The Role of Values in Decision Making & Bridging the Research to Practice Gap

Celeste Young

Research Fellow, Victoria University

Thursday, September 24, 1 – 2 pm

C02 Lecture Theatre, Earth Sciences Building 

Drawing from Celeste’s work in sustainability, climate change adaptation and natural hazards, this presentation will explore the role of values in both physical and psychological landscapes; the dependencies between these areas and how they shape the decision making process and our relationship with the natural world. It will also give a summary of findings from previous NCCARF research on values at risk, discuss the challenges and rewards of transdisciplinary research and the integration of new knowledge into practice using the problem solution framework which will be illustrated by case studies where this has been applied.

Celeste Young is Collaborative Research Fellow at Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies who has specialist skills in stakeholder engagement, communication and implementation using transdisciplinary research methods. Her research focus to date has been on the development and integration of research using a systemic based approach which utilises innovation, communication and business methodologies. Her key areas of interest have been industry and local government adaptation and bridging the gap between research and practitioners and policy makers. She has also developed a number of successful programs and frameworks for the sustainability and environmental areas for practitioners.

Celeste was a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Working Group II Fifth Assessment Report Chapter on the Foundations of decision making and was a researcher on the NCCARF Valuing Adaptation Under Rapid Change project. More recently she has completed work with the VISES team of developing an economic framework for green infrastructure for local government. She also developed the problem solution framework for adaptation which has influenced approaches in policy end practice both in Australia and overseas. Currently she is part of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project, Mapping and Understanding Bushfire and Natural Hazard Vulnerability and Risks at the Institutional Scale.