Methods

Which methods could be applied in the SRIA development process?

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Method: Literature and Foresight Review

Purpose: The review of strategic and foresight documents, review of relevant EU policy documents, and other relevant literature can be used in the SRIA development process to take stock of relevant scientific discussions, technology roadmaps, policy goals, etc. upon which to build the SRIA. The review of relevant documents serves as a key component in the analysis of the policy context and the research and innovation context of a partnership. Thus, it can be utilized in the first phase of the SRIA process as a methodological starting point for further activities and consultation.

Method: Public online consultation

An online consultation is usually implemented as a survey/questionnaire, inviting a broad range of stakeholders to give input on specific aspects of the SRIA. In the SRIA development process, it can serve two purposes, depending on the timing of the public consultation.

Purpose:

  1. Identification of key trends and recommendations in R&I to inform long-term Vision and themes of the SRIA from a broad range of stakeholders, experts and interested members of the public. Public consultations with these purposes are usually used in the early stages of SRIA development.
  2. Feedback on an advanced draft of the SRIA, usually in combination with a public draft SRIA document. A large group of stakeholders are invited to comment on the SRIA while clearly defining the inputs requested in the survey/questionnaire. Oftentimes, targeted dissemination of the public consultation to relevant audiences and targeted invitations can facilitate the quality and relevance of inputs.

Target group: Researchers, industry, higher education institutions, ministry officials, industry/professional associations, research funding organizations, community groups / NGOs, companies, entrepreneurs, members of the public

Further reading and examples:

Method: Expert and stakeholder workshops

Expert and stakeholder consultation or co-creation workshops can be used in several formats, each with differing purposes, usually implemented multiple times during an iterative SRIA development process.

  1. Expert and stakeholder workshop

    Purpose: Collating information on SRIA and Vision structure and priorities, identification of joint activities to achieve objectives

    Target group: Key stakeholder, research community, policymakers, enterprises, industry associations, EU/international NGOs and civic / local initiatives

  2. National (and/or regional) consultation

    Purpose: Consultation on national priorities, identification of common issues that require joint and coordinated actions at EU and global levels, reflection and alignment of the SRIA priorities with national/regional ones

    Target group: national experts, regional and/or local stakeholders, national decision/policy makers

  3. Consultation/workshops with Scientific Advisory Board and/or Strategic Advisory Board

    Purpose: Consultation of an established stakeholder group representing the research community to identify and/or further develop the SRIA’s research priorities. Depending upon process design and partnership governance structure, the involvement of the Scientific Advisory Board and/or Strategic Advisory Board could lay the basis for the identification of research priorities and subsequent stakeholder involvement activities.

  4. Internal workshop

    Purpose: Feedback and further development of draft Vision document, draft monitoring indicators, SRIA themes from the partnership’s governing bodies to facilitate internal consultation and agreement.

    Target group: Partnership’s Advisory Board, Governing Board, Stakeholder Advisory Board, and similar

Further reading and examples:

Method: Semi-structured interviews

Semi-structured expert interviews are particularly well-suited to collect input from specific, previously identified experts and stakeholders that were not (or not sufficiently) reached through other methods and/or to explore certain issues and questions in more detail. The combination of using a pre-defined questionnaire with spontaneous questions allows exploring complex issues, deepening understanding, and clarifying answers to questions.

Purpose: Targeted interviews to identify key R&I trends, research priorities, and common issues; gathering information on SRIA structure and priorities; feedback on SRIA draft document

Target group: National and international experts and stakeholders that were underrepresented in public consultations

Further reading and examples: