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Governance in Science and Technology
Citizens’ engagement for social innovation ?
Spring School
May 25, 2011
Amsterdam
Dr. Johan Evers
Project manager
SETTING THE STAGE
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WHO ARE WE?
Mission statement
To monitor and investigate the societal aspects of scientific & technological
developments.
Based on this work, to organise and stimulate the public debat on these
societal aspects, thereby involving experts, stakeholders and the broader public.
The results of these debates ought to be made of use for the Flemish
Parliament (advices, reports, brochures,…)
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viWTA/IST – Historical background
• End of the 90’s dominated by foods scandals in
Belgium => Questions in public opinion
• Debate on GM food in Flemish parliament
– Five major advisory councils (science, agriculture,
health, social economical, environment)
demanded public debate, whilst admitting scientific
uncertainty
• This originated the birth of ‘Flemish Foundation for
Science and Technology Assessment’ (viWTA)
Daily practices
• IST = Parliamentary TA institution
• Board of Directors
– 8 Members of Flemish Parliament (delivers chairman)
– 8 scientific experts (Advisory Councils on Science, Economy, Environment
and Health)
• Scientific Secretariat (6)
– Director & Secretary
– 4 project managers / researchers
– 1 research assistant
– 1 communication & coordination officer
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Daily practices
• Yearly programme
• Selection procedure
– Trends & weak signals
– Research and contacts of project managers
– Approved by Board of Directors (IST)
• Projects can be commissioned by the parliament in the
context of
– Support
– Research and substantial support
– Hearings, workshops and seminars
– Informative notes
– Elucidations
– Participatory activities
Technology assessment
Technology assessment is a scientific, interactive and
communicative process which aims to contribute to the
formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of
science and technology (Decker & Ladikas, 2004)
Forecasting developments Assessing mutual impact
Product Process
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Technology assessment in the context of policy making
IST
OTA
EPTA -members
• Catalonia (Spain)
• Flanders (Belgium)
• Finland
• France EPTA-associates:
• Germany
• Greece
•Austria
• Italy •Council of Europe
• Netherlands •Poland
• Norway •USA
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
Parliamentary Technology Assessment (PTA)
Need for
independent and Specific policy
societal assessments context: informing &
of S&T in decision- advising parliaments
Normative making
dimension
Parliament as
Cognitive Pragmatic 'chambres de
Specific research
context
dimension dimension réflexion'
TA Problem-driven
multidisciplinary
research
Specific approach:
strongly participative
Practical attitude
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Some guiding principles in PTA
• Client-oriented
• Problem-driven rather than technology driven
• Constructive logic rather than acceptance logic
• Prospective and anticipatory rather than
evaluative (ex ante rather than ex post or ex
durante)
Participatory TA
Information
Consultation
Why public participation?
To articulate societal preferences
Active participation
To make societal interests explicit
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What do we do?
2002 2011
2009 2009
GMO Food in Impact of noise
Smart grid Biofuels
Flanders pollution
2009 2011
2004 2010
World Wide Views ICT, always a good
ICT and Elderly Digital exclusion
on climate change idea?
2005 2011
2010
Meetings of Minds – 2009 Climate adaptation:
Fertility: beyond the
the future of brain CIVISTI the challenges for
technology
sciences Flanders
2007 2008 2010 2011
Poverty and Flemish energy Intelligent transport Gender and
Technology system 2050 systems technology
2008 2010 2011
2008
Road traffic and Awards and ICT Smartly
Youth and gaming
health festival underground
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Working areas of IST
Life sciences
Methodology Environment
Energy and Information
climate society
Cornerstones of IST
Science and
technology,
decision-making and
evolution of society
Independent
Assessment,
research, public
recommendation
debate and lucid
and dialogue
communication
Information,
consultation and
participation
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Methodologies
Theatre plays
Focus groups
Technology festival
Awards
Delphi methodology
Scenario workshops
Lectures
Expositions
Citizens’ Convention/ Town hall meeting
Consensus conference
Didactical packages for scholars
…
Participation toolkit
Genetically modified food
Suppoting the societal debate
Supporting the dialogue between stakeholders
Retrospective International
trend study symposium
Public forum
Stakeholders’ Media debate
forum
Advise Flemish Parliament
Better decision making
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Digital exclusion mechanisms
• ICT and elderly(2005) & Technology and poverty(2006)
– Challenge to creativity: design of participatory part of
the project
– Combination of literature study, interviews, Delphi
studies, scenario’s, theatre plays, group discussions
Policy recommendations to the parliament
• 2010 : Analysis of digital exclusion in Flanders &
Technology festival E-dinges
Policy recommendations to the parliament
Technology festivals: Nano Now and E-dinges
Expert opinion research on nanotech Survey and brainstorm on digital
in Flanders
exclusion in Flanders
Brochure in newspaper
Recommendations on digital inclusion
Didactical package distributed in EOS ICT special
schools
3 day activity
3 day activity
E-dinges Awards: movie clips and
Lectures/discussions/theatre/expositi
ons … awards
Interactivity and diversity Workshops for professionals
Public day
Information and discussion
Infotainment and debate
3400 persons present
Resolution in parliament on 600 persons present
nanotechnology Results presented in parliamentary
committees
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Foresight: The Road to Anoroso
• A vision of the Flemish energy system 2050 was developed in
an interaction between citizens and experts
– Experts: their knowledge
– Informed citizens with open and broad perspectives, their
values and preferences
– complementary producers of useful knowledge for policy
makers
• Definition phase
• Three future scenario’s – one selected
• Backcasting with experts policy recommendations
on timeline
• Conference day 13 December 2008
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Citizens’ convention
• Meeting of Minds – European Citizens’
Deliberation on Brain Sciences (2005-2006)
− Organised by King Baudouin Foundations
− Results presented in European Parliament
• The car and our health –Public Convention in
Flemish Parliament (May 2008)
− Extensive evaluation
− Presentation in Environment Committee & Governance
Committee
Same method, same rigorous process and quality
control
CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION AND GOVERNANCE:
SOME CONSIDERATIONS
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TA & Governance?
Governance means making systematic use of the richness of societal
diversity, (re)order it, and define its boundaries in iterative governing
interactions. (Kooiman, 2003: 196)
TA aims to produce better technology in a better society, and emphasises
the early involvement of a broad array of actors to facilitate social learning
about technology and potential impacts. Genus, 2006: 13)
Common goal:
increase the democratic quality
of decision-making on science and technology through participatory procedures
Resistance to public participation
• Validity of knowledge
– not scientific – status of lay knowledge?
– not representative – how to select citizens?
• Primacy of politics
– representative versus deliberative democracy
• Cost-benefit
– time consuming
– (social) return on investment
– impact?
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Evaluation criteria for public participation in innovation governance?
Inclusiveness Comprehensiveness Fairness/respect Social learning
Consensual Balancing consensus
Legitimacy Process design
decision-making and dissensus
…
Challenges for PTA cooperation
• Create a learning space for mutual learning
• Inspire and be inspired by other policy tools
Foresight – Evaluation – Science communication
• Promote a role for PTA in innovation policy
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