Online community: citizen participation and the environmental law
Governments are sometimes somewhat reluctant when it comes to the opinions of their residents. Especially if you are required to consult them, as is the case under the Environment Act. That hesitation is unjustified, because there is no need to be afraid of what residents give back. Indeed, the dialogue between citizens, municipalities and provinces actually provides a great deal of useful information. Positivity and willingness to cooperate prevail. People like to think and cooperate, suggest ideas and are even willing to change their behavior. But you have to help them on their way. How? That's what you learn thanks to the Research Community.
Challenge
How can you involve citizens in the development of an environmental vision ahead of the new environmental law?
With the Environment Act, the government wants to simplify and merge the rules for spatial development. For example, it will soon be easier to start a construction project. This Environment Act is expected to take effect in 2021, and the national, provincial and municipal governments are already busy preparing for this future environment policy.
Everyone will be affected by the new environmental law. Some indirectly, some directly. Others from a private situation or from a business background. This is why citizen participation plays a key role. Involving stakeholders at an early stage in the development of visions and plans creates new insights, involvement and support.
The province of South Holland asked Blauw Research to help think about a way to involve citizens in developing insight and vision in the run-up to the new environmental law.
Vision
Online Research Community: participation in practice
A research community has been set up for the province of South Holland in which citizens participate in thinking about the province's environmental vision.
A research community is an online platform where citizens can discuss with each other, in a controlled manner, under direction, the issues presented to them by the province. This research method has several important advantages:
- You can engage with a large group of residents on multiple topics over an extended period of time. You give them time and space to think and take positions on their living environment. E.g. through assignments where they engage in conversation with neighbors and friends and can think carefully about the themes.
- There is a lot of interaction between the participants, they interact with each other on topics without you specifically asking a question. As a result, you find out useful information.
- A panel community offers the opportunity to efficiently engage in dialogue with a larger group of citizens (between 150-200 participants). In qualitative research, these are often smaller groups and in quantitative research you cannot go in depth.
- It is a flexible tool that can be set up for two weeks but also for years. Depending on relevance, urgency or developments, you can turn a community on and off. The wishes and needs of clients determine the setup.
In the research for the province of South Holland, this approach with a research community proved to be a golden opportunity to understand everything about how citizens view their own environment and the role that the government and Province in particular should have in it.
Solution
South Holland Community research approach
The county first presented six ambitions in the community to concerned citizens in the areas of climate, energy, economy, mobility, spatial planning and health.
- Towards a climate resilient Delta
- Towards a new economy: the next level
- Towards a vibrant multi-core metropolis
- Energy Renewal
- Best accessible province
- Healthy and attractive living environment
This included discussions with citizens about comprehensibility, relevance, impact, demarcation and use of language. Blauw Researchers acted as questioners and moderators and analyzed and interpreted the results together with the province.
During this community we gathered a lot of input on the ambitions and underlying tasks. The ambitions were often seen as abstract and distant from the resident. People think about themes such as the environment and climate, but the theme "a climate-proof Delta" turns out to be difficult to define. Many people cannot imagine what this theme means, what the province is doing with it and how they themselves can contribute to it.
In-depth study province: South Holland residents have their say
The first round yielded a wide range of insights. But also many questions. On what topics can you make citizens' attitudes, wishes and experiences even more specific? The province was looking for that deepening. Therefore, a second community was set up to delve further into the ambitions.
Participants themselves had the opportunity to bring in topics that they felt were related to the topic. During the week of these assignments there was a lot of rainfall resulting in a lot of flooding. By mentioning this as an example for the topic 'climate-proof Delta' and adapting the assignments accordingly, members understand what it means and especially how close this ambition can actually come. Residents think it is important to take measures against flooding, but also against the consequences of climate (change) in general. One assignment in the community, for example, was to take pictures of products that they felt were not "circular. This call was answered en masse and this gives the province a nice picture of what residents think of when they think of (non-)circular products.
Result
Concrete recommendations and ideas
From a Research Community, we always deliver a report summarizing relevant topics, recommendations and conclusions. In this case, a number of presentations were made to Statesmen. The Research Community delivers very concrete recommendations and ideas that are used by the Statesmen to provide input for policy makers in line with their own political positions. The province of South Holland is busy further shaping its ambitions.
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