Policy as Conversation Alberto Cottica Department of Economic Development Regione Basilicata Italy

Presentation Structure A policy problem Rethinking policy (and the people within it)‏ Signalling for quality and mutual recognition Harvesting and sharing information Results Diagnosis The blog Pilot projects The policy solution Lessons for a regional Living Lab governance At the level of the policy process At the level of the solution

A policy problem

Rethinking policy (and the people within it)‏

Signalling for quality and mutual recognition

Harvesting and sharing information

Results

Diagnosis

The blog

Pilot projects

The policy solution

Lessons for a regional Living Lab governance

At the level of the policy process

At the level of the solution

The Mandate Implementing “creative workspaces” in Basilicata 4,3 Meuro budget for capital expenditure (bricks-and-mortar)‏ No budget for ongoing activities Basilicata is a lagging region, sparsely populated An inter-institutional task force (central and regional administration)

Implementing “creative workspaces” in Basilicata

4,3 Meuro budget for capital expenditure (bricks-and-mortar)‏

No budget for ongoing activities

Basilicata is a lagging region, sparsely populated

An inter-institutional task force (central and regional administration)

Difficulties Local markets are very thin (less than 600K inhabitants in the region; two small cities with 60K each)‏ Basilicata's creatives tend to be self-referential and aid-dependent; some are rent-seeking Sustainability of workspaces seems a long way off Any progress on this ground requires very active, up front involvement of local creatives A new deal: sustainability in return for far better infrastructures?

Local markets are very thin (less than 600K inhabitants in the region; two small cities with 60K each)‏

Basilicata's creatives tend to be self-referential and aid-dependent; some are rent-seeking

Sustainability of workspaces seems a long way off

Any progress on this ground requires very active, up front involvement of local creatives

A new deal: sustainability in return for far better infrastructures?

What we needed to overcome them Rethink policy as a conversation, and creatives as trustworthy adults. Give up some control (e.g. campaign for decision criteria rather than imposing them)‏ Solve a credibility problem (bad narrative on public policy as inefficient and corrupt) and establish ourselves as credible partners creatives must recognize each other as potential allies and colleagues worth of respect everyone involve must recognize that change is possible

Rethink policy as a conversation, and creatives as trustworthy adults. Give up some control (e.g. campaign for decision criteria rather than imposing them)‏

Solve a credibility problem (bad narrative on public policy as inefficient and corrupt) and establish ourselves as credible partners

creatives must recognize each other as potential allies and colleagues worth of respect

everyone involve must recognize that change is possible

Signalling for Mutual Recognition A project brand (Visioni Urbane) and identity as separate from the administration's (Be different, look different)‏ Insisting on transparency, meritocracy, sharing-oriented ethos Non-ontological, peer-recommendation based definition of the creative community (including tech and communication companies and bloggers): 91 small companies and orgs Styling the relationship between the administration and creatives as unselfish: no money handouts ever A blog ( www.visioniurbanebasilicata.net ) as the main tool, signalling for transparency, openness and “speaking in a human voice” Getting on board high profile figures (Bruce Sterling, La Fura dels Baus, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Torino Internazionale...), signalling for quality

A project brand (Visioni Urbane) and identity as separate from the administration's (Be different, look different)‏

Insisting on transparency, meritocracy, sharing-oriented ethos

Non-ontological, peer-recommendation based definition of the creative community (including tech and communication companies and bloggers): 91 small companies and orgs

Styling the relationship between the administration and creatives as unselfish: no money handouts ever

A blog ( www.visioniurbanebasilicata.net ) as the main tool, signalling for transparency, openness and “speaking in a human voice”

Getting on board high profile figures (Bruce Sterling, La Fura dels Baus, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Torino Internazionale...), signalling for quality

Harvesting and Sharing Information Offline interaction: 5 workshops (Oct 2007-May 2008) structured as reporting sessions, providing final documents we could all agree on (and videos)‏ Raise the level of the debate to sell the idea that change is possible with the right kind of input. Culture shocks (Sterling, state-of-the-art examples of creative workspaces from all Europe)‏ Insist on social dimension. Encourage peer-to-peer interaction by coffee breaks, happy hours and parties

Offline interaction: 5 workshops (Oct 2007-May 2008) structured as reporting sessions, providing final documents we could all agree on (and videos)‏

Raise the level of the debate to sell the idea that change is possible with the right kind of input. Culture shocks (Sterling, state-of-the-art examples of creative workspaces from all Europe)‏

Insist on social dimension. Encourage peer-to-peer interaction by coffee breaks, happy hours and parties

Results: Diagnosis creatives are reasonably competent in producing culture need to improve in marketing and communication of cultural products need to improve in command of technology (especially internet) geared to cultural production and marketing need to improve business management skills need to network more, especially with each other (all of the above is subscribed by the creative community as of October 2007)‏

creatives are reasonably competent in producing culture

need to improve in marketing and communication of cultural products

need to improve in command of technology (especially internet) geared to cultural production and marketing

need to improve business management skills

need to network more, especially with each other

(all of the above is subscribed by the creative community as of October 2007)‏

Results: the Blog More than 100 unique visitors per day (everyone involved, every day!)‏ 88 posts and 618 comments (Sept 2007-May 2008)‏ peaks before and after offline workshops only one flame exchange

More than 100 unique visitors per day (everyone involved, every day!)‏

88 posts and 618 comments (Sept 2007-May 2008)‏

peaks before and after offline workshops

only one flame exchange

Results: Pilot Projects We decided to divert part if the funds to pilot projects to get the workspaces started and other non-brick-and-mortar activities (about 1,3 Meuro)‏ “ Call for dreams”: 14 proposals flowed in and were posted on the blog

We decided to divert part if the funds to pilot projects to get the workspaces started and other non-brick-and-mortar activities (about 1,3 Meuro)‏

“ Call for dreams”: 14 proposals flowed in and were posted on the blog

Results: The Proposed Solution The proposed solution: creative workspaces by area and theme

Lessons for a Regional LL Governance: the Policy Process Lack of funds for ongoing activities => focus on sustainability => demand for innovation Innovation => new marketable cultural products (the notion of marketable is contingent and hyperlocal: e.g. Sterling's “technological cave”)‏ A “no surrender” attitude on meritocracy helped to emerge an alliance between smart, hard working members of the community

Lack of funds for ongoing activities => focus on sustainability => demand for innovation

Innovation => new marketable cultural products (the notion of marketable is contingent and hyperlocal: e.g. Sterling's “technological cave”)‏

A “no surrender” attitude on meritocracy helped to emerge an alliance between smart, hard working members of the community

Lessons for a Regional LL Governance: the Policy Solution More and better policy as conversation Cultural strategy conference (2010?)‏ Governance structure The creative community itself (via a social network, expansion of the blog)‏ “ Council of the wise” (à la STAG in Taiwan IT policy), expansion of the high profile figures within the policy design process Committee formed by managers of workspaces bringing feedback from the trenches The regional administration at the highest possible level

More and better policy as conversation

Cultural strategy conference (2010?)‏

Governance structure

The creative community itself (via a social network, expansion of the blog)‏

“ Council of the wise” (à la STAG in Taiwan IT policy), expansion of the high profile figures within the policy design process

Committee formed by managers of workspaces bringing feedback from the trenches

The regional administration at the highest possible level

Conclusions Policy as conversation has been able to achieve promising results in a difficult situation, restoring a healthier policy climate A hitherto implicit demand for innovation has emerged in Basilicata, thanks to the “biting” sustainability constraint. This has attractive efficiency properties, and I propose it be considered as an alternative to the traditional innovation supply model of LLs This approach is probably most useful to put to use the very many heritage buildings restored through URBAN A problem: getting other administration departments (tourism, IT, infrastructures, even culture) involved is difficult, even with a short chain of command

Policy as conversation has been able to achieve promising results in a difficult situation, restoring a healthier policy climate

A hitherto implicit demand for innovation has emerged in Basilicata, thanks to the “biting” sustainability constraint. This has attractive efficiency properties, and I propose it be considered as an alternative to the traditional innovation supply model of LLs

This approach is probably most useful to put to use the very many heritage buildings restored through URBAN

A problem: getting other administration departments (tourism, IT, infrastructures, even culture) involved is difficult, even with a short chain of command