determine a future state and coordinate a plan of action. Twenty-one communities in rural Montana participated in a multi-phase poverty reduction program that culminated in a community strategic vision process. Research on this process was guided by alternative definitions of poverty and place attachment literature. Results from the qualitative survey data show many descriptions of poverty outside of traditional economic definitions and illustrations on the significance of place. Implications and recommendations on the use of visioning in other contexts in Extension are discussed.
Extension Learning Exchange: Lessons from Nicaragua
(Extension Journal, Inc., 2013) Lachapelle, Paul; Treadwell, P; Howe, Rod
There is a clear need to support global professional development, international education, and collaborative learning opportunities in Extension. The program described here established an international learning exchange in Nicaragua to lead to global professional development and future international collaboration. The primary lessons and outcomes include first-hand experience of how rural outreach/Extension agencies in a foreign culture address similar issues, development of a multi-disciplined Extension educator network, opportunities for information sharing with U.S./ Nicaraguan colleagues, and realization of the role Extension educators play as global citizens to develop innovative Extension programs within a global context. Implications for future exchanges are discussed.
Farmer and Rancher Perceptions of Climate Change and Their Relationships with Mental Health
(2020-04) Howard, Meredith; Ahmed, Selena; Lachapelle, Paul; Shure, Mark B.
The impacts of climate change are having negative consequences on agricultural communities in the United States and other regions of the world. More specifically, these impacts are expected to increase in both scale and complexity and will continue to pose challenges both in terms of agricultural production and capacity. The purpose of this study was to understand ranchers’ and farmers’ perceptions of climate change’s impact on their businesses and their mental well-being in a rural U.S. western state. Surveys were administered online and in-person to farmers and ranchers in fall of 2017. Descriptive statistics and correlational tests were conducted to evaluate if climate risk perception was related to levels of mental distress. Open-ended survey questions explored specifically how climate change is impacting mental well-being. The majority of respondents agree that climate change is having an impact on agricultural business, and nearly three quarters of respondents are experiencing moderate to high levels of anxiety when thinking about climate change and its effects on agricultural business. A moderate correlation was observed between climate risk perception and climate-related anxiety. Qualitative data showed the impact of climate change on profitability was perceived as the main cause of distress. This study demonstrates that climate change is generating anxiety and distress for farmers and ranchers. To maximize public health preparedness efforts, interventions are warranted to provide climate adaptation education and therapeutic outreach specific to agricultural workers experiencing economic struggle in the context of climate change.
Managing Sanitation in Protected Areas: Problems and Challenges in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal
(Association for Nepal & Himalayan Studies, 1998) Lachapelle, Paul
In this paper, it is argued that four distinct issues have prevented adequate management of toilets, water quality and sanitary conditions in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park. First, numerous interest groups, both government and non-governmental, have apportioned work requirements and responsibilities for the infrastructural obligations in the park thereby drawing accusation and criticism for unmet needs. Second, there lacks a strong sense of community in several of the densely populated and/or popular tourist sites and therefore these areas are either ill-equipped, do not have the necessary community will or all-together neglect certain public sanitation needs. Third, there is no regulatory body that consistently enforces sanitary rules from the original park management plan. Lastly, various development initiatives in the park have created a cycle of dependency and the expectation that sanitation structures will be built and maintained.
Montana Horizons Program: Transforming Communities from Striving to Thriving
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2010) Lachapelle, Paul; Graham, B
This report details the work accomplished by 15 communities that successfully completed the Horizons III program during 2008-10 and provides a snapshot of their achievements. As examples throughout this report attest, the challenges in rural communities are significant but not insurmountable and opportunities abound. When community members focus on a specific outcome, join hands with collaborating partners and keep their eye on the future, the possibilities are never-ending. A new spirit and passion for community involvement is created when a common goal is identified and shared broadly.
Montana Horizons Program: Transforming Communities from Striving to Thriving
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2009) Lachapelle, Paul; Flaherty, C.
This report has descriptions of the sixteen communities stretching from Scobey to Anaconda. These sixteen communities successfully completed the Horizons II program during 2007-08 which provide just a small example of their achievements. The smallest town had 139 residents, the largest, 4,089. Poverty rates ranged from 11% to 41%. As examples throughout this report attest, the challenges in rural communities are signiﬁcant but not insurmountable and opportunities abound. When community members focus on a speciﬁc outcome, join hands with collaborating partners and keep their eye on the future, the possibilities are never-ending. A new spirit and passion for community involvement is created when a common goal is identiﬁed and shared broadly.
Montana Policy Review
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2011-09) Multiple Authors; Lachapelle, Paul; Lachapelle, Paul; Costakis, Cathy; Clark, Dan
The Fall 2011 issue titled Community Resiliency and the Built Environment: Innovations and Policy Issues in Montana focuses on how the built environment influences quality of life and economic prosperity across Montana. The built environment refers to the human-made physical structures and supporting infrastructure that provide the setting for human activity. In Montana, these surroundings shape our economic, social, environmental, and public health outcomes. The articles provide the most complete analysis to date of built environment initiatives from the people who have designed, developed, and delivered the programs and plans.
Montana Policy Review
(MSU Extension: Local Government Center, 2011-03) Multiple Authors; Lachapelle, Paul; Lachapelle, Paul; Clark, Dan
The Spring 2011 special issue titled "Montana Horizons: Program Outcomes and Policy Implications" focuses on an on-going community leadership program aimed at reducing poverty in rural communities experiencing significant decline or demographic change. The articles describe Horizons from the people who coordinated or actively participated in the program. With personal insights and professional learning and wisdom, the stories, narratives, and academic articles provide the most complete analysis to date of this program from the people who delivered it; a program that many will attribute to wide-spread and positive community change.
The National Board Basics Curriculum Project: A Leadership Capacity Building Tool for Boards
(Extension Journal, Inc., 2011) Lachapelle, Paul; Barnes, James
We explain in this article the need for board training in rural America irrespective of industry or government sector. We discuss how an assessment of training needs has led to the launch of a new project called the National Board Basics Curriculum (NBBC) project. In this project, we have identified four key core competencies that every board needs collectively to be a high-performance system. We provide preliminary results of our findings as a tool Extension educators can use with boards in rural communities. Extension educators can use these existing resources and many more developed through the NBBC project.
The Pedagogy of Citizen Participation in Local government: Designing and implementing effective board training programs for municipalities and counties
(Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, 2010) Lachapelle, Paul; Shanahan, Elizabeth A.
Although there are some general resources for citizens who are appointed or elected to local government boards, there is a clear need to develop comprehensive and context-specific training material to better prepare citizens for public service and board governance. This study details the development, delivery, and impact of a structured curriculum developed by the authors and used for citizen board training in Montana. The curriculum covers four key areas: (1) Foundations of governance (such as relevant statutes, including state constitutional provisions on the right to participate and right to know, and good governance principles); (2) effective meeting techniques, with a focus on procedural methods such as Robert’s Rules of Order; (3) conflict management; and (4) leadership and team-building skills. Curricular materials include a detailed handbook, case study exercises, relevant handouts and worksheets, and Web based resources such as podcasts. At the end of the training, we asked participants to self-evaluate their level of change in terms of knowledge and behavior, using both print and online surveys with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. We used the responses to measure the impact of the educational program; analysis showed a positive change in participants’ knowledge and behavior as a result of the training. Strengths, challenges, and implications of the current training curriculum, as well as further program refinement and its delivery in various contexts, are presented and discussed.
Strategic Visioning for Community Development. MSU Extension MontGuide
(MSU Extension, 2011) Lachapelle, Paul; Anderson, Katelyn; Wedum, Wendy
Strategic visioning is used by communities to identify future goals and work collectively to address community development needs. This guide provides an overview of the benefits of strategic visioning, situations appropriate to apply the techniques, and the steps to plan, implement and evaluate a visioning process.
Using Focus Groups for Community Development. MSU Extension MontGuide
(MSU Extension, 2008-05) Lachapelle, Paul; Mastel, Tara
Focus groups can be an effective means of involving citizens in a decision-making process. Yet, focus groups can also increase conflict and strain group dynamics if not properly executed. This publication provides information on the reasons to use a focus group, the steps involved, the types of questions that could be posed and expected outcomes.