1. Creating and Administering Inter-University Resources to Track NC County Responses to Welfare Reform Conducted by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science (UNC-CH) in Collaboration with in Collaboration with Faculty Associates from 11 Other UNC Institutions Conducted by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science (UNC-CH) in Collaboration with in Collaboration with Faculty Associates from 11 Other UNC Institutions Presented at the LINKS 2000 Conference -- Serving the Public in the 21st Century April 2000 by Dr. John W. Hardin, Assistant VP for Research, UNC-General Administration FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE

2. Presentation Overview Background/Context Goal Time Period & Funding Focus Methods Administrative Structure Faculty Associates The Research Network Building and Maintaining the Network (Lessons Learned) The End Products Background/Context Goal Time Period & Funding Focus Methods Administrative Structure Faculty Associates The Research Network Building and Maintaining the Network (Lessons Learned) The End Products

3. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Background/ Context 1996 national and 1997 state legislation prompted “devolution” of power over welfare Administrators & politicians tout welfare reform successes --  caseloads ;  former recipients working Opponents challenge successes --  demand on communities;  caseloads not due to reforms Most challenging aspect of reform yet to take place -- future state and county welfare policy decisions 1997 NC legislation allowed selected counties to develop/administer county-specific policies

4. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Goal To understand better the decentralization of policy-making powers and autonomy in North Carolina counties after the “devolution” of power by the 1996 National and 1997 State legislation

5. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Time Period & Funding 1997-98 and 1998-99 Academic Years Sponsor: UNC-CH Amount: $12,000 each year 2000 Calendar Year Sponsor: Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (Winston-Salem, NC) Amount: $50,000 2000-01 Calendar Year Additional funding expected

6. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Focus How counties transform their organizations, policies, and decision making as they implement welfare reform Differs from most welfare reform research, which evaluates programmatic results and tracks program recipients

7. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Methods Primary Unit of Study Counties Phase I (May-June 2000) General survey in all 100 NC counties Contact 5 county decision makers-- County Board of Commissioners, County Managers, Chairs of DSS Board, DSS Directors, Work First Managers Phase II (June-August 2000) In-depth, rich, contextual county reports in 25 counties

8. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Administrative Structure Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Deil Wright (Political Science, UNC-CH) Dr. Philip Cooke (Social Work, UNC-CH) Project Director Ms. Susan Webb (Political Science, UNC-CH) Faculty Associates 11 other UNC Institutions Unique level of collaboration Less than 1% of the 52,000 UNC sponsored program activities between 1988-1999 involved more than 10 collaborating institutions

9. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Faculty Associates

10. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Research Network 25 Focus Counties Phase II Phase I All 100 counties UNCW UNCG NCCU NCSU ECU FSU UNCP UNCC UNC-CH UNCA WCU ASU

11. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Building and Maintaining the Network (Lessons Learned) Build on existing relationships & interests Substantive interest (e.g., welfare reform) Process interest (e.g., policy making) Foster community of interest -- e.g., group meetings, e-mail listserv, website Establish “point person” to facilitate the network Create value to research associates -- e.g., extension of research, recognition, $

12. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE The End Products Of interest to a variety of stakeholders Research Products Framework for study of implementation in NC Identification of potential factors affecting implementation Baseline record of welfare reform in NC Electronic publishing of working papers Of interest to a variety of stakeholders Research Products Framework for study of implementation in NC Identification of potential factors affecting implementation Baseline record of welfare reform in NC Electronic publishing of working papers

13. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE The End Products (continued) Of interest to a variety of stakeholders Informational Products (data system) Profile demographic and infrastructure characteristics of counties Provide context for understanding local leadership capacity Develop system for “indexing” county welfare reform efforts Document variations in county decision making Of interest to a variety of stakeholders Informational Products (data system) Profile demographic and infrastructure characteristics of counties Provide context for understanding local leadership capacity Develop system for “indexing” county welfare reform efforts Document variations in county decision making

14. FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE Contact Information Susan Webb Department of Political Science CB #3265, Hamilton Hall UNC-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Fax: 919-962-4777 swebb@email.unc.edu http://www.unc.edu/html/depts/welfare/