Tip a friend

WP3 - Stakeholder participation & workshops

A workshop series will be conducted to discuss the different interests of the stakeholders in Bergen. This will incorporate local and scientific knowledge. The workshops will be based on evaluation of existing methods for a collaborative approach.

The figure below shows the different levels of involvement in stakeholder participation ranging from informative meetings to processes where stakeholders participate in the decision making process. In Bergen stakeholders will be used as an advisory group for the remediation project.

Different methods can be used in processes with some form of stakeholder participation: surveys, interviews, panel-research, idea- and complain-feedback forms, observations and hearings. In WP3 the most appropriate methods will be used in a collaborative process with the previously identified Bergen Harbour stakeholders (WP2) with the intention of incorporating local knowledge in the marine sediment management process. This will be achieved by developing a series of workshops which will incorporate the different methods as far as possible. It is suggested that 6-9 workshops be carried out over the course of a year.

Themes for the workshops include:

  • Problem analysis as defined by the stakeholders
  • Ideas for a future Bergen Harbour
  • Questions based on the possibilities/impossibilities of the ideas (combining knowledge of stakeholders and scientists)
  • Possible solutions
  • Challenges for implementing solutions
  • Defining joint fact-finding activities, how can knowledge of stakeholders and scientists be shared and shaped into "shared facts"

In addition to the workshop series there will be thematic "learning" seminars specifically aimed at responsible government officials, which address themes that are relevant for dealing with potential conflict thus improving their scientific knowledge available on which to base sediment management decisions.

These themes could include:

  • Risk perception
  • Uncertainty in remediation effects, their costs and benefits
  • Willingness to pay and economic consequences