Transition Management and Resilience

Transition Managementtransdisciplinarity for sustainability

Dr. Derk LoorbachLeiden, 26-08-2009

Dutch Research Institute For Transitions

My argument

• Persistent social problems require system innovation– Integrated scientific understanding,

multidisciplinarity– New engagement between science and society,

transdisciplinarity– More adaptive and innovative governance/policy

systems

• Transition and transition management – Integrated perspective on complex social systems– Framework for integration and innovation


• Complex, long-term and uncertain

• Embedded in societal structures

• Many actors involved, contested and ill-structured

• Difficult to ‘manage’– Examples: energy, mobility, agriculture, education, health

care, waste and water management, housing etc.

Unsustainability lock-in requires transitions

Persistent problems


Key ideas underlying transition management

• Dealing with ongoing societal transitions– Influence speed and direction

• Stimulating and facilitating learning– In and between policy, science, business and NGO’s

• Creating conditions for up-scaling and break-through– From a normative-scientific perspective


Policy sciences

Sustainable Development

Complexity theory

Sociology

Technology studies

1980s 2000

Modeling

Multi -level

Multi faseTM

Climate research

Onzerkerh.

Klimaatmodellen

Scene

IA

structuratie

management

SCOT

Transitie

Niche CTA

History

Innovation studies

1990s

Multi -level

Multi- phase

emergence. CAS

Scaling

Climate models

3P governance

IA

Structuration

Management

SCOT

Transition

Niche CTA

Uncertainty

Transition Management

Multidisciplinary basis


Transition Managementbasic tenets

• Complex system thinking as analytical basis• Long-term (transition) vision guides short-

term actions• Multi-actor approach• Taking multi-level dynamics into account• Dealing with uncertainties• Keeping options open• Focus on learning, experiments and

innovation


Governance framework for dealing with transitions

Strategic(culture, worldviews, norms and values)

Tactical(institutions, networks, structures)

Operational(practices, innovations,niches)

Monitoring, evaluating

and adapting

Developing sustainability

images, coalitions and

joint transition-agendas

Problem structuring, envisioning and

organizing transition-arenas

Mobilizing actors and transition-experiments


society

TransitionarenaRegular policy arena- Short term- Peloton - Incremental change- Problem- and goal oriented

- Long term- Innovators - System-innovation- Problem- and goal searching

Transition arenas


NMP4

ICIS-MeritDuWoBo

Energy Valley

Plan C OVAM

R3

Parkstad Limburg

Energytransition KSI

Drift

TransforumPsibouwTransumo

Health Care

Roof Transition

Rotterdam Transition Program

TA Building


Transition in/of Rotterdam

• 650.000 inhabitants, relatively young population, 50% immigrants, huge harbour/industry

• Major problems/challenges: climate, social, spatial

• Three programs on these themes, linked to policy transition– Rotterdam Climate Initiative– Pact op Zuid– Stadshavens

Transition management used to structure, accelerate and guide societal and governance innovation


Urban transition management

• Implementation of TM raises ambition, coherence and willingness to act

• ‘Transitionizing’ existing policies– Use of the concept of transitions to conceptualize,

analyze and identify ongoing changes towards sustainability in different domains

– Stimulation of envisioning and goal formulation on the long-term

– (re)structuring transition scenario’s and pathways– Up-scaling and initiating projects and experiments– Reflection and evaluation of progress of transitions and

(required) changes in governance


Transidiscplinary approach

• Analysis and integration• Theory and concept development• Organizing

– Facilitating – Selecting

• Structuring and synthesizing• Evaluating and reflecting• Empirical validation


TM – 2.0: radical change in incremental

steps • Integrative system perspective

– Reframing social issues and developing shared perspectives, interests and strategies

• Basic tenets and framework guide experimental governance strategy development– Visions, experiments, agenda’s & reflection inform one another

• Building up societal pressure on regime, and seducing regime actors to participate– ‘Transitionizing’ regular policy

• Framework for science-policy co-production– Iteration between theory and practice


Final remarks

• TM is an multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach

• TM seeks to accelerate and guide emerging or obvious transition dynamics

• Transitions are about build-up and breakdown, about raising and breaking through resilience

• ‘managing’ transitions implies new roles for science and policy