Sandpit 3: ICT Tools for Governance and Policy Modelling

Date: Sunday 4 - Friday 9 December 2011

This is a "Call for Participants" to take part in a five-day interactive workshop (Sandpit) to address the issue of the use of ICT tools for governance and policy modelling.

Closing date for applications: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 31 OCTOBER 2011

Introduction

The Europe-New Zealand bilateral project FRENZ[1] invites expressions of interest to participate in an interactive workshop ("Sandpit") to be held at the Wai Ora Resort in Rotorua, New Zealand from Sunday 4 – Friday 9 December 2011[2].

The Sandpit aims to bring together leading New Zealand and European researchers from a diverse range of disciplines and backgrounds to brainstorm innovative research ideas addressing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools for governance and policy modelling. The expected outcome is new research directions, approaches and collaborations that are translated into funding applications beyond the Sandpit.

Participants will be expected to engage constructively in dialogue with each other, the Sandpit Facilitators and Mentors to develop collaborative research ideas and approaches.

The Sandpit mechanism has been adapted from that utilised by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) "Sandpit" model and previously applied by FRENZ within a New Zealand setting.

Research approaches and themes identified during the Sandpit process may be subsequently developed and submitted to a funding mechanism such as the upcoming New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation (MSI) 2012 Investment Round and/or the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) Cooperation – ICT Theme[3], or People[4] Work Programmes.

Background to the Challenge

ICT is at the very core of the knowledge-based society, and is central to the challenge of meeting the current demands of both society and the economy. Activities in this field help drive and stimulate product, service and process innovation and creativity, which are, in turn, transformed into benefits for citizens, businesses, industry and governments.

In particular, ICT tools canbe used to reduce the digital divide and social exclusion. The development – and utilization - of such tools in governance and policy modelling processes is limited only by our imagination.

In the current ICT workprogramme for FP7, the European Commission includes a challenge to address the utilization of “ICT for health, ageing well, inclusion and governance”. This FRENZ Sandpit aims to address the issue of the use of ICT tools for governance and policy modelling.

The Sandpit participants should scope potential ICT solutions for governance and policy modelling; delivering ICT tools for trusted governance and policy impact analysis. Research project ideas in this field should help deal with future scenarios involving even greater complexity and citizens’ involvement and, in particular, address the needs of the younger generation.

Discussion might focus on the development of advanced ICT tools for policy modelling, prediction of policy impacts, development of new governance models and collaborative solving of complex societal problems.

Potential (open source?) solutions might that enable one or more of the following:

• Modelling new policy initiatives taking into account all relevant parameters.
• Performing societal simulations to forecast potential impacts of proposed policy measures.
• Development of tools that identify emerging societal trends as a result of the economic environment using innovative approaches such as non-classical economic modelling and reflexivity.
• Modelling and validating the next generation of public services as complex service systems, particularly taking into account the needs of the younger generation.

From the EC perspective, work in this area should advance research in simulation and visualisation techniques, process modeling, gaming and mixed reality technologies while building on Web2.0/Web3.0, social networking, crowd-sourcing and dynamics methodology techniques. The resulting tools should exploit the vast reserves of public sector collective data and knowledge resources and should build on lessons learnt from complex systems modeling, including those at urban or regional scale.

Examples of fields of application can include, but are not limited to, urban planning policy, social and economic policies, life-long learning, mobility, demographics, recovery from the recent crisis etc, where the involvement of citizens through public consultations has been recognised as valuable. The needs and role of stakeholders, such as public administrations and policy institutes, should be given consideration.

Following significant earthquakes in New Zealand in 2010/11, new opportunities exist to develop and utilize ICT tools to engage the community in governance and policy-making processes that will help shape the rebuilding of the city of Christchurch. Although this should not be seen as a primary focus the development of new project ideas, this unique and fast-changing environment might be considered of interest for testing tools that could be adapted for other situations.

Alternatively, researchers might choose to develop responses to the grand societal challenges that face us: moving toward a lower carbon economy; ensuring health and well-being in an ageing society; developing competitive businesses and manufacturing for a sustainable recovery; and learning and sharing of cultural resources.

In this way, the Sandpit underpins the ICT workprogramme statement in regard to reinforcing innovation capacity, helping industry to strengthen its competitiveness, explore new avenues and take higher risks with higher returns.

The Sandpit Challenge

This FRENZ Sandpit aims to address the issue of the use of ICT tools for governance and policy modelling.

Sandpit participants should scope potential ICT solutions for governance and policy modelling; delivering ICT tools for trusted governance and policy impact analysis. Research project ideas in this field should help deal with future scenarios involving even greater complexity and citizens’ involvement and, in particular, address the needs of the younger generation.

As the Sandpit is designed to encourage a multi-disciplinary and paradigm-shifting approach, it is anticipated that these research ideas and directions will represent new and innovative ways to addressthe growing interest in participatory governance models. This may include working closely with key stakeholders and developing a new approach that involves collaborators from disciplines not typically partnered.

In order to meet the demands and expectations of this Sandpit, two specific outcome measures have been developed. These are:

• the development of new and innovative linkages between and across New Zealand and European research teams
• the formation of novel research ideas and directions the use of ICT tools for governance and policy modelling

At the end of the Sandpit, it is anticipated that researchers will have ideas that are suitable for submission to available funding mechanisms in New Zealand and Europe. In particular, new relationships might be underpinned through the development of an International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) project, co-funded by the European Commission and the Royal Society of New Zealand.

It is anticipated that these research ideas will:

• be future-oriented and represent forward thinking;
• facilitate the engagement of different sectors of society though more inclusive and targeted approaches to different demographics;
• generate new products, services or tools;
• have clear potential for a positive impact on governance and policy-modelling
• be collaborative and truly multidisciplinary in nature.

The FRENZ Sandpit

The FRENZ Sandpit concept is to organise interactive workshops on particular topics, involving 15-20 participants from Europe and New Zealand. The aim of this Sandpit is to identify opportunities for collaboration through the formation of projects in the frame of ICT tools for governance and policy modelling, and within the context of the Joint EU-NZ Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement. The coordination of this Sandpit is supported by the European Commission and the New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation (MSI) through the FRENZ project.

Attendance at the Sandpit does not guarantee future research funding.

The Sandpit is an intensive, interactive and free-thinking environment, where a diverse group of participants from a range of disciplines and backgrounds gets together for four days – away from their everyday worlds – to immerse themselves in collaborative thinking processes in order to construct innovative approaches.

The nature of the Sandpit requires a high degree of trust between participants in order to gain the breakthroughs in scientific thinking. This trust extends to allowing the free and frank exchange of scientific ideas, some being in the very early stages of development.

The aim of the Sandpit is not to discuss ideas that are already well developed but not yet published. Rather, the goal is to bring individuals from different disciplines together to interact and engage in free-thinking on first principles, to learn from one another and create an integrated vision for future research projects. It is expected that the sharing of these ideas would be encouraged within the Sandpit but their confidentiality would be respected outside the Sandpit.

A small group of Mentors, selected based on their intellectual standing and their broad understanding of - and enthusiasm for - the Sandpit topic, will also participate at the Sandpit. Their role is to assist in defining the topics and to aid facilitated discussions at the event.

The process can be broken down into several stages:

• Defining the scope of the challenges
• Evolving common languages and terminologies amongst people from a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines
• Taking part in break-out sessions focused on the challenges, using creative thinking techniques
• Capturing the outputs in the form of highly innovative research projects/ideas

The Sandpit will be an intensive event. For the well-being of participants, the venue offers opportunities for relaxation and the timetable will include networking and other activities as a break from the detailed technical discussions.

Having the right mix of participants influences the success or failure of such an event. Those attending will need enthusiasm and appropriate personal attributes to engage in collaborative research as well as demonstrate an enthusiasm for working at the interface between disciplines.

Applicants are sought from a diverse range of backgrounds, disciplines and spheres of influence. A broad range of expertise is required and applicants should not feel limited by conventional perceptions of known disciplines in this research: the Sandpit approach is about bringing people together who would not normally interact. We actively encourage people to apply that are experts in their own research areas but have not yet applied themselves to the challenges facing governance and policy modelling. Potential participants from other disciplines and/or related sectors are also welcome to apply. We encourage all interested applicants to indicate how their expertise can address the challenge of developing novel research ideas and approaches for governance and policy modelling.

Research applicants should be at post-doctoral level and above. It expected that up to nine participants from Europe will be invited to join approximately nine New Zealand participants at this event.

The Sandpit will be held from Sunday 4 to Friday 9 December 2011 at the Wai Ora Resort, Rotorua, New Zealand. Participants should arrive by 4pm on Sunday 4 November 2011 for registration and introductions. The event will close at 4pm on Friday 9 December 2011.

Submission of an application to attend will be taken to indicate that you are available for the whole duration of the specified dates and times – not including any additional time you may require to recover from travel – and will make a commitment to attend if selected.

The environment will encourage free and open-minded thinking, vital for the purposes of this event. Full details of the venue, how to get there and the accommodation arrangements will be sent to participants on selection.

All event accommodation, refreshments, breakfast, lunch and dinner costs will be met by FRENZ. Reasonable travel expenses  will also be reimbursed through the FRENZ project. All other travel expenses and incidental costs (such as sundries and bar bill) while at the event must be met by the participant.

If you have any specific requirements with regard to the venue, then please let us know by enclosing details in a covering letter with your application form.

Applications are invited from individual researchers who can contribute to the Sandpit. 15 to 20 participants will be selected to take part in the Sandpit. Participants will be chosen to allow representation from both New Zealand and Europe.

Applicants should complete the short Expression of Interest (EoI) form (maximum three sides plus CV), which can be downloaded here:

• EoI
• Standard CV Template

Your responses to these questions will be used to assess your application and convince us that you have the suitable skills and attitude to participate in this Sandpit. No further documentation will be accepted.

Please note that we are not just looking for your academic publication or research track record but evidence of how you might approach multi disciplinary problems in a novel way.

The deadline for applications is: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 31 OCTOBER 2011.

Applications should be submitted electronically to sandpits@frenz.org.nz. Please include ‘ICT Sandpit’ in the subject line.

No further documentation will be accepted. Please note that late submissions will not be considered further. It is the responsibility of the individual applicant to ensure that their application has been received in advance of the deadline.

Applicants will be informed of their selection for the Sandpit event by 5 November 2011.

Applications to attend will be considered by a Selection Panel (to be advised) in order to ensure a mix of disciplines and experience. Overall, the Selection Panel will seek to ensure that a balance of expertise is present at the Sandpit.

Their assessment will be based on the specific criteria outlined below:

• The ability to develop new, adventurous and highly original research ideas
• The potential to contribute to research at the interface between disciplines
• The ability to work in a team

Please ensure you fully complete the EoI form, as this is the only information on which potential Sandpit attendees will be selected. It is therefore important to give evidence of your experience against the criteria in your application.

Applicants should show an appreciation of the challenges, the latest research and the current and future issues relating to ICT tools for governance and policy modeling.

Please note that because of the large number of applications expected, we will not be able to give individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Expected Timetable

For further information, advice or queries regarding the format of the event, application procedure and other operational matters please contact:

Gina DEERNESS-PLESNER: gina.deerness-plesner@canterbury.ac.nz

[1] The FRENZ (Facilitating Research cooperation between Europe and New Zealand) project has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under grant agreement n° 222665; and from the New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation.
[2] Applicants should note that Sandpit participants should arrive by 4pm on Sunday 4 December 2011 for registration and introductions.
[3] ICT Work Programme, Cooperation Specific Programme of FP7
[4] People (Mobility) Work Progamme, People Specific Programme of FP7
[5] Up to €3000 for European based participants and around $300 for New Zealand based participants (tbc)