Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
the waste context can be represented as a serial diffusion process (perhaps involving
some kind of learning). By contrast the diffusion of information of consultants might
be represented as a parallel process in which agents basically have access to the same
information (prices in a global market). This leaves us with the oil brokers. Unlike facil-
itators and consultants, oil brokers could behave strategically and hold the flow (subject
to long-term supply contracts) since they own the resource. (From the interviews we
learnt that biofuel refineries are making some efforts for vertical integration but the
high price for waste oil appears to hamper these attempts.)
To summarise, information is seen to spread through serial processes in the case of
biodegradable waste and through parallel processes in the case of consultants and oil
brokers with the latter having the power to delay flows. We also want to distinguish
between: suppliers, facilitators, and processors, different material inputs and time de-
lays. Yet we needed more empirical specifications for an agent-based model, which we
obtained from the stakeholders in a workshop.
5
Stakeholder Workshop
It is widely accepted that stakeholders can bring valuable first-hand knowledge to the
research process, can meaningfully contribute to selecting a model and developing it,
can help in collecting data and integrating it, to develop scenarios, interpret results,
and formulate collective strategies or policy alternatives [3,12]. On the other hand en-
gaging stakeholders is time-consuming, may bring plural perceptions to the research
process rather than unambiguous data, can be difficult to manage if it is not increasing
the chances of project failure altogether, and might be difficult to carry out in mono-
disciplinary research projects [9,17]. Despite these potential pitfalls “participatory mod-
elling, with its various types and clones, has emerged as a powerful tool that can (a)
enhance the stakeholders knowledge and understanding of a system and its dynamics
under various conditions, as in collaborative learning, and (b) identify and clarify the
impacts of solutions to a given problem, usually related to supporting decision making,
policy, regulation or management.” [14].
This constitutes the context for the participatory workshop that we carried out in
January 2013. We sought direct feedback on the existing conceptualisation of the agent-
based model by presenting the concept to the stakeholders and prompting responses.
The presentation of the concept as well as the introduction to the existing toy model
passed the plausibility test as both were approved by the stakeholders. We also used the
workshop to gather more information and data needed to empirically specify the agent-
based model. Initially we had planned to divide the stakeholders into four different
groups each group working through a particular set of questions to provide information
and in some cases basic data. The topics of each group were:
1. Biomass Specification Organic Waste and Virgin Input
2. Firm Specification Bio-Processors
3. Specification of Service Providers Facilitators and Brokers
4. Policy Questions & Measures of Success
