30 August 2016
Building Bridges is a reflection tool resulting from a learning process that involved researchers from Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness and policymakers from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and 11 local development agencies.
The tool is designed as a set of questions divided into four sequential steps that serve to guide a reflection process to counter the disconnection among different levels of government that very often hampers policy implementation. It is also a tool that can spur bottom-up approaches for defining sustainable territorial development strategies such as smart specialisation strategies (RIS3). The tool highlights the role that facilitators play in helping to develop these type of processes and in keeping them alive. Its overall purpose is to improve territorial governance, making policy-making more efficient and fostering a more democratic society.
Building Bridges can be found in the RRI-Tools' search engine, a community of practice of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). RRI is defined as a “dynamic, iterative process by which all stakeholders involved in the RRI practice become mutually responsive and share responsibility regarding both the outcomes and process requirements”. The four process requirements are: diversity and inclusion; anticipation and reflection; openness and transparency; and, responsiveness and adaptive change. RRI Tools is part of a European research project coordinated by La Caixa that aims to build a better relationship between science and society.
Building Bridges is one of the many results of “Gipuzkoa Sarean” an ongoing research project that involves researchers and policy makers from Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness (Deusto University), the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the following 11 local development agencies: Bidasoa Bizirik; Debagoieneko Mankomunitatea; Debegesa Debabarrena; Donostia Beterri; Donostia Sustapena; Goierriko Garapen Agentzia; Iraurgi Berritzen; Oarsoaldea, S.A.; Tolosaldea Garatzen; Urola Garaiko Garapenerako Agentzia; Urola Kostako Udal Elkartea).
