In December, 22 boys and girls from Collio (Province of Brescia) took part in a workshop dedicated to the scenario-building of desirable futures for their target area, Maniva Ski.
In this article, we will recount some of the facilitation practices chosen by UNIMONT and the Lombardy Region, with the support of expert facilitators of Sketchin. Follow us for a step-by-step guide.
📣 First off all, present yourself! It might seem obvious, but standing together in a circle, throwing a ball, is not only fun but also engaging. This exercise not only made it possible to get to know the names of all the participants, but also to gather initial moods and thoughts about standing in front of researchers and policy makers.
📊 Know where you are! Then, in ten short minutes, some environmental, demographic and economic data were presented that could help the youth in the following exercises. Their knowledge of the area is undoubtedly complete, but we must not forget the scientific evidence to be compared later with perceptions.
🧐Idea critique. Starting from suggestions such as “try to think of an idea that aims to create a sustainable and innovative territory” and giving them some insights, for example “include agriculture or think about which crops or products are typical of your territory”.
💡Starting with a negative scenario such as ‘What if snowfall, temperatures and water availability change drastically, transforming the environment and the resources of the territory?’ devise a scenario that would compensate for the tourism sector.
🎉 With the support of facilitators (5 in total), the young people produced 44 possible alternatives to winter skiing as an attractive hook for the area. Of these, nine were chosen as winners. This exercise is aimed at stimulating participants who, individually and then in groups, reason about the positive resources of their area.
👤The role of facilitators is to engage, stimulate, unblock thoughts where there seems to be no solution. In the case of the young people, what emerged was a sense of hope and movement that contrasted with the sense of resignation or preservation of adults who have been dealing with these issues for a long time.
🎯 The objective is therefore not to bring out projects or ideas that are practically achievable in the short to medium term, but to bring out new resources looked at through the eyes of those who will inherit the leadership. Their visions will be brought to policy makers for consideration when planning the future of the district.
All the used methodologies are going to be collected in the TranStat’s Cookbook that will be released at the end of the project! In the meantime, follow us on social media for not missing updates!
