Democracy Labs
In TRANS-lighthouses, where the research-policy connection is present throughout the project's duration in considerable depth, a Local Democracy Lab complements the longer-running Living Knowledges Labs as a quick way for those governing the pilot cases to discuss their most pertinent issues in a manner that enables direct action. The Labs are part of the TRANS-lighthouses' aim toward transformative governance by supporting political ownership of the pilot cases and assisting decision-makers in navigating complex problems. The digital Democracy Labs are complemented by in-person workshops together with the TRANS-lighthouses consortium to share insights, discuss progress and build road maps for the work ahead.
Policy Guidance Based on Research
Sometimes complex messages need to be conveyed in short and simple ways. The Local Democracy Labs enable us to tailor research results and experience into digestible formats that answers directly to the challenges local policymakers and practitioners face. Policy briefs, animated videos and workshop material are produced from the Labs. These materials will be made available soon.
Policy Briefs
Policy briefs provide a short, concise overview of research findings and recommendations adapted for policymakers. These briefs build on the collectively identified challenges experienced by the elected representatives in TRANS-lighthouses, and the discussions between politicians and scientists to overcome these challenges.
Learning Cases
Learning cases put the participants in the shoes of another practitioner with a dilemma to solve, and guides them to a possible solution that may also be applied in their own context. The Labs helps us in creating relevant training material, using experiences and storytelling as a instrument to internalize new knowledge and skills.
Local Democracy Labs
Local Democracy Labs is a dialogue forum between policymakers and high-level academic experts. While research-policy connections often start from the researchers’ needs, Local Democracy Labs circle around a challenge as experienced by the local government. The format is simple: one question; one local government; 1-2 hours online; a panel of academic experts to answer, analyse or provide guidance in the policymaking dilemma(s).
