governance in science and technology: johan evers
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TRANSCRIPT
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Governance in Science and Technology
Citizens’ engagement for social innovation ?
Spring School
May 25, 2011
Amsterdam
Dr. Johan EversProject manager
SETTING THE STAGE
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WHO ARE WE?
Mission statement
To monitor and investigate the societal aspects of scientific & technologicaldevelopments.
Based on this work, to organise and stimulate the public debat on thesesocietal aspects, thereby involving experts, stakeholders and the broader public.
The results of these debates ought to be made of use for the FlemishParliament (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 scientificuncertainty
• This originated the birth of ‘Flemish Foundation forScience 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
Forecasting developments Assessing mutual impactProduct Process
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)
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Technology assessment in the context of policy making
OTAIST
EPTA -members
•Catalonia (Spain)
•Flanders (Belgium)•Finland
•France•Germany•Greece
•Italy•Netherlands
•Norway•Sweden
•Switzerland•United Kingdom
EPTA-associates: •Austria•Council of Europe•Poland•USA
Parliamentary Technology Assessment (PTA)
Need for independent and
societal assessments of S&T in decision-
making
Specific policy context: informing & advising parliaments
Parliament as 'chambres de réflexion'
Specific research context
Problem-driven multidisciplinary
research
Specific approach: strongly participative
Practical attitude
TA
Cognitivedimension
Normativedimension
Pragmaticdimension
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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
Active participation
Consultation
Information
Why public participation?To articulate societal preferencesTo make societal interests explicit
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What do we do?
2002
GMO Food in Flanders
2002
GMO Food in Flanders
2004
ICT and Elderly
2004
ICT and Elderly
2005
Meetings of Minds –the future of brain
sciences
2005
Meetings of Minds –the future of brain
sciences
2007
Poverty and Technology
2007
Poverty and Technology
2008
Road traffic and health
2008
Road traffic and health
2008
Youth and gaming
2008
Youth and gaming
2008
Flemish energy system 2050
2008
Flemish energy system 2050
2009
CIVISTI
2009
CIVISTI
2009
World Wide Views on climate change
2009
World Wide Views on climate change
2009
Smart grid
2009
Smart grid
2009
Biofuels
2009
Biofuels
2010
Digital exclusion
2010
Digital exclusion
2010
Fertility: beyond the technology
2010
Fertility: beyond the technology
2010
Intelligent transport systems
2010
Intelligent transport systems
2010
Awards and ICT festival
2010
Awards and ICT festival
2011
Smartly underground
2011
Smartly underground
2011
Gender and technology
2011
Gender and technology
2011
Climate adaptation: the challenges for
Flanders
2011
Climate adaptation: the challenges for
Flanders
2011
ICT, always a good idea?
2011
ICT, always a good idea?
2011
Impact of noise pollution
2011
Impact of noise pollution
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Working areas of IST
Life sciencesLife sciences
EnvironmentEnvironment
Informationsociety
Informationsociety
Energy and climate
Energy and climate
MethodologyMethodology
Cornerstones of ISTScience and technology,
decision-making and evolution of society
Science and technology,
decision-making and evolution of society
Independent research, public debate and lucidcommunication
Independent research, public debate and lucidcommunication
Information, consultation and participation
Information, consultation and participation
Assessment, recommendationand dialogue
Assessment, recommendationand dialogue
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Methodologies
Theatre playsFocus groups
Technology festivalAwards
Delphi methodologyScenario workshops
LecturesExpositions
Citizens’ Convention/ Town hall meetingConsensus conference
Didactical packages for scholars…
Participation toolkit
Retrospectivetrend study
Public forum
Internationalsymposium
Stakeholders’ forum
Media debate
Suppoting the societal debate
Su
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the
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logu
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een
stak
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s
Advise Flemish ParliamentBetter decision making
Genetically modified food
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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 in Flanders
Brochure in newspaper
Didactical package distributed in schools
3 day activity
Lectures/discussions/theatre/expositions …
Interactivity and diversity
Information and discussion
3400 persons presentResolution in parliament on
nanotechnology
Survey and brainstorm on digital exclusion in Flanders
Recommendations on digital inclusion
EOS ICT special
3 day activity
E-dinges Awards: movie clips and awards
Workshops for professionals
Public day
Infotainment and debate
600 persons presentResults 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?
Common goal:
increase the democratic quality of decision-making on science and technology through participatory procedures
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 emphasisesthe early involvement of a broad array of actors to facilitate social learning about technology and potential impacts. Genus, 2006: 13)
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?
InclusivenessInclusiveness ComprehensivenessComprehensiveness Fairness/respectFairness/respect Social learningSocial learning
Consensual decision-makingConsensual
decision-makingBalancing consensus
and dissensusBalancing consensus
and dissensusLegitimacyLegitimacy Process designProcess design
……
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
