A practical course

DIALOGUE METHODOLOGY

PARTICIPATION of CITIZENS and STAKEHOLDERS

The Danish Board of Technology is currently preparing a training course in how to involve citizens and stakeholders in development planning and decision making. The course will include

1)      Practical introduction how to carry out a Scenario Workshop involving stakeholders in

• ·     decision making;
• ·     local planning;
• ·     finding common solutions;
• ·     dialogue about political priorities. 

2)      A broad overview of issues related to participatory processes such as

• ·     why to involve citizens and stakeholders, what are the advantages and what are the pitfalls;
• ·     how to navigate between citizens, stakeholders, experts and decision makers;
• ·     when in the political process should different players be involved;
• ·     strength and weaknesses with different dialog methods;
• ·     how to combine different dialogue methods in a coherent planning process.

The course will address the whole decision making process from the creation of ideas in the beginning and to the final political decisions are made. Where and how in this planning process should the involvement of citizens, stakeholders, experts and politicians take place. 

The course will be framed as a Scenario Workshop to make sure that participants will get a thorough insight in the different phases that make up Scenario Workshops and other similar workshop methods. The course will be carried out as a “learning by doing” exercise combining basic practical experience with broader discussions of deliberative processes including introduction to other dialogue methods such as citizen summit.  

The course will be based on experience gained through the BaltCICA project where cities and institutions around the Baltic Sea has developed different approaches to involve citizens and stakeholders in the development of local strategies for adaptation to climate change.

Aim: to make participants capable of planning participatory processes and carrying out their own Scenario Workshop.

Who: planners, officials, practitioners, and staff from municipalities, NGOs, education  institutions and the like.

Duration: two days.

Number: 15 – 25 participants.

Price: 600 € inclusive food, hotel and written materials.

 When: 2012. The exact dates will be issued later this year. Those who have expressed their interest in the course before then will be first in line to participate. 

 Where: DBT in Copenhagen.

 Contact: project manager Søren Gram, sg@tekno.dk; +45 3345 5362