The other time limitation was the limited time available to engage with participants. Survey participants tended to be in a rush and were trying to participate in other activities. Due to our approach of going to already planned events and asking people to participate, people were interested in the other events that they were there to attend. For example, at the Lanier High School Immigration 101 event participants were in a hurry to get seated and begin the workshop. People were not expecting to have their attention diverted and give their time to a seemingly unrelated issue. Some did not seem interested yet participated anyway. This time limitation limited the research team’s ability to engage with participants in a manner that upholds the objectives of accountability. This offers an opportunity for this work to be used as the basis of future conversations between the City and North Central Austin/Rundberg area residents, though not one we could fully engage in ourselves.
Funding The scale and scope of the report back and feedback process was originally conceptualized to reach hundreds of people from very diverse backgrounds that would engage in activities based on the principles of participatory democracy. A range of consultants and experts specialize in this type of process and we had hoped to engage them in the design and execution of the report back. Unfortunately, funds were limited and we were unable to bring in any external support. Had the funds been available, the type of feedback and community engagement might have been deeper. Instead we relied on a survey as the main form of ensuring accountability and validity. There are limitations to depending on a survey to fulfill these objectives. Literacy and familiarity with filling out forms were barriers limiting the number of people that could participate. There were some people that had a very difficult time filling out and understanding the survey, even with assistance. Another financial limitation was the limited number of incentives we had to offer to participants. The research team wanted to ensure a high response rate and wanted to provide an incentive for people to share their time and ideas with us. Originally, the team wanted to provide $5-$10 gift cards to each person who participated in the survey but due to limited funds we instead had to create a raffle to give out just one $100 gift card. If each participant received a gift card, it is possible that the number of participants would have been higher.
Limitations to Creating Durable Change This project is about improving the lives of people through access to affordable and healthy food which requires addressing the root causes of inequality. Social change is a critical piece to achieving the objectives of this project. Change does not happen overnight and it would be unreasonable to expect dramatic change from a twenty week survey-based learning project. To create truly durable change and a completely equitable food system in Austin would require changes in American economics and our agricultural system. While our research project acknowledges our inability to address the root causes of American health and wealth inequality, which contribute to the North Central Austin/Rundberg area’s poor health outcomes, our project would not be able to make those massive structural changes. However, we hope that by identifying these problems, the City may begin a journey of a thousand steps toward a more equitable and healthy future.
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