Illinois: Today and Tomorrow, a Study of Utilization and Factors That Come Between Dissemination and Utilization

Abstract

127 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1981.Between 1977 and 1978, the Illinois: Today and Tomorrow survey was conducted. Its purpose was to provide decision-makers and planners in state and local government with information about what Illinois residents saw as problems with and priorities for their communities and state. It was hoped that the survey findings would be used as input into decision-makers' and planners' general planning and program development.The findings from this survey were obtained from 9,900 usable returned questionnaires. These findings were disseminated through a newspaper tabloid, which highlighted the main findings, regional publications, and special topical bulletins. In addition, workshops concerning the survey and its findings were held throughout the state of Illinois.Following the dissemination activities, an impact study was conducted to learn what effect, if any, the Illinois: Today and Tomorrow survey had on those decision-makers and planners it intended to serve. To investigate its impact, an elite and specialized interview guide was developed and sixty respondents who were involved in the planning stages of the survey or who had requested information on the survey findings were interviewed face-to-face or by phone. The data gathered from the interview process underwent a content analysis which identified implicit and explicit themes, and influence, process, and outcome variables.The impact study found that two-thirds of all respondents utilized the Illinois: Today and Tomorrow survey findings either instrumentally or conceptually. Those respondents who received an explanation on how to use the findings made greater utilization of the findings than those who did not receive an explanation. Utilization was found not to be significantly associated with initial involvement of respondents in the survey project nor with political factors surrounding the respondents' work-related setting. The most important factors affecting utilization were respondent position and the uniqueness of the Illinois: Today and Tomorrow survey.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD