Lessons Learned for Structured Democratic Dialogue Methodology

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Milestone 1

• Organise carefully the workshop phases for successfully meeting the objectives and for engaging all participants;
• Be careful of possible competition of other events happening as the same time in the same city or on the same topic;
• Bring researchers from ‘non-conventional’ areas related to Deep Sea Mining;
• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can help to overcome the current marine and societal challenges and unlock the potential for Blue Growth;
• There is a strong need for redefining and refocusing the business model of tourism.

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Milestone 2

• Explain the challenge in an inclusive, strategic and broad manner for involving all types of participants;
• Use diverse communication channels (e-mail, telephone, face-to-face and word of mouth) for recruiting participants;
• Define the initiative's broad goals from a policy, social / cultural, economic, technological perspective;
• Focus the workshop and the RRI presentation on a topic relevant for the participants and related to their daily lives;
• Make the high seas more visible to all stakeholders, the benefits for all and the issues at stake;
• Invite additional stakeholders and communities to join the MARINA knowledge sharing platform and direct them to the results and materials related to Deep Sea Mining;
• Define a workshop triggering question that is short, clear and easily understood by all stakeholders;
• Consider personal e-mails as the recruitment mechanism because it has been proven by far the most effective recruitment mechanism;
• Explain RRI and innovation tools and how to embed them in policy agendas as participants find it useful;
• Run awareness campaigns so that the issue problem is clearly understood by all stakeholders;
• Be aware of the motivational factor that workshop participants may feel because they like the fact that an interdisciplinary group representing all society's niches is invited to brainstorming for resolving the problem;
• Perform an analysis of publics' behaviours before engaging the public engagement;
• Use audience targeted communication for all types stakeholders to engage them;
• Raise citizen and business awareness about the environmental protection and sustainability;
• Initiate target awareness campaigns towards all stakeholders through a specific media;
• Motivate to receive ahead of the workshop and on time the participants' action ideas and to attract participants from all stakeholders’ groups;
• Be aware that policy-makers are not easy to engage unless they see a specific benefit that fits their agenda;
• Start planning at least 4 months in advance the organisation of a workshop as it is very time consuming task;
• Carefully consider the workshop's duration as many participants think that a one day-long workshop is too long.

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Milestone 3

• Adopt participative methods tested in MARINA in other initiatives including stakeholders;
• Moderate the workshop with an experienced facilitator to avoid "Groupthink" and the "Erroneous Priorities Effect";
• Explain at the start of the workshop the different phases that participants will go through;
• Empower European citizens, business representatives, researchers and policy makers to take informed decisions on the high seas through science education;
• Look for participants open to dialogue, but who don't usually interact with each other;
• Hook RRI abstract subjects to a topic related to participants lives and has interests in it;
• Implement RRI in real situations, with many participants proposing many actions;
• Choose a suitable method for the number of participants and the specific of the workshop;
• The SDD dialogue is a rigorous and efficient participatory methodology, but also time-consuming, leaving no time for the interpretation of the presented ideas in terms of their RRI dimensions by the participants during the workshop;
• Ask participants' to state their workshop expectations because experience shows that some find the workshop and its participatory method intriguing, others were interested In how to develop a shared vision, some had an interest in being inspired and build networks;
• Identify and invite the right number of participants representing all necessary science fields to create a viable action plan. Participant recruiting is time-consuming and must be planned well in advance of the workshop;
• Use both phone and email for citizen recruitment;
• Establish transparent, efficient and effective democratic mechanisms amongst all involved and throughout all the phases to create trust;
• Keep the workshop's duration short and engage an experienced facilitator;
• Involve politicians and municipality representatives in workshops to increase its effectiveness;
• Email and telephone were the best communication channels for promoting the workshop;
• The SDD method was evaluated as very well structured, inclusive, productive, scientific, interesting and dynamic;
• The education of young people and the use of exchange programs between schools will lead to active citizenship respectful of the environment;
• Plan well the participant groups so that all stakeholders are sufficiently represented;
• Promote the workshop through websites and a poster campaigns;
• Bring people and particularly the young on location where they can have transformative experiences that they will seek to relieve throughout their lives;
• Engage young potential "citizen scientists" in schools to promote the issue at hand;
• All relevant stakeholders need to be involved in the process of developing sustainable tourism ventures within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs);
• Achieve positive engagement with all types of local stakeholders including relevant government agencies, local businesses, regulators, NGOs, CSOs, researchers and citizens;
• Clarify from the start of any process or workshop all terms and acronyms so that all participants from various backgrounds understand them;
• Explain clearly the workshop methodology and how the outputs will be used at the beginning of the workshop and include some warm-up activity;
• Engage researchers with the industry for the development of appropriate technologies since there is a discrepancy between the academia and the industry needs;
• Raise awareness among pupils and students about environmental protection through informational programs as well as promote the specific sector as a means of employability;
• Learn about participatory methods and how to use them;
• Help the participants with examples to understand how to embed RRI principles when discussing a sector and societal challenges;
• Participants do not subscribe gladly to the platform, they don't have time and/or willingness to learn using another tool;
• During the recruitment phase, ensure the methodology has been clearly explained and understood, to avoid misunderstanding during the event;
• Ensure you have some big institution's newsletter to disseminate your workshop for recruitment and spreading of the results;
• Increase awareness in the youngest about the (local) marine issues to create a new generation of people that are aware of the problems and want to engage themselves, to take action also through a political career;
• Be flexible with the methodology adopted in order to finalize the process, even if not in the way you planned;
• Choose your methodology considering your audience;
• Dedicate the needed time to discuss and clarify the methodology and the agenda with the facilitator - and among the organizing group;
• Stream only the most crucial sections of the workshop, disseminate the streaming agenda.

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Milestone 4

• Take measures to develop and further enhance the engagement and cooperation between different stakeholders;
• Request the participants to state their ideas in the form of action statements in order to “push” them to think in practical terms;
• Establish cooperation among diverse stakeholders (researchers, innovative businesses, politicians and citizens) even when it's challenging;
• Mobilise stakeholders early in the process to develop viable and sustainable business models;
• Joined stakeholder involvement produces ideas with integrated and holistic focus based on synergy and collaboration;
• Collect participant's post-workshop feedback focusing on the added value workshop points: the participatory method, the topic, the action plan, the common vision, the future participation options;
• Multidisciplinary research considers the sustainability vector is key;
• Create a friendly and relaxed workshop atmosphere for participants to have lively and open discussions;
• The absence of gender equality reveals a critical gap in access to opportunities and resources and decision-making power for women and men;
• Plan well the workshop so that participants provide their ideas in an active way;
• The SDD method allows for integrating contributions from individuals with diverse views, backgrounds and perspectives through a process that is structured, inclusive and collaborative;
• Avoiding "Groupthink" and the "Erroneous Priorities Effect": taking measures for the protection of the authenticity of all ideas;
• A structured participatory method like SDD helps participants converge their opinions towards a common vision and a common action plan;
• Give tight bounds to participants about the shape of the contributions they have to provide, so they will not have other option than provide what is needed;
• Actively introduce Gender Equality into discussions and ideas, as most often is a non considered aspect;
• One day is not enough for SDD.

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Milestone 5

• Use the SMART action format to ease the follow up of the workshop;
• Define a clear plan for the future engagement of the workshop's participants to keep the community active;
• Focus not only on high-level ideas, but also on required research and innovation actions needed to execute them;
• Develop a common vision and an action plan with a more narrow focus combining development milestones and follow-up workshops;
• Translate workshop results in something short and friendly in short time and disseminate among the participants and others, not to loose momentum;
• Empower citizens beyond data collection through involvement in decision-making and governance.
• Provide a quality framework in which all stakeholders can work toward a solution thanks to a good governance;
• Increase knowledge on deep sea minerals occurrences and their economic;
• Work together (science, law, economics, policy) to give advice on seabed mining issues;
• Increase awareness in the use of raw materials and their importance on our society;
• Create an organized knowledge synthesis on Deep Sea Mining;
• Identify what are the society's perceptions and knowledge gaps for consideration in future planning of Deep Sea Mining research and innovation initiatives;
• Improve governance by defining a shared and common vision by involving citizens and business networks for clean and green industries;
• Engage the public and involve governing bodies at various levels to generate ideas that are ethical, sustainable, inclusive and of social justice;
• Focus on RRI issues by prompting participants to talk more about how researchers can be enrolled in all actions generated and how other stakeholders can be useful to researchers;
• Define SMART common vision and actions towards a specific goal and project;
• Achieve success through multi-stakeholder engagement and consensus;
• Awareness and education are fundamental in changing mind-sets;
• Open access, i.e. giving free online access to the results of publicly-funded research data will boost innovation and increase the use of scientific results by all societal actors;
• Allocate a good part of the workshop for creating a clear common action plan;
• Generate ideas for actions during the workshops by having: a) simple, short title; one line describing the idea and one-two lines (minimum) explaining and clarifying the idea;
• Generate ideas for actions during the workshops by having: b) think who would be responsible for implementing the proposed action and how to engage the person or organisation;
• Generate ideas for actions during the workshops by having: c) timing (when could such an idea be implemented);
• Generate ideas for actions during the workshops by having: d) resources (how would the idea be implemented);
• Ensure that the process of co-generating an action plan is concluded during the workshop;
• While interpreting the results consider the location of the workshop: statistically most of the participants will come from the area where the workshop is held.

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Milestone 6

• Increase environmental and science education to promote societal understanding and participation;
• Create training programs targeting SMEs and investors by focusing on enablers and barriers;
• Put in place a policy-oriented, holistic and integrated approach to tackle complex issues;
• Share data for a better cooperation and public engagement on the high seas;
• Support local and international decision-makers in charge of evaluating if, when, how, by who and for what should Deep Sea Mining ever take place;
• Create an open access platform with all Deep Sea Mining data available including biological and geological information;
• Educate children on the importance of biodiversity and how to think about the environment responsibly;
• Promote public engagement actions to raise awareness to the urgency of deep sea mapping;
• Push governmental bodies for high-tier governance on local initiatives to have the biggest impact;
• Make urban planning and tourism development collaborative and democratic by involving citizens and business in envisioning urban futures and resolve negative environmental impacts;
• Succeed with public engagement through science education and open access in policy;
• Educate the public at large in their individual role in marine conservation and sustainability (Public Engagement, Science Education);
• Educate all stakeholders about sustainable tourism sustainability to achieve socially and environmentally acceptable goods and services;
• Changing customer demand requires attractive and sustainable products that provide unique and customised experiences;
• Action and follow-up the co-defined action plan;
• Science & Education and Open Access have a vital role in achieving success in the development of sustainable tourism ventures within Marine Protected Areas;
• Each initiative on sustainable tourism products requires the right expertise (knowledge and skills) and institutional participatory processes that will support stakeholders' successful involvement;
• Consider the impacts of any activity before consenting which may require the deployments of monitoring technologies to facilitate monitoring and impact assessment;
• Coordinate all activities related to policy, planning and regulation in the best possible way to reduce conflict and help meet environmental, economic and social objectives;
• Initiate open access through public offices also to non-governmental stakeholders;
• Use citizen observatories through mobile phones to report pollution sites and inappropriate environmental behaviour;
• Educate citizens about the value of the sea in their daily lives is necessary to raise ocean awareness and literacy;
• Provide Open Access to data for a proactive response to societal challenges;
• Develop information exchange systems between government, industry and the universities;
• Push for cooperation among academic institutions and the industry, as it is crucial;
• The greater majority of actions relate to more than one RRI dimension; this shows that actions are multidisciplinary and involve multiple stakeholders;
• Implement innovative and responsive policies to face climate change effects and assure a balanced competitiveness, growth and sustainability;
• Start measuring and collecting marine scientific data on board different non-scientific vessels.

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Milestone 7

• Develop real-time information systems, training activities and incentives to share knowledge and information for avoiding tendencies of local governments and businesses to downplay negative consequences;
• Follow-up with all participants and monitor results regularly and engage them in post-workshop knowledge sharing and networking through an online platform;
• To measure success, define clear and achievable objectives;
• The ultimate aim should be to develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts and to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products;
• Analyse the impact of plumes and waste produced by Deep Sea Mining exploitation;
• Distinguish between occurrences and resources, in order to know what exists and its potential economic value;
• Develop efficient monitoring systems and assess the environmental impacts of best/worst policy practice;
• Involving customers ranked the most favourable cluster with specific actions including the adoption of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) business model;
• Build capacity through education by developing local and national programmes for secondary schools and outreach programmes through citizen projects utilising real-time data from monitoring equipment;
• Try to engage volunteer groups/stakeholders who use the specific environment on a regular basis;
• Create innovative tools to guide the consumers, thus inducing public and private stakeholders (including NGOs) to invest in more sustainable directions;
• Start specific economic changes (investment, taxation) to support the goal of efficient and sustainable activities.

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Milestone 8

• Focus on good enforcement of already existing legislation mechanisms rather than reinventing others from scratch and adjust legislation as necessary;
• Organise regular follow-up workshops by involving more decision makers to anchor change;
• Ensure that funding will be secured for action plan execution and follow up actions;
• Use the media and science mediators to make society aware about research and innovation results;
• Advocate on the necessity of creating specific funding schemes to support the development of the targeted sector based on RRI principles;
• Create funding mechanisms to promote RRI in research and innovation in the innovative sectors;
• Encourage scientific knowledge and professional growth that have fundamental roles in supporting innovative sectors;
• Try to develop stronger engagement among schools and the local authorities for the maintenance of basic infrastructure;
• Make environmental impact assessment mandatory for Deep Sea Mining within the EU;
• Oblige companies by contract to use 10% of their investment in an investigation in engineering design for mitigation of Deep Sea Mining during all the operation;
• Promote Sustainable Tourism policies to improve coastal and marine ecosystems, minimise pollution and create economic growth by combining efforts at national, regional and local levels and creating green funding schemes and incentives;
• Enhance coastal and maritime tourism by adapting to demographic changes, while maintaining the original vocation and atmosphere of the coastal cities;
• Educate planners, civil society leaders, business industry to be more collaborative, responsible and exert place-based leadership;
• Communicate broadly and raise wide awareness about the specific initiative to anchor change;
• Create higher awareness on technological achievements from challenging and cutting edge successful projects to attract skilled people to work in the sector;
• Disseminate research and innovation outcomes that have societal relevance for ethical acceptability;
• Promote governance arrangements and practices to favour sustainable tourism and seafood consumption;
• Reliable scientific information is not easily accessible for sectorial actors;
• Create a seafood producers organisation in France to reduce the gap between the producers and consumers;
• Focus on Science Education in sustainable development and marine resources management as a critical part of local culture and coastal tourism;
• Ensure the policies are socially inclusive and are widely known;
• Use of technology as an instrument to both monitor the regulations and to disseminate data in near real-time;
• Push for governance and ethics to be required in business registration requirements for creating awareness on sustainability;
• Create platforms where industry and academic leaders can disseminate accurate and influential information which can be accessible by the general public;
• To develop a sector, develop a legal framework promoting and regulating its development;
• Education is necessary for the marine biotechnology development thus the need for developing university educational programmes on marine biotechnology;
• Invest in communication campaign by professionals, work with marketing societies to translate the scientific results into clear messages that can reach in particular young people;
• Put in place an effective communication about green washing, so to improve the critical sense of the public against "fake" green activities;
• Engage government and law makers in order to make sustainable change in ports and ship;
• Consider that National and International organizations must balance economic profit and a competitive market with the goal of preserving the natural environment of our seas;
• Make ports hubs of sustainability;
• Increase the usage of alternative fuels for ships as for instance Liquefide Naturaò Gas;
• Involve a multitude of stakeholders and implement actions as widely as possible, even globally, in order for adopted policies and solutions to be as relevant as possible, resulting in more support to implement the changes by all sides.

See also...

Workshop Methodology