Community-Based Operations Research

Community-based operations research is defined as the collection of analytical methods applied to problem domains in which interests of underrepresented, underserved, or vulnerable populations in localized jurisdictions, formal or informal, receive special emphasis, and for which solutions to problems of core concern for daily living must be identified and implemented so as to jointly optimize economic efficiency, social equity, and administrative burdens. As such, it represents a specific domain within public-sector OR. Community-based operations research (OR) problems tend to be “messy” and highly dependent on political and social considerations. Nevertheless, solution of these problems is essential to the continued health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and entire regions. This tutorial emphasizes current research in a variety of application areas. We identify a tension between problems that reflect unique characteristics of local communities and those that represent more general characteristics that bridge diverse communities. We propose principles for bridging the gap between quantitative modeland method-based approaches typically associated with private-sector problems, and qualitative policy and process-oriented approaches typically associated with public-sector problems. We examine two research applications in detail: food security and affordable housing. In so doing we emphasize the commonality of problem attributes and the diversity of modeling and solution methods.