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Mapping the Colorado Basin Rou ndtable’s Water Policy Networks <br />Influence in water policy and management issues among water stakeholders. <br />Trust between water stakeholders that others will keep their interests in mind. <br />Demographics of water stakeholders responding to the survey, including age, years <br />in water policy, and other traditional demographics as well as water rights ownership <br />and affiliations with different interests involved in water policy and management. <br />One way to understand and address the questions above is through social network research <br />with the roundtable participants and those peripheral to, but not actively involved in, the <br />roundtables. Network analysis has been applied to many different policy and inter-organizational <br />settings, including water issues. Among its outcomes, the research can help improve levels of <br />collaboration by identifying peripheral stakeholders whose untapped interests and expertise <br />could be drawn into the process (Cross & Parker, 2004; Milward & Provan, 1998) and help <br />understand where and why alliances form (Weible & Sabatier, 2005). Social network questions <br />in this survey asked participants to identify spec ific individuals who are important to them in a <br />variety of ways. For example, one question in the survey asked participants to identify those <br />people with whom they most frequently exchange information related to water policy and <br />management. Analyzing this information helps to understand if certain individuals or groups of <br />individuals are more likely to be communicating r egularly with each other on water issues, while <br />other individuals may be more isolated. <br />Survey Timing <br />The survey participants were contacted and surv eyed between May and August in 2007. At the <br />time, the roundtables were charged with developing a needs assessment plan, a grants <br />process, and continuing their intra-basin dialogues on basin specific issues. The results of the <br />survey reflect this point in time during the roundtable process and the experiences of water <br />stakeholders with the process up until that time. <br />Survey Participants <br />The target audience for the survey was members of the Colorado Basin Roundtable and other <br />water stakeholders they identified while taking the survey. In total, 50 Colorado Basin <br />Roundtable members were invited to participate and 46 completed the survey. The 46 who <br />completed the survey identified an additional 191 water stakeholders, each of whom were <br />invited to participate in the study. The external stakeholders each received an invitation by <br />phone as well as email invitations. Those who could not be reached or chose not to return the <br />phone calls did not receive an email invitation with the survey link. One hundred and eighteen <br />of the external water stakeholders participated in the survey and 95 of those participating <br />completed all questions in the survey (81%). The total response rate was 68% for surveys <br />returned by the external stakeholders. This high participation rate matches the overwhelmingly <br />positive and supportive responses from stak eholders when the study was explained and their <br />participation requested. In all, 164 individuals – 46 basin members plus 118 external <br />stakeholders -- participated in the research. <br />Conclusion <br />The discussion in the chapters to follow explores and interprets key findings that focus on the <br />Colorado Basin Roundtable. The information may also be relevant to other roundtables and <br />water stakeholders in Colorado. A more detailed analysis of the findings is in Appendix A. <br />Colorado Institute of Public Policy 9 of 64 <br />