12/07/2010: An assessment of lessons learned in the communication and dissemination of emerging scientific issues to environmental policymakers

For science to influence government environmental policy effectively, scientists really need to present their findings in a format that policymakers can use and understand, says a team of European researchers.
Managed by the UK Environment Agency and funded by the SKEP (Scientific Knowledge for Environmental Protection) ERA-NET, this project involved a team of European researchers, led by LTS International, first conducting a comprehensive literature review of the science-to-policy process.

Using the findings from this review as a guide, the researchers then carried out in-depth case studies of five real-world examples of the science-to-policy process, as well as a further four mini-case studies.

The six recommendations from the study are

1. Identify your target audience by mapping the communication landscape.
2. Develop an understanding of your target audience.
3. Encourage co-production of knowledge, dialogue and learning between researchers and policymakers.
4. Develop adaptive management mechanisms to open policy windows where new knowledge can be fed into the policymaking process.
5. Use translators, in one form or another, to bridge the gap between stakeholders and to facilitate dialogue between them.
6. Deal with uncertainty or scientific conflicts by identifying common grounds for progress.

You can read the summary here or download the full reports from the Environment Agency website.

Part 1: Comprehensive Report
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHE-E-E
ISBN: 9781849111874
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...

Part 2: Recommendations
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHG-E-E
ISBN: 9781849111881
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...

Technical Summary
Product Code: SCHO0310BSHF-E-E
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.stor...