Methodologies for Stakeholder participation Tim O’Riordan University of Evora 15 th and 16 th March 2012

Operating within the bounds of nature Principles of Sustainable Development Designing a safe, secure and robust society Paying our way Acting on best science in precaution Creating virtuous governance Limits and losers humans not exemptsocial justiceredistribution measuringmonitoringjoy in planetary livingcollective responsibility evaluatinglevying integrated knowledge personal responsibility self aware penalisingrewarding wicked problems burden of proof prudentempathetic benificence

Ideology and prejudice ethics Science Policy Trans- science independence peer tribalism verification measurement power relations political negotiation legitimacy dispute over evidence

bureaucratic culture economic culture scientific culture civic culture legitimacytechnology public understanding of science regulation consumption social behaviour policy politics ethics, values and social justice

wicked problems uncomfortable knowledge clumsy solutions no comprehensive framework for the linked analysis of “problem definition”, social justice and the long term gainers and losers information is “institutionally framed”, so it is uncomfortable for other “institutional cultures”, because problem interpretation and solution search varies according to knowledge settings, training and roles solutions are messy because they are created in familiar practice and comfortable institutions (path dependency). Step change is almost impossible; innovative pilot schemes through boundary companionships

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE Whole landscape design crossing boundaries of ecosystems and governing Empathetic planning design with nature, water harvesting, soakaways, blueways and green lungs Wellbeing and resilience ecosystem functions, health, spirituality, humility green badge, agreed practices, enabling social enterprise, maintaining tradition Networks of sustaining landscapes Landscape covenants new property rights, incentives for cooperation, s.106 stewardships

Theories of participation NORMATIVE Ethical right to participate: empowerment; equity; social justice; inclusion of local knowledge; giving voice to the marginalised INSTRUMENTAL Building social trust in governance, in community cohesion (social capital), and in searching for conflict avoidance or resolution. Getting to agreement with least conflict-laden “cost” LEGITIMACY Accepting shared power. Justifying the basis for public interest decisions. Being accountable to procedures for reaching consensus. Controlling the speed and direction of change SUBSTANTIVE Combining different ways of knowing and valuing. Reaching a common language of understanding. Recognising that uncertainty requires assurance of “folk knowledge” COOPERATIVE SCIENCE Based on respect, on openness and honesty of communication, on shared appreciation of values and power relations. Social learning through evolving networks of trust and new understanding

Dangers of Participation Lack of representativeness Attracts the self interested: the professional consultee: the articulate and the confident Exclusion Cuts out the powerless; the uninvolved; the young; the unborn; non-human nature; second stage impacts Reinforces diffuse power Power flows through social, economic and political networks which seek to reinforce their control through participatory processes by legitimation Persistent antagonism Consensus is impossible. It is an artefact of the participatory process. There will always be losers, who are not there, not recognised, not appreciated

Selecting procedures Setting the context Creating a common dialogue through specialist interviews, widening the representativeness and evolving small discussion groups Sustainable landscapes Bringing together the key interests: land managers, regulators, local and regional governments, conservation and wildlife and community groups, churches, social trust networks, commentators, media journalists, businesses (directly involved and chambers of commerce) Establishing an interview protocol Determine outputs and critical themes. Move from the informal to the formal. Use intuitive approaches (styles of communicating, body language). Build trust in your task and its essential importance

The workshops Create initial scenarios Based in the evolving interviews and discussion groups, but honestly revealed through knowledge and intuitive approaches. Redesigning builds authenticity Interpreting scenarios Break the scenarios into themes such as land use, diversity, health, nature’s value, timelines, patterning, accessibility for users and communities Deliberation groups Divide participants into suitably diverse combinations seeking to incorporate different ways of valuing and interpreting. Introduce knowledgeable and independent facilitators who are empathetic but open-minded and fair Weighing options Use of flip charts or coloured stickers to reach common understanding yet clearly identify possible conflicts or losses to groups over space and time Widening participation Second stage based on initial results but explicitly including those with clear gains and losses

SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE Conversing opening up hearts and minds via new companionships Companioning working and learning together: opening up academia to new learning outcomes creative and innovative institutions beyond familiarity : evaluating and evolving empathy : intuition : communication Knowing Imagining creativity : preparing each cultural shift for the next comprising civic and formal governance