Exploring the Role of Adaptive Capacity on Democratic Performance, 2022-2025

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This transnational research project partnership was awarded through the Trans-Atlantic Platform’s recovery, renewal and resilience in a post-pandemic world call. COVID-19, and the economic collapse triggered by it, laid bare the precarious financial, educational, and social situations of residents in communities around the world. The collapse has exposed and exacerbated enduring economic and social inequities by pushing those precariously employed, housed, clothed, educated, and fed deeper into a low or no-access abyss and pushing those who were moderately well-off into the uncertainty of hardship. Organisations that serve this high need/high-risk population have also been challenged by new resource constraints, different capacities to adapt, and various levels of capacity for collaboration and to enhance performance in light of unique, widespread need. This research focuses in two areas: reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities and fostering democratic governance and political participation. These foci are inextricably linked and can fruitfully be explored in tandem. Together, we label them as democratic performance. Using organisational theories, organisational behaviour theories, sociological theories, and democratic theories, with a focus on adaptive capacity, inter-organisational relations, performance, and bureaucratic responsiveness, the research asks 4 questions across 4 countries (USA, UK, Canada and Poland): (RQ1) What health, social and economic wellbeing inequalities both real and perceived emerged for vulnerable populations during COVID-19 pandemic, pre- and post-vaccine, and why did they emerge? (RQ2) How did single and collaborative organizational (government, nonprofit) adaptive capacities affect (in)equitable outcomes for vulnerable populations, pre- and post-vaccine, such as individual felt exclusion and trust in social support organizations? (RQ3) How did single and collaborative adaptive capacities affect policy compliance and behaviour for vulnerable populations? (RQ4) What digital tools will facilitate a sustained international and domestic collaboration to enhance global and local action to reduce inequities, increase inclusion in decision-making, and strengthen trust and universal policy compliance? The research questions were answered through a multiple embedded case study design using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis tools.