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Pilot regions

Co-creating climate adaptation solutions in the pilot region of Dresden: The focus group experience 

By October 28, 2024No Comments

The end of the summer marked a significant milestone in engaging citizens and local stakeholders in the AGORA pilot region of Dresden. AGORA’s project partner, the European Citizen Science Association, conducted four focus groups with citizens from a diverse range of backgrounds. Diversity enriches co-creation processes, and the wealth of insights gained from these conversations highlights this value. 

The focus groups engaged, separately, the following populations: 

  • People with migration backgrounds 
  • Seniors 
  • City hospital workers (primarily nursing staff) 

The core structure of the co-creation process remained consistent across focus groups: participants were introduced to specific gaps in the community’s climate adaptation capacity, as previously identified through workshops with local stakeholders. These gaps were explored in greater depth as participants shared how climate change-related events impact their daily lives, the strategies they use to adapt, and the challenges they encounter. This exploration provided a foundation for co-creating soft climate adaptation solutions. Participants contributed their creativity and real-world experiences, balancing innovation with realistic implementation. In the final part of each focus group, participants were asked how they would like to engage in implementing these solutions and to reflect on various predefined engagement options. This helped in assessing how different methods could be adapted to engage a broader array of citizens. 

While the methodologies across focus groups were similar, they were tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each group. Generally, sessions followed this structure: participants were presented with simple, direct guiding questions to steer discussions. The moderator would then either allow free-flowing conversation or introduce structured methods (such as talking in rounds or the Think-Pair-Share method). The moderator’s main role was to ensure equitable participation, especially among less vocal participants who often represent more vulnerable groups, and to keep the conversation focused. 

To illustrate the co-creation process, here are the guiding questions used with seniors: 

  1. How do you experience heatwaves? (To assess climate vulnerability) 
  1. How do you protect yourself during heatwaves? How could we better support seniors in coping with heatwaves? (To co-create solutions) 
  1. How would you like to be involved in these solutions? (To co-evaluate engagement possibilities) 

In the focus groups with people with migration backgrounds and hospital workers, an interactive activity resembling a board game was introduced, through which participants explored five engagement options, discussing their preferences and suggesting improvements, accessibility modifications, and potential barriers. 

In terms of outreach and citizen engagement, civil society organizations provided extensive support, acting as intermediaries and, in some cases, co-organizers. This approach proved especially effective, as these organizations have established relationships and trust within the communities. Their involvement has also been essential to tailor the activities to best align with participants’ interests. 

Unlike the outreach strategy used for earlier focus groups in May 2024, which involved open events for the entire community, this time we targeted existing groups under the motto ‘Go where citizens are’ instead of expecting them to come where you are. For example, for the focus group with seniors, we joined a ‘Seniorentreffen’—a regular gathering for seniors, typically for social or community activities. This approach proved highly effective in encouraging participation, as meeting citizens in their own spaces minimized their effort and removed barriers, while also leveraging the comfort and familiarity of their usual settings. 

Next Steps 

We are now analyzing the results of the focus groups to determine how to advance to the next phase. So far, we have approached stakeholders like academia and public administration separately from citizens. Our next step will be to bring all groups together to continue co-creating solutions. Through the network we have established so far, we are confident that these solutions might be on a good path toward implementation. Special attention will be given to governance structures, examining how the local network can work together to enhance society’s capacity for climate adaptation, both now and beyond the AGORA project. 

Stay tuned for further updates! 

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