×K1. Collaborative arrangements to support and improve water modelling

Collaborative, multi-stakeholder networks and communities of practice are increasingly being recognised for their effectiveness in supporting and improving the design, improvement and delivery of models and modelling tools for policy, planning and management purposes. The Queensland Water Modelling Network (QWMN) and the NSW Water Monitoring and Modelling Hub (NSW MaMH) are two examples.

This session will identify, discuss and synthesise practices for establishing and maintaining effective collaboration arrangements across State and local governments, university, research organisations, the private, not-for-profit and community sectors to support and improve the use of models for real world application. The focus of this session is to better understand the key elements and processes that underpin how modellers can more effectively engage with non-modellers to generate more participatory and shared outcomes.

The session invites papers that provide case study and research insights into the structure, management and impact of collaborative, multi-stakeholder networks and communities of practice for improving the use and usefulness of models and modelling tools. Papers are welcomed from a wide range of application domains including (but not limited to): water management from across the MSSANZ community, environmental asset planning, land planning for multiple and competing objectives, and multi-sector resource allocations to showcase the effective arrangements, engagement and communication processes used, and how enhanced modelling and user interaction of models can develop synergistic outcomes and greater interaction across stakeholders and sectors. Experiences and tools to monitor and evaluate effective collaborative arrangements will also be discussed.

Accepted papers will be invited to provide a 10-minute presentation. Following all presentations, an interactive and facilitated discussion will critically analyse, reflect and synthesise the insights provided by the presentations and drawn from the experiences of practitioners and modellers attending the session. A journal paper will be written as an output and submitted for publication, with all session participants included as co-authors for their knowledge and contributions.

Key topics: Collaboration, Model improvement, Networks, Communities of practice