Barbara Quimby

Research ABSTRACT The state of Nebraska, USA employs a localized, integrated approach to managing water resources to address escalating quantity challenges. Here, we assess differences between agricultural water users’ perceptions of water management in a water-stressed area of Nebraska after a first round of water management planning and perceptions of three other stakeholder groups in Nebraska immediately after a second round of water management planning.

Discussion and Conclusion The conceptual framework we offer here was developed to guide research on stakeholder engagement by specifying and integrating contexts and processes, social learning, and community capacity building outcomes, and behavioral and environmental change. It represents our effort to open the black box of how and under what circumstances stakeholder engagement yields change in response to calls for a greater evidence base for change through engagement.