Co-Design Tools and Processes for Stakeholder Engagement

EcoTwin is developing a system to collect, interpret, and integrate stakeholder feedback into dynamic social-ecological models. This system involves engaging various stakeholders, including government authorities, NGOs, and representatives from sectors like tourism and fishing, through participatory workshops. These workshops help map relationships and narratives onto graphical networks, which are then incorporated into social-ecological models.

Stakeholders’ beliefs are used to assign weights to these relationships, and a Bayesian analysis framework is applied. In cases where quantitative data is lacking, qualitative models are developed to link social and ecological factors. Continuous feedback from stakeholders, gathered through focus groups, is used to update and refine the models based on management questions and issues identified by the stakeholders.

Advanced techniques such as system dynamics, stability analysis, and entropy analysis are used to understand the behaviour of socio-economic agents within ecological systems. Social Network Analysis helps investigate community structures by analysing interactions and relationships among actors. This analysis is essential for understanding the social implications of management decisions, particularly in sectors like fisheries, offshore energy, and tourism.

EcoTwin also employs risk assessment techniques, such as the Bowtie approach, to connect cause-effect relationships with policy logic. This approach helps assess and communicate risks to stakeholders, facilitating discussions on management measures. Despite advances in marine policy contexts, integrating dynamic feedback from stakeholders into social modelling remains a challenging but crucial task.