How to Organise Dialogue Events in regional Capitals

Case Study of the Second Impronta Granada Meeting and Entrepreneurship and Employability Workshop

Description

Organizing dialogue events in capitals or key urban areas requires a structured approach that balances the needs of local stakeholders with the goals of policymakers. These events provide a platform for researchers, businesses, and policymakers to co-create solutions for pressing territorial challenges, ensuring that the voice of the community is heard and considered. This contribution discusses strategies for organizing dialogue events in urban centers and leveraging them to foster inclusive policymaking in the context of entrepreneurship and youth employment.

Summary: Key Features in a Nutshell:

• Objective: To create an effective structure for dialogue events that connect local stakeholders with policymakers to co-create sustainable solutions for employment and entrepreneurship.
• Approach:
  • Clear goals for the event to align academic research with policy priorities.
  • Multi-stakeholder workshops to foster collaborative solutions.
  • Use of interactive tools (e.g., micropresentations, polling, feedback sessions) to ensure active participation.
• Outcome: A transparent and inclusive process where local challenges are addressed through policy-driven solutions that are informed by academic research and local expertise.

How Does the Format Work?

1. Setting Clear Objectives: Before the event, it is essential to define the goals and outcomes expected from the dialogue event. For the Entrepreneurship and Employability Workshop, the goal was to address youth unemployment and promote entrepreneurship in the Poniente Granadino region by involving UGR researchers, local businesses, and policymakers.
2. Interactive Sessions and Workshops: During the event, interactive workshops and micropresentations were organized to encourage real-time feedback. Researchers shared data and insights, while policymakers discussed policy frameworks and how these could be integrated with academic findings to create actionable strategies.
3. Engagement with Local and National Stakeholders: It is important to include both local actors and national policymakers in the discussion. The Entrepreneurship and Employability Workshop in Granada connected local youth and policymakers with national representatives, ensuring that the solutions developed were relevant and feasible at both levels.
4. Post-Event Engagement: Ensuring that the event leads to sustained collaboration is key. Follow-up activities, including workshops and feedback surveys, should be planned to ensure that policymakers and researchers continue to collaborate after the event.

Challenges:

• Managing Expectations: Different stakeholders have different expectations. Policymakers may focus on policy alignment while researchers may prioritize data accuracy. Balancing these priorities requires careful facilitation.
• Sustaining Momentum: Keeping the engagement high after the initial dialogue event requires consistent follow-up, which may be hindered by time constraints or budget limitations.

Tasks and Resources:

Scientists

• Tasks:
  • Present research findings relevant to youth employment and entrepreneurship.
  • Provide data-driven solutions for local development challenges.
  • Engage in workshops and policy discussions.
• Required Resources:
  • Time for research dissemination and participation in events.
  • Communication tools for presenting research data and engaging with stakeholders.

Knowledge exchange managers and research managers

• Tasks
  • Facilitate interactive workshops and ensure researcher-policymaker interaction.
  • Organize feedback loops and ensure ongoing communication post-event.
• Required Resources:
  • Digital platforms for research dissemination and ongoing feedback.
  • Logistical support for organizing sessions and ensuring active participation.

Policymakers

• Tasks:
  • Integrate research findings into local policies and allocate resources to support research-driven initiatives.
  • Ensure long-term collaboration between researchers and local communities.
• Required Resources:
  • Policy expertise to interpret research data and incorporate it into decision-making.
  • Financial resources for post-event actions and implementation.

Examples

UGR County Councils refers to the initiative led by the University of Granada (UGR) under the ENGAGEgreen project, aiming to foster collaboration between academic researchers, local governments, and community stakeholders. This initiative focuses on addressing territorial challenges through co-created, research-driven solutions. The Second Impronta Granada Meeting is the third pilot event organized by UGR as part of this project, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and local communities to discuss and develop strategies for sustainable development in rural and urban areas.

The Entrepreneurship and Employability Workshop, which took place at the Second Impronta Granada meeting, successfully organized multi-stakeholder dialogues in an urban setting, enabling researchers, policymakers, and youth participants to collaborate in addressing employment and entrepreneurship challenges. The event’s interactive workshops helped align research with local policy, paving the way for further collaboration.

Sources and Further Reading

• Official coverage of the Second Impronta Granada meeting – University and Territory event: https://improntagranada.es/impronta/ii-impronta-granada-meeting-strengthens-the-university-territory-alliance-in-loja/

Case Study Details

How is the Format Conducted

Dialogue events in capitals, such as the Second Impronta Granada Meeting in Loja, combine workshops, networking sessions, and presentations. These events are organized with a mix of in-person and virtual participation to ensure accessibility for a broader audience. The inclusion of policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from civil society allows for multi-dimensional dialogue on issues such as climate change, urban development, and social innovation.

For this event, an innovative dialogue event was held, where a combination of physical and virtual formats allowed for maximum participation from stakeholders. Researchers from the University of Granada and other partner universities participated by showcasing their work in thematic workshops. The event included a series of discussions, policy briefs, and presentations, as well as the important inclusion of local policymakers through the Impronta Granada platform, which bridges the gap between the academic community and decision-makers.

Available Resources (Main Tasks)

• Securing venues in capital cities for large-scale meetings.
• Coordinating with stakeholders from local and regional governments, universities, and research institutes.
• Using online platforms such as Impronta Granada to promote dialogue and share research outcomes with a wider audience.

What Works? What Doesn’t? (Lessons Learnt)

What works:

The hybrid event format (in-person + online) allowed for wide participation and dynamic interaction. Micropresentations were particularly successful in translating research data into actionable policy recommendations.

What doesn’t work:

Sustaining momentum after the event remains challenging, particularly in ensuring long-term involvement from policymakers who face competing priorities. Additionally, ensuring equal participation across all sectors, especially among local businesses, can be difficult in regions with fewer resources.

How Do You Evaluate the Activities:

To evaluate the effectiveness of the dialogue events, surveys were distributed to all participants to assess their satisfaction with the format, content, and overall engagement. Key indicators such as the number of new collaborations formed, and the implementation of research insights into local policies, were also tracked to assess long-term impact.

Do you want to know more about the policy engagement toolkit?

Do you want to share your experience in policy engagement? Do you think about contributing to the policy engagement toolkit? Feel free to contact Tome Sandevski via science-policy@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de