ABSTRACT
Pathways to Prevention is a multidimensional, early intervention crime prevention project integrating family support programmes with preschools and school-based programmes in a highly disadvantaged suburb of Brisbane. It is a partnership between Mission Australia, a practice-based direct service provider, and Griffith University, a research institution. As well as providing sound practice and policy relevant research, the project constituted a unique resource for generating much needed new knowledge about organisational learning, integration and implementation in multidisciplinary environments, and knowledge management specific to the areas of intersectoral, interorganisational collaboration and research–practice– policy partnerships. This paper examines the Pathways to Prevention Project through five different theoretical lenses to stimulate awareness of theories that others may find useful and to identify opportunities for studying the structures and processes involved in complex, public good partnerships. The lenses used to explore the project are organisational learning, knowledge management, integration and implementation sciences, public policy transformation, and practice– research engagement. For each lens we present key intellectual foundations, discuss relevant learning experiences from the Pathways project, and suggest future lines of study and experimentation to develop new knowledge pathways in each area.
