AGE taking part to a Structured Dialogue Design Process: another practice for user involvement
The CARDIAC Project is a Coordination Action funded by the 7FP aiming at preparing research agenda roadmaps highlighting key priorities for the next European research programmes on eInclusion.
Part of the CARDIAC methodology relies on the Structured Dialogue Design Process (SDDP) which is conceived to assist non-homogenous groups in intense brainstorming discussions in a limited time frame. SDDP is a methodology based on a structured, inclusive and collaborative dialogue that develops a sense of co-designing and co-ownership of both the process and the contents.
Focused on the triggering question “What research actions should be supported to exploit emerging network infrastructures and services to facilitate eInclusion?”, a group for 25 stakeholders with different backgrounds discussed for 2,5 intense days on their own replies, generated from various rounds of observations. One sentence repy is allowed to this question and clarifications and comments to the reply is given only to a later stage.
The replies collected have then been clustered according to common attributes, towards the definition of an approach shared by the stakeholders. The selected methodology required then the set up of a twofold voting system, one dedicated to the clusters to prioritize and the following to the relevance of each reply in relation to another reply, in an exercise meant to explore the influences and interdependencies of one idea to the other. At the end of this process the group produces and influence tree that graphically presents the conclusions reached and reveals the leverage points for applying effective actions.
The SDDP promotes focused communication among the participants in the designing process and in the ownership of and commitment in the outcomes. It is therefore a relevant practice to be further explored and implemented towards an effective engagement of users and stakeholders in research and research practice.
AGE Platform Europe was invited to participate in the 3rd CARDIAC Structured Dialogue in Florence 2012 on Network-based Applications, on May 29-31. In that occasion, AGE expressed the visions of older people with regard to non-ICT perspective, highlighting issues on ethics, safety and reliability, among others, of interoperable ambient intelligent environments, products and services. The results will be publicly available soon and are meant to inform the European Commission about the research to be exploited in the future for e-Inclusion and to shape consequently the research programmes in those directions.
More information on the methodology can be found here: https://www.cardiac-eu.org/about/structured_dialogue.htm
For information on user involvement and the CARDIAC workshop, please write toilenia.gheno@age-platform.eu“>ilenia.gheno@age-platform.eu
