Does Community-Based Collaborative Resource Management Increase Social Capital?

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Abstract
One potential benefit of collaboration is increased social capital, defined as trust, norms of reciprocity, and networks. Social capital may improve a group's ability to collaborate, manage risk, innovate, and adapt to change. We used mail surveys of group participants and key informant interviews to assess whether social capital changed over time in eight collaborative groups in northwest Colorado. The majority of social capital measures increased over time in all groups. However, social capital between agencies and group members increased more than social capital among other participants for most groups. Interviews revealed that commitment and continuity; understanding, empathy, and respect; transparency; and dependability and predictability are important mechanisms for building social capital in collaborative settings.