The Workshops

The four workshops follow the dramaturgy of exploring system understanding – developing images of the future – defining transition paths – translating back into modelling.

The general target group are experts and interested parties from research, administration, interest groups, NGOs (civil society) and companies.

Workshop 1

What is the problem?

Actual status and systems understanding

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:
  • To create a common understanding of the system as is and how it works, as well as  a collaborative identification of problems in achieving SDG1/10, SDG8 and SDG13 in the Austrian context among experts and stakeholders.
    • What synergies and trade-offs exist between these SDGs and why?
    • What problems and potential conflicts can arise due to possible conflicting goals between the SDGs?
Methods:

With the first workshop, we generate a common understanding of the system / a common identification of the problem, integrating the various points of view of experts / stakeholders. We look at the current status of individual indicators, such as the development of GHG emissions or GDP per capita, as the starting point for tracing cause-effect relationships using causal loop diagrams (CLDs). The cause-effect relationships of the given problems are first presented and discussed within the individual SDGs, and then across SDGs. This visual representation component supports us in the joint identification of problems, making visible and identifiable which synergies and trade-offs exist between these SDGs and suggests therefore how they are connected. Furthermore, it allows us to identify potential conflicts between the SDGs.

> Manual for system dynamic causal loop diagrams

Workshop 2

Where do we want to go?

The future we want

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:
  • Based on the comprehension of the system and resultant problem identification developed in workshop 1, this workshop focuses on developing a vision for the future with stakeholders:
    • What kind of life do we want in 2050?
    • Which targets and indicators should be used to measure progress within each SDG?

Methods:

n this interactive workshop, artistic methods will be used to develop a vision of the future with stakeholders to explore the question ‘What kind of life do we want in 2050?’.

> Manual for speculative thinking and speculativen settings

> Results of the second workshop – Futures Panel

Workshop 3

How do we get there?

Narrating pathways

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:
  • Based on the system understanding of workshop 1 and the future vision of workshop 2, we seek to develop transformation pathways needed to achieve the future vision:
    • Which qualitative pathways can be developed together with the stakeholders?
    • How can we evaluate these pathways in qualitative and quantitative models?

Methods:

> Results of the third workshop

Workshop 4 

What do we recommend?

Transformative proposals derived from a participatory research process

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:
  • Based on the system understanding of Workshop 1, the future version of Workshop 2, the implementation pathways of Workshop 3 and the model simulations:
    • Identifying policy recommendations to achieve the future vision
    • What leverage points and policy recommendations can be identified based on the above findings?

Methods:

The findings from the stakeholder processes are compared with the findings from a ‘classic scientific’ approach, namely modelling – in order to combine the best of both worlds – with the following questions:

  • What are the differences between the insights identified by stakeholders and those identified by the scientific models in terms of proposed actions or potential challenges and potential conflicts?
  • Can we find a consensus of core measures and leverage points that all participants can support and recommend?