Regional Futures
Literacy Labs
DUST’s Regional Futures Literacy Labs (RFLLs) were participatory spaces where people living in regions undergoing sustainability transitions were invited to explore and reflect on possible futures for their region.
How did they work?
The RFLLs followed a carefully designed methodology. Read about this below.
Long-term planning
Long-term preparation begins at least six months before the first interaction. It includes preparing a framework for monitoring and assessing the RFFLs. Participation works well when embedded in an organizational culture that respects community governance. The phase therefore also includes the building of sustainable relationships with LECs, policymakers, and experts and the consideration of resources for participation.
Short-term planning
Short-term preparation begins at least three months before the first RFLL workshop. It focuses on preparing the series of four interactive workshops that are part of the format. Per workshop RFLL guidelines and action plans are drawn up to ensure that the workshops build on each other. The timing and location of workshops are defined. Importantly, workshop participants are identified and invited.
Step 1: Context Mapping
This backstage step also begins at least three months before the first RFLL workshop. To guarantee that deliberation in the RFLLs is relevant for both LECs and place-based policymaking, the step involves mapping the concerns of LECs and the projected territorial impact of ongoing transition policies. A comparison of these mappings leads to the definition of key sustainability transition themes openly framing discussion in the first RFLL workshop.
Step 2 - Building trust (Workshop 1)
Workshop 1 brings together LEC members and policymakers for the first time. Their discussion is structured around the earlier identified key sustainability transition themes with the goal to build trust between groups and raise awareness on transition policymaking. At the end of the workshop LEC members decide on the territorial aspects that are most relevant for their lives and places. The selected aspects form the thematic scope of deliberations in the next workshop.
Step 3 – Anticipating futures (Workshop 2)
Workshop 2 is attended by LEC members only and builds on the UNESCO Futures Literacy Lab (FFL) format, which stimulates communities to imagine long-term futures and build agency around these. The themes that were prioritized in Workshop 1 are re-introduced. During the workshop LEC members share and discuss stories about their expected and preferred futures in relation to these themes. Their stories form an important input for all following steps of the RFLLs.
Step 4 - Regional design
In this backstage step the stories that were told by LEC members in Workshop 2 are analyzed and visually represented. Analysis provides insights into the territorial aspects of transitions that are most meaningful for LECs. The regional futures that LECs expect and would prefer to happen are visually represented. This is done to document LECs’ positions, to encourage deeper reflection, and to catch the public attention that is needed for the next RFLL steps.
Step 5 - Making a difference
In this step, territorial aspects of transitions relevant to LECs are compared with projected policy impacts (Step 1 output). This clarifies LECs’ views on place-based policymaking and positions their concerns across governance levels and sectors. The results are turned into community-led policy statements for the next workshop.
Step 6 - Formulating statements (Workshop 3)
The RFLL Workshop 3 prepares the upcoming digital deliberation with a wider public using the e-democracy tool Pol.is. LEC members discuss, prioritize, and refine the draft policy statements from the earlier step. The key output of this workshop is a list of practical and action-oriented statements for use in the Pol.is application.
Step 7 – Deliberating with the public
In this step the policy statements that were formulated by LEC members are submitted for public digital deliberation. The step includes the planning, training for, and implementation of the digital application. It also includes a campaign to attract a variety of users and the analysis of results from the deliberation. The output of the step is in refined policy statements, as well as insights into agreement and disagreement around these.
Step 8 - Co-creating policy
(Workshop 4)
In the final RFLL workshop, LEC members and policymakers translate earlier results into practical recommendations and discuss how to strategically address policymakers across governance levels and sectors. The recommendations are published as position papers and disseminated, while previously developed visualizations of LECs’ imagined futures are showcased to reinforce their message and public presence.
What were the RFLLs?
The RFLLs were a series of workshops that focused on engaging the least engaged communities in each of DUST’s four case study regions, such as ethnic minorities, youth groups, women, and specific sectoral workers, including miners and employees of mining-related companies. All involved in our RFLLs are directly affected by policies implemented as part of the Just Transition and all have valuable things to say. We organised RFLLs in: Norrbotten (Sweden), the Lusatian District (Germany), Katowice (Poland), and Stara Zagora (Bulgaria).
What do the RFLLs deliver?
Citizen Learning: The RFLL format increases awareness of sustainability transitions and transition policymaking. It reinforces regional networks and trust.
Futures Literacy: The RFLL format helps communities develop actionable visions of the future and changes their emotional dispositions about transitions. It increases community confidence and social connections and helps policymakers appreciate community realities and knowledge.
Co-Design: The RFLL format brings together citizen input with perspectives from politicians and civil servants and builds common ground for negotiating interests. It adapts policy approaches to become more place-based.
Digital deliberation: The RFLL format extends participation through digital tools to the public realm and shows diverse opinions without domination.
Regional design and visual representation: The RFFL format provides insights into policy areas of community relevance, establishes regions as a meaningful geography for communities. It also makes abstract issues tangible, amplifies unheard stories about territorial development, and carries these into the public realm.
Citizen Learning: The RFLL format increases awareness of sustainability transitions and transition policymaking. It reinforces regional networks and trust.
Futures Literacy: The RFLL format helps communities develop actionable visions of the future and changes their emotional dispositions about transitions. It increases community confidence and social connections and helps policymakers appreciate community realities and knowledge.
Co-Design: The RFLL format brings together citizen input with perspectives from politicians and civil servants and builds common ground for negotiating interests. It adapts policy approaches to become more place-based.
Digital deliberation: The RFLL format extends participation through digital tools to the public realm and shows diverse opinions without domination.
Regional design and visual representation: The RFFL format provides insights into policy areas of community relevance, establishes regions as a meaningful geography for communities. It also makes abstract issues tangible, amplifies unheard stories about territorial development, and carries these into the public realm.
How did they work?
In each case study region, four workshops were held
Long-term planning
Long-term preparation begins at least six months before the first interaction. It includes preparing a framework for monitoring and assessing the RFFLs. Participation works well when embedded in an organizational culture that respects community governance. The phase therefore also includes the building of sustainable relationships with LECs, policymakers, and experts and the consideration of resources for participation.
Short-term planning
Short-term preparation begins at least three months before the first RFLL workshop. It focuses on preparing the series of four interactive workshops that are part of the format. Per workshop RFLL guidelines and action plans are drawn up to ensure that the workshops build on each other. The timing and location of workshops are defined. Importantly, workshop participants are identified and invited.
Step 1: Context Mapping
This backstage step also begins at least three months before the first RFLL workshop. To guarantee that deliberation in the RFLLs is relevant for both LECs and place-based policymaking, the step involves mapping the concerns of LECs and the projected territorial impact of ongoing transition policies. A comparison of these mappings leads to the definition of key sustainability transition themes openly framing discussion in the first RFLL workshop.
Step 2 - Building trust (Workshop 1)
Workshop 1 brings together LEC members and policymakers for the first time. Their discussion is structured around the earlier identified key sustainability transition themes with the goal to build trust between groups and raise awareness on transition policymaking. At the end of the workshop LEC members decide on the territorial aspects that are most relevant for their lives and places. The selected aspects form the thematic scope of deliberations in the next workshop.
Step 8 - Co-creating policy
(Workshop 4)
In the final RFLL workshop, LEC members and policymakers translate earlier results into practical recommendations and discuss how to strategically address policymakers across governance levels and sectors. The recommendations are published as position papers and disseminated, while previously developed visualizations of LECs’ imagined futures are showcased to reinforce their message and public presence.
Step 3 – Anticipating futures (Workshop 2)
Workshop 2 is attended by LEC members only and builds on the UNESCO Futures Literacy Lab (FFL) format, which stimulates communities to imagine long-term futures and build agency around these. The themes that were prioritized in Workshop 1 are re-introduced. During the workshop LEC members share and discuss stories about their expected and preferred futures in relation to these themes. Their stories form an important input for all following steps of the RFLLs.
Step 4 - Regional design
In this backstage step the stories that were told by LEC members in Workshop 2 are analyzed and visually represented. Analysis provides insights into the territorial aspects of transitions that are most meaningful for LECs. The regional futures that LECs expect and would prefer to happen are visually represented. This is done to document LECs’ positions, to encourage deeper reflection, and to catch the public attention that is needed for the next RFLL steps.
Step 5 - Making a difference
In this step, territorial aspects of transitions relevant to LECs are compared with projected policy impacts (Step 1 output). This clarifies LECs’ views on place-based policymaking and positions their concerns across governance levels and sectors. The results are turned into community-led policy statements for the next workshop.
Step 6 - Formulating statements (Workshop 3)
The RFLL Workshop 3 prepares the upcoming digital deliberation with a wider public using the e-democracy tool Pol.is. LEC members discuss, prioritize, and refine the draft policy statements from the earlier step. The key output of this workshop is a list of practical and action-oriented statements for use in the Pol.is application.
Step 7 – Deliberating with the public
In this step the policy statements that were formulated by LEC members are submitted for public digital deliberation. The step includes the planning, training for, and implementation of the digital application. It also includes a campaign to attract a variety of users and the analysis of results from the deliberation. The output of the step is in refined policy statements, as well as insights into agreement and disagreement around these.