Author: Paul Cairney
In this second post revisiting our vision for FORTH2O, we reflect on early ambitions to connect social science approaches and a new datalab to the Forth-ERA project.
FORTH2O represents the pursuit of an ambitious three-step aim to: (1) connect a world leading digital observatory of the Firth of Forth’s entire water catchment (Forth Environmental Resilience Array, Forth-ERA) to (2) a new social and economic data lab, and (3) use state-of-the-art social science approaches, to foster innovation in policy and practice.
First, the Forth-ERA observatory harnesses world-leading scientific research to inform policy and practice as a one-stop-shop for environmental data and analytics on a full catchment scale. This data covers water quality and quantity, flooding and flooding risks, peatland restoration, air quality, and emerging themes in biodiversity. Its capacity to produce near and real-time data flows – from sensors, satellites and models – helps to support ambitious ‘digital twin’ approaches in which a virtual model can mimic real-world conditions now and into the future. Such models can be used by public and private organisations to take data-informed decisions, such as to plan for a sustainable and just transition to a net zero future. This innovative approach has been co-developed with a range of stakeholders and has established the Forth catchment as a living laboratory to test the efficacy of digital technologies and interventions and identify what can be scaled up across the UK and internationally.
Second, the FORTH2O Datalab is consolidating data from the Forth region to add social science capacity to catchment analysis. Its ability to connect census and other open data on the economy, health and wellbeing, and environment helps to expand the living laboratory and provide the potential to test the benefits of public and private innovation on the Forth environment and population.
Third, the Hydro-social Observatory (HsO) and other FORTH2O initiatives seek to harness these whole-catchment approaches and new data to inform new collaborations across the public, private, and third sectors. As our first post describes, the main FORTH2O aim is to use new data and new collaborations between partners to help many organisations pool their resources and insights on policy challenges, and focus their efforts on fostering a more connected, resilient, and equitable water system that better serves the needs of people and the environment.
Of course, this ambition is easier said than done, and there are good reasons to stop to reflect on progress so far, not least because innovation on this scale is rare and there are few other sources of lessons on which to build new initiatives.
Here, we offer three reflections.
First, it is tempting to treat this level of innovation primarily as emergent activity: venture forth and see where the road takes us. We have often learned the opposite: that the more complex the activity, the more reliance we should place on detailed project management – or at least clear intentions – to help identify tangible quick wins and progress on which to place future activity. The time of project partners is precious, and a vague assurance of innovation soon wears thin. Co-development is critical and, if well managed, should lead to tangible and valued outcomes.
Second, as studies of ‘evidence based policymaking’ make clear, there is not a linear connection between the production of new data and generation of new policy and practice solutions, especially when the production of new data is undertaken in isolation. Rather, we need to build on repositories of wider experience of the many – often unfulfilled – attempts to connect academic projects to policymakers.
Third, a new process to generate collaborations and a space for creativity – on a whole catchment basis – takes time. This point is worth remembering during key phases when participants struggle to find clarity in project aims and the available data does not fully connect to participant needs. Real time and effort are necessary to build collective opportunity and action, key to long-term planning (well beyond a three-year project). New data can provide a powerful impetus to rethink policy and practice, but it requires long-term and trusting partnerships to turn data into action (and prompt demand for more evidence).
Putting these three reflections together, we may conclude that having a clear vision from the start is useful but incomplete. A continuous focus – and reflection – on that vision helps to generate a sense of progress and focus the minds on how that data connects to new collaborations during inevitable periods of uncertainty.
