Understanding the rational basis of environmental problems forms the grounding of WE&B’s social innovation services. By means of applied sociological research techniques, we gain first-hand knowledge of the social realities and the specific context of each environmental problem. The results of this analyses provide the baseline from which the other WE&B social services can be derived. Depending on the requirement and each specific situation, we apply multi-strategic social research approaches, which combine techniques such as:

• Qualitative approaches using in-depth interviews, discussion groups or participatory interventions.
• Quantitative approaches using existing social databases, or the implementation of social samples

Through these approaches WE&B has been able to implement and adapt different sociological theoretical perspectives through various projects. We have implemented the Theory of Planned Behaviour to understand knowledge fragmentation in water and climate change in Africa – AfriAlliance project. We have performed Ethnographic Techniques to understand the reasoning for water and nutrient reuse acceptance in circular economy solutions – in the RUN4LIFE project. We have gained an understanding of the risk/benefit perceptions of implementing circular solutions in buildings – the Houseful project. These approaches have allowed us to have an in-depth understanding of the socio-environmental problems and to subsequently propose specific intervention actions.

In an incredibly connected and complex world, do you know how to use the power of your network? Are you aware of which organisation, department, community, working group, project or individual holds the most information? Which of these has the greatest influence over the flow of information or indeed how these groups collaborate (or not) together? 

WE&B can analyse the data, to provide a practical and measurable approach to solving problems and providing solutions to better understand and to visualise the collaboration levels, the relationships and/or flow of information.

The WE&B Social Network Analysis (SNA) service will support the understanding of who the key stakeholders are for you, clarify their roles, determine how and when they should be engaged. 

Through this analysis the WE&B team – with years of SNA experience across various sectors and disciplines – will shine a light on the levels of collaboration between groups and provide recommendations to transform them into efficient management systems. 

The Benefits of the WE&B SNA Service

We will provide you with an analytical report with eye-catching visualisations to provide you with critical insights. Our recommendations will enable your organization to attain growth, new acquisition, customer retention and improve business and project organisational processes.

How can you measure your social impact when tackling environmental challenges? To what extent are you improving the lives of those affected by environmental problems?

This is the question that drives WE&B in the service to evaluate and assess the contexts of social progress and impact where environmental problems exist.

Through the project experience and the expertise from the WE&B team, we can create specific socio-environmental indicator systems (social, economic, environmental, governance). These indicator systems address the variety of social determinants that environmental challenges require if they are to be solved. Our adapted social indicator systems include: (i) contextual indicators (eg. OCDE indicators, SDGs indicators, etc.), (ii) reference indicators at a specific region and (iii) specific monitoring and impact indicators at local level. WE&B has provided socio environmental contextual analysis for projects such as LIFEDREAMER, REWAISE, UNIDO, HOUSEFUL, RUN4LIFE, BRAINYMEM. 

How does WE&B engage with society? 

WE&B designs, develops, launch’s and manages a collective approach to the engagement process, including online to offline mechanisms. Examples of the approaches used in establishing working groups are: Communities of Practice (COP); Action Groups; Living Labs and Competency Groups. 

Our experience ranges from setting-up and managing 10 Action Groups across Africa for water and climate actions over a 5-year period, through the AfriAlliance project. In Houseful, we have developed and implemented the service for co-creation of circular solutions in the housing sector in 4 regions of 2 European countries.

WE&B has extensive experience working with the quadruple helix stakeholders (academia, business, policy and society dimensions). We have worked together to bring all relevant needs and interests in environmental challenges from indigenous groups, woman’s groups, youth groups, civil society organisations, national authorities, local authorities, media, funding organisations, businesses, research professionals and high-level decision-makers.

Through the years, WE&B has accumulated skills related to different stakeholder engagement strategies Therefore, we have the expertise and relevant experience to bring these engagement strategies to a practical implementation level. 

Knowledge exchange is highly required in an expanding field of innovation and research that has ever growing audiences with varying needs. However, there still remains a gap between scientific knowledge generation and non-scientific, societal application and practice (Ballantyne, A.G., 2018).

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a relatively new focus that entails engaging all actors (from individual researchers and innovators to institutions and governments) through inclusive, participatory methodologies in all stages of Research and Innovation processes and at all levels of Research and Innovation governance (from agenda setting, to design, implementation, and evaluation) (https://rri-tools.eu/about-rri) 

The Knowledge Exchange service from WE&B fills this gap between science and practice and provides the inputs to RRI implementation. WE&B has developed a Communication and Awareness Action Plan and produced communication materials to engage the private (industry), public (authorities) and civil society sectors in coastal zone management in West Africa – WACA project. WE&B has also identified the needs and gaps of climate change awareness amongst the policy makers and government ministries in Jamaica – Jamaica project. WE&B has implemented the RRI approach in European projects – REWAISE project. WE&B has also provided communication and dissemination strategies for research projects, ensuring that the research outputs reach their target audiences with clear, concise messages with examples from the AfriAlliance project.

Governance comprises the mechanisms, processes and institutions, through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences (United Nations, 2006). Meanwhile policy analysis from our perspective is the evaluation and study of the formulation, adoption, and approaches to strategies addressing environmental challenges. 

WE&B has brought a number of insights by evaluating innovations in governance or providing policy alternatives that can produce novel societal solutions. WE&B has provided governance and policy analysis for the governments of Peru and Nepal through analysing Green Growth strategies, through the GGGI projects. WE&B has also provided new governance models for the water reuse industry through the DEMOWARE project. New policy recommendations were provided for coastal management in West Africa through the UNIDO project and in Latin America for the WaterClima LAC project. Policy recommendations for Green Growth were provided for countries in the Mediterranean for the SYNGGY project. Policy recommendations on water and climate actions were also provided across the African continent to various decision makers through the AfriAlliance project.