Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
During the problem definition phase the policy experts mainly expressed their
problem in terms of organizational interests, values and motivations, while the
modellers needed to know the specifications of policy goals, impact indicators, and
the constraints in order to set up an experiment. As a result it appeared that problem
definition and specifications for the experiments needed several meetings between
policy experts and modellers to become formulated. In some cases, no problem and
experiment were defined as policy experts needed more time to specify the issues at
stake. In other cases, the modellers needed to check the ability of the models to solve
the problem or to find ways to make the problem addressable with SEAMLESS-IF.
As a result of discussion with policy makers it was decided that SEAMLESS-IF for
comparative purposes should offer interactive mapping tools to co-design the
different experiments run. In addition it was suggested that example problems and
specifications for experiments should be provided as guidelines. This would make
it easier to transform interest and values into impact indicators and experiments to
be run. An open discourse about research questions and policy questions at the
beginning of the assessment process can help to ensure that a broad framing is
achieved. In the test cases the framing procedure was essential to attract the interest
of the actors, although the participants sometimes contested the frames. Even the
idea that a problem needs to be assessed is a frame and could be contested.
Specification of the Policy Option
The regional policy experts were interested in assessing both EU policies (e.g. reform
of the Common Agricultural Policy) and regional policies, which are designed by
their own organization (e.g. policies supporting the introduction of specific crops in
new regions). But to specify the policy options to be tested proved to be another
difficult step in the methodology, as there is still a lack of support tools to make this
process effective. The most difficult step for science to work within policy making
is the problem definition. Policy makers express frustration with narrowly defined
scientific problems. And, scientists struggle to separate the many strands and pieces
of complex policy problems into some assessable options.
The specification of policy options is of key importance for a successful assess-
ment and also crucial for the understanding between policy experts and modellers.
A policy option is a set of measures (changes of economic and/or regulatory
environment) planned to be applied in a given space to solve a problem (difference
between actual situation and desired situation).
Concluding Remark on the Regional Test Experiences
To conclude, the test experiences suggest that SEAMLESS-IF can contribute to make
integrated assessment a deliberative process between the scientific and political
spheres. Although the general experience from setting up regional test cases is
promising, critical stages in the assessment procedure which have to be further
developed became visible. Three particular design steps deserve attention: the framing
