Public Engagement Strategy & Summary of Activities and Results (Status report)

A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V.1.0 Page 1 of 60 D7.2 – Public Engagement Strategy & summary of Activities and Results September 2023 Authors: Aran Blanco, Alba Matamoros, José Benedicto (KVC). Ref. Ares(2023)6622315 - 30/09/2023 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 2 of 60 Technical References Project Acronym Agro2Circular Project Title TERRITORIAL CIRCULAR SYSTEMIC SOLUTION FOR THE UPCYCLING OF RESIDUES FROM THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR Project Coordinator Fuensanta Monzó CETEC [email protected] Project Duration October 2021 – September 2024 (36 months) Deliverable No. D7.2 Dissemination Level* PU Work Package WP7 – A2C systemic solution adoption, replication and scalability Task T7.2 – Public Engagement Strategy & summary of Activities and Results Lead Beneficiary KVELOCE Contributing Beneficiary/ies UVEG, ICONS, CARM, INFO, EURA, CJM, AGRO, PRIMA, PROEX,CETEC Due Date 30 September 2023 Actual Submission Date 30 September 2023 * PU = Public PP = Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) Document History V Date Comments 0.1 30/08/2023 First draft of document 0.2 25/09/2023 Revised version 1.0 29/09/2023 First final version, approved by the WP leader and the project coordinator, (will be) submitted to EC. 1.1 First draft based upon first final version 2.0 Second final version, approved by the WP leader and the project coordinator, (will be) submitted to EC. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 3 of 60 Document Distribution Log Version Date Distributed to v0.1 30/08/2022 UVEG, ICONS, CARM, INFO, EURA, CJM, AGRO, PRIMA, PROEX, CETEC v.0.2 25/09/2022 CETEC and ICONS for peer review V1.0 29/09/2023 Coordinator for submission Verification and Approval Name Date Verification Final Draft by WP leader Aran Blanco 29/09/2023 Approval Final Deliverable by coordinator Fuensanta Monzó 29/09/2023 Disclaimer and Acknowledgement This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036838 This document reflects only the views of the author(s). The European Research Executive Agency (REA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Whilst efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this document, the A2C consortium shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, however caused. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 4 of 60 1 Table of Contents Contenido 1 Technical References .................................................................. 2 2 Table of Contents ........................................................................ 4 2.1 List of Tables ....................................................................................................... 5 2.2 List of Figures ...................................................................................................... 5 3 List of Abbreviations .................................................................... 6 4 Glossary ....................................................................................... 7 5 Executive Summary ..................................................................... 8 6 Agro2Circular Engagement Process ........................................... 9 7 Ecosystem Analysis ................................................................... 12 7.1 Analysis of the Citizen Engagement Infrastructure [updated] ...................... 12 7.2 Stakeholders and Services ............................................................................... 18 8 Diagnosis ................................................................................... 20 8.1 Selection of Existing Infrastructure [updated] ................................................ 20 8.2 Preliminary Review [updated] .......................................................................... 21 8.3 Levels of Participation in A2C Activities [updated] ........................................ 22 8.4 A2C Virtual and Face-to-Face Infrastructure [updated] ................................. 28 9 Action Plan ................................................................................. 33 9.1 Regional Workshop on Public Engagement [updated] .................................. 33 9.2 Public Engagement Activities [updated] ......................................................... 34 9.3 Monitoring and Evaluation................................................................................ 46 10 Dissemination and Communication ........................................... 48 10.1 Approach ............................................................................................................ 48 10.2 Local Outreach Desk ......................................................................................... 49 10.3 Communication Strategy .................................................................................. 49 10.4 Main Communication Campaigns [updated] ................................................... 51 11 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................ 55 12 ANNEXES .................................................................................. 56 12.1 Stakeholder list .................................................................................................. 56 12.2 References ......................................................................................................... 59 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 5 of 60 1.1 List of Tables Table 1 Virtual and face-to-face infrastructures for participation at regional and local level ................................................................................................................................... 20 Table 2. A2C Inform activities schedule ............................................................................. 35 Table 3. Consultations timetable ........................................................................................ 38 Table 4 Involve activities calendar ..................................................................................... 40 Table 5. Collaborate activities calendar ............................................................................. 43 Table 6 Regional stakeholder panel .................................................................................. 43 Table 7. Communication campaigns for public engagement ............................................. 52 1.2 List of Figures Figure 1 Quadruple Helix of Stakeholders ........................................................................... 9 Figure 2 Spectrum of Public Participation. Source: Vancouver Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force. Final Report. (2014) based on IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation ............. 10 Figure 3 Region of Murcia and the municipality of Alhama de Murcia. Source: IDERM .... 12 Figure 4 Citizen participatory platform (Region of Murcia) ................................................ 13 Figure 5 SIT MURCIA (Geoportal) homepage ................................................................... 15 Figure 6 EIEL CARM showing equipment for urban waste management in Alhama de Murcia ................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 7 Screenshot of Plataforma Tierra .......................................................................... 15 Figure 8. Preliminary SWOT matrix: engagement processes for the implantation of the circular economy ...................................................................................................... 21 Figure 9. Levels of public participation. ......................................................................... 22 Figure 10. A2C website homepage (What? section) in English ......................................... 29 Figure 11. Event created for the Hoop Biowaste Club ...................................................... 29 Figure 12 Zones of the Alhama market with food stalls (marked in light green). One of the areas is located around the food market hall (Mercado de Abastos), marked with a shopping cart in the map. ........................................................................................... 31 Figure 13 Panel of opportunities for public engagement ................................................... 33 Figure 14 Plenary session ................................................................................................. 34 Figure 15, News and Events at the Spanish section of the website ................................... 35 Figure 16. Exposition on multilayer films at CETEC/CTNC booth. Murcia Science Week 2022 ............................................................................................................................ 37 Figure 17 Murcia FOOD Brokerage Event 2023 ............................................................... 37 Figure 18. Students during the site visit to CETEC, Green Week 2023 ............................. 37 Figure 19. Brochure with survey at the Alhama City market .............................................. 39 Figure 20 Pictures of the Community-Based scheme ........................................................ 41 Figure 21 Seminar for the development of the Circular Game ........................................... 42 Figure 22 Circular Game awards at PRIMA facilities ........................................................ 42 Figure 23 Video pills of interviews ..................................................................................... 42 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 6 of 60 2 List of Abbreviations A2C Agro2Circular AoM Agenda of Meeting AGROFOO D Agrofood cluster of the Region of Murcia CARM Autonomous Community of Region of Murcia CDS Communication and Dissemination Strategy CETEC Technological Centre for Plastic and Footwear of the Region of Murcia CETENMA Technological Centre for Energy and Environment of the Region of Murcia CEBM Circular Economy Business Models CJM CAJAMAR Foundation CIFEA Integrated Centre for Training and Agricultural Experiences CTNC National Technological Centre for Canning Industry DoA Description of the Action Dn.n Deliverable (number) DIS Data Integration System ExC Exploitation Committee F2F Face to face GA General Assembly IAP2 International Association of Public Participation INFO Development Institute of the Region of Murcia KPIs Key performance indicators MCT MOCITOS M Month NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement PC Project Coordinator PM Project Manager PRIMA Primafrio Foundation PROEX PROEXPORT REA European Research Executive Agency SP Stakeholder Panel Tn.n Task (number) UPCT Polytechnical University of Cartagena UVEG University of Valencia WPn Work Package (number) A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 7 of 60 3 Glossary Co-creation: Process for collaborative knowledge generation by academics working alongside other stakeholders, promoting meaningful interactions and better utilisation of products and resources. Description of the Action: In an H2020 project, the DoA is a document that captures the essence of the envisaged solution in the form of high-level needs and features that gives the reader an overview of the final project deliverable(s). It includes the project work plan and information regarding the project scope, cost, time and risks, as well as information such as milestones, deliverables, and project organisation and approach. The DoA contains the project charter and the project work plan of a PM2 project. Face-to-face infrastructure: In the context of public participation processes, face-to-face participation structures include those in which people can physically see one another, in person (meetings in the same room) or virtually through teleconferences to enable citizen engagement at all levels. Public engagement: It is understood as the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is a two-way process involving interaction and listening and to generate mutual benefit. The concept is considered a synonym for public participation and/or citizen engagement and both terms will be used throughout the document. Virtual infrastructures: In the context of public participation processes, virtual infrastructures comprise of online platforms, application software and collaborative channels that assist purposeful citizen engagement at all levels (Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, Empower) within a given territory (municipality, region, country, EU). A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 8 of 60 4 Executive Summary This document constitutes the deliverable 7.2 Public Engagement Strategy & Summary of Activities and Results and is a summary of activities and results of the Agro2Circular project undertaken within task 7.1.1 Public engagement strategy, updating D7.1 Public Engagement Strategy launched in M12 (September 2022) with the activities implemented and the lessons learnt during the first and second years of the project, to be applied at the European level in the D7.16 Report on potential for adoption and scale-up potential of the A2C project and other EU regions, namely Lombardy (D7.17) and Lithuania (D7.18). The objective of the public engagement strategy in A2C is to contribute to the co-design and acceptance of the A2C multidimensional model and to demonstrate the adoption in the Murcia A2C cluster and its replication & scale-up potential. The public engagement strategy has a regional scope (the Region of Murcia Autonomous Community), while a communitybased innovation scheme is based at the local level in one of the municipalities (within T7.1.2). D7.1 aimed at designing the conceptual framework and the strategy for the Public Engagement (Section 5), based on the analysis of the existing infrastructure, processes and relevant stakeholders for the public participation at the region and local level (Section 6) and the selection of suitable resources, key actors and the A2C infrastructure for the citizen engagement (Section 7). Those chapters are summarized in this report and new paragraphs were marked and highlighted as [updated / new] for the convenience of the reader. The aim of D7.2 is to report the main outputs of the Public Engagement strategy put in place during M12-M24, including the activities performed until M24 of the project such as the setup of participatory bodies providing recommendations and selecting the most suitable resources to be used during the last year of the project (M24-M34) in the A2C citizen engagement. Furthermore, the action plan (section 8) is briefly updated with priorities and activities to be deployed in the following period. The main results will be further developed in the final version of this deliverable. Finally, the dissemination and communication measures are defined in Section 9, refining the guidelines provided in D7.1. The conclusions and lessons learnt will be further explained in D7.3 (M34, July 2024) and, for the specific case of the activities performed by PRIMAFRIO in Task 7.1.2 (Community-based innovation schemes) in D7.4 (M35, August 2024). A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 9 of 60 5 Agro2Circular Engagement Process A2C public engagement strategy was designed following a four-steps process including ecosystem analysis, diagnosis, action plan and communication. The strategy is based, in fact, on the analysis of the existing infrastructure, processes and relevant stakeholders relying on the Quadruple Helix of Stakeholders model (Figure 1) for the public participation at the regional (Region of Murcia Autonomous Community) and local level (for the community based innovation scheme in Alhama de Murcia). The selection of suitable resources and key actors from civil society, business and industry, research and education allows to benefit from synergies and to avoid an overlapping of measures or citizens overburden. Figure 1 Quadruple Helix of Stakeholders The diagnosis of the participation level entailed the analysis of the Project actions, framed in the 5 level of participation defined by IAP2 Core Values for Public Participation 1 (Figure 2), the needs and priorities of the region to deploy a circular economy, and the setup of the engagement infrastructure. The action plan then builds on the existing resources and relevant actors and concretises the participatory activities according to the level of participation entailed by the A2C interventions at the regional and local level, aligned with the goals of the specific action, its complexity and sensitivity. The A2C communication measures to ensure the public engagement were also defined to ensure a meaningful adoption, replication & scalability of the A2C systemic solution model. 1 https://www.iap2.org/general/custom.asp?page=corevalues A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 16 of 60 This infrastructure was initially considered of interest for the engagement of local actors for the community-based scheme: for instance, to host the information on bins installed to collect food waste. Nevertheless, it was later discarded, due to the punctual allocation of the bins during the days when Task 7.1.2. was carried out. 6.1.1.1.6 Plataforma Tierra [updated] The Plataforma Tierra (Tierra Platform, URL: https://www.plataformatierra.es/) is owned by the CAJAMAR non-profit foundation partner of the A2C Project, created by the Cajamar credit cooperative bank private funding entity. It is available in English. The platform allows to register as a user through a form, the compulsory fields being personal data (name, surname), the field of activity (Agriculture/Livestock, Industry and services, Knowledge, Public Bodies and Associations, Financing, Consumers, others) and fields of interest (including different types of crops and livestock species). After registering, the platform offers a summary of upcoming events and meteorological predictions (Figure 7) as well as information on key agricultural indicators (market prices), links to videos and news. In the top bar, the main menu is included with the following sections: Markets, Innovation, Tools, and Training. Figure 8 Training section of Plataforma Tierra A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 17 of 60 The section Tools is being considered for including a link to the A2C Data Integration System (DIS) in development under WP1 (Task 1.5). The section Training is currently being considered to offer courses under T8.6, aimed at different professionals and including technical and financial aspects of circular economy. 6.1.1.2 Face-to-Face Face-to-face participation structures include those in which people can physically see one another, in person (meetings in the same room) or virtually through teleconferences. 6.1.1.2.1 Sectoral Councils Different types of collegiate bodies operate in the Region of Murcia, among which those related to the topics of A2C will be described. These bodies meet the requirement of the government (President, Vice-president, or Regional Councillors): ● Regional Agricultural Advisory Council: ● Regional Advisory Council of Agriculture Professional Organisations. ● Regional Environmental Advisory Council: ● Regional Advisory Council of Social Economy: In addition, the following bodies are technical and consultative boards that provide qualified advice on the issues considered by the President or Vice-President: ● Regional Consumption Advisory Council: ● Regional Advisory Council on Citizen Participation. 6.1.2 Local Level The City Council published the Regulation on Citizen Engagement in 2012 (BORM 20/02/2012 2 ) which details the processes and bodies involved. In the regulation, different levels of public participation are covered. In this way, the regulation sets the means and the channels for the Inform level, as well as the Consult level, through public surveys and questionnaires. In addition, it regulates the right to participation, through propositions, and the arrangement of public consultations and referendums. The regulation also foresees the foundation of associations and entities for public participation at the local level, the potential funding through subsidies, their inclusion in the local register of these associations, and their participation in local decision-making bodies. In addition, the City Hall implemented the Strategy for Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development (EDUSI) 2017-2023, which includes a specific plan for citizen engagement collecting contributions from different social and economic agents, experts, technical and political staff and citizens, which included a process for citizen engagement through meetings, forums and local assemblies, on specific topics and also transversal issues. 6.1.2.1.1 Virtual The website of the Councillorship of Public Participation 3 offers different opportunities for public participation. ● Participative budgets (last process in 2021). ● Agenda Urbana 2030: the agenda is currently being developed to deploy the SDGs at the local level. A virtual survey was open until June 2022 to collect feedback from 2 http://transparencia.alhamademurcia.es/transparencia-municipal/reglamento-de-participacion-ciudadana/ 3 https://ayuntamiento.alhamademurcia.es/areas/area.asp?id=29 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 18 of 60 citizens on different topics, including environmental awareness, mobility, and waste recycling. As a result of the consultation, an initial diagnosis document was published in February 2023 4 . Moreover, there is a website called Alhama Suma (http://www.alhamasuma.es/), directly related to the EDUSI, in which citizens can give their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the city in different areas: Environment and Climatic Change, Infrastructure and Services, Natural and Cultural Heritage, Society and Demography, Economy and Employment, and an additional space where citizens can provide suggestions. 6.1.2.1.2 . Face-to-Face The city of Alhama has two stable bodies for public face-to-face participation: ● The Local Council of Economy and Employment (since 1998) comprises 19 economic and labour organisations. ● The Local Assembly of Citizen Engagement (since 2012) comprises 26 neighbourhood associations and social organisations. 6.2 Stakeholders and Services The stakeholders and services related to the engagement strategy in the Region of Murcia and the municipality of Alhama, which are relevant for A2C topics, will be mapped in this section. Several sources of information were taken into account for the purpose all along the project lifecycle: ● Regional register of associations (especially those on agriculture, environment protection and consumers). ● Sociograms and lists of key actors are to be developed within the participatory processes realised in the region and the municipality. ● Consultations with key stakeholders and experts in the region. Key actors are identified within the following profiles according to the Quadruple Helix of Open Innovation: Public Administration/Public Services; Private Sector (Industry); Citizens and Civil Organisations; and Research and Education. The key actors and services are listed in D7.1 and in this deliverable are included as Annex. 6.2.1 Public Administration/Public Services Stakeholders in the public sector were gathered from institutional websites, at the regional and local levels. The selection criteria to be included as relevant were their relationship and competencies in the fields of environment, economy, regional development and research and education. 6.2.2 Private Sector (Industry) Stakeholders in the private sector were gathered using search engines (Google). In the case of the agri-food sector, the websites of partners AGROFOOD and PROEX and previous meetings held with these partners provided information on existing actors, since these 4 https://datos.alhamademurcia.es/descargas/918s-agenda-urbana-alhama-prediagnosticofeb22.pdf A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 19 of 60 partners are themselves associations of businesses. The actors selected can be considered examples, since only those devoted to the production and exportation of the crops studied in the project are detailed, avoiding an excessive extent of this document. In the case of plastics, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals, the businesses in these subsectors were selected from the website of the Association of Chemical Industries in the Region of Murcia (AMIQ). Likewise, commercial centres and supermarkets delivering food (fruits and vegetables) that may be involved in the circular economy model proposed by A2C and can be found through the register of the Commerce Chamber of Murcia 5 were considered to be of interest due to the retail delivery of food and the use of fruits and vegetables generating waste at greater scale than citizens (and sometimes packed in plastics). The inclusion of tourism and hospitality services is based on their identification as an area of consumption where food loss and waste are significant issues [2], with these two sectors taking a high weight in the Region of Murcia. Finally, regarding the financial sector, the entities with the most presence in the agricultural sector have been selected. 6.2.3 Citizens and Civil Society Associations The associations included at the regional level rise as the result of searching within the Regional Register of Associations of the Region of Murcia 6 . In the association type field, “Amas de Casa/Consumidores/Usuarios” (Housewives/Consumers/Users), “AMPAS” (Associations of Parents of Schoolchildren), “Ecologistas” (Environmentalists), “Educativas” (Educational), “Federación” (Federation), “Profesionales” (Professionals) and “Vecinos” (Neighbours) are included. For the case of the local level, an additional filter (Municipality) was included in the search in the mentioned register to include only those located in Alhama de Murcia. 6.2.4 Research and Education At the regional level, the sector of research and education comprises the three universities: UM and UPCT are public, and together comprise the Campus Mare Nostrum, while UCAM is a private university. All of them have university chairs (Cátedras Universitarias) related to the topics of A2C. Education at the local level comprises primary and secondary schools. The centres included have been searched through the Regional Ministry of Education in the Region of Murcia (EDUCARM 7 ). We have focused on Alhama de Murcia, where the Community based engagement models will be tested during T7.1.2 but other centres may be added at the regional level. Special attention was paid to those that have already implemented zero waste activities 8 , an initiative promoted by the collective “Teachers for future Spain” (https://teachersforfuturespain.org/), which brings together teachers of the whole country who implement actions to move towards sustainable management of Spanish schools and the development of environmental education. 5 https://www.camaramurcia.es/censo-de-empresas/ 6 Link to Search form at the Register 7 https://mapaescolar.murciaeduca.es/mapaescolar 8 Map of schools with Zero waste initiatives A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 20 of 60 7 Diagnosis The Diagnosis phase defines the contextual basis for the action plan to be specified in the following section. Based on the previous analysis of the existing infrastructures, the bodies and spaces of participation that are existing and relevant for A2C co-creation processes are selected in this section. They are both institutional and private, as well as those resulting from previous participatory processes. The infrastructures identified will be involved in the A2C citizen engagement. The knowledge acquired in the previous ecosystem analysis has also allowed the detection of potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (barriers) for the implementation of participative processes foreseen in the A2C project that is organised in the form of a SWOT matrix. Subsequently, the levels of participation required by co-creation and citizen empowerment processes are analysed to determine the actions that are more appropriate for the action plan (section 8). Finally, the virtual and face-to-face infrastructure that must be created in order to implement the engagement strategy (together with the existing ones) is proposed. 7.1 Selection of Existing Infrastructure [updated] The analysis of the existing virtual and face-to-face infrastructures for participation at the regional and local levels resulted in the selection of those that could be used within A2C (Table 8), due to their relevance to the project topics (Circular Economy, Environmental Management, Social Economy, Public Engagement) and the scope of the project. For example, the provision of information, spaces for collecting feedback from civil society and fostering participation and collective decision. After one year of the project, some of the infrastructures (Table 1) have been marked in grey, due to inactivity (no updated information in the respective portals) Table 1 Virtual and face-to-face infrastructures for participation at regional and local level Type Regional Level Local Level Virtual Region of Murcia participation platform SIT Murcia (geoportal) Open data platform Transparency site Plataforma Tierra Councillorship of Commerce and local development [updated] Alhama Suma Face-to-face Regional Agricultural Assessment Council Regional Assessment Council of Agriculture Professional Organisations. Regional Environmental Assessment Council Local Council of Economy and Employment Local Assembly of Citizen Engagement A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 21 of 60 Regional Consumption Assessment Council Regional Assessment Council of Social Economy Regional Assessment Council on Citizen Participation Further key alliances will be identified based on the analysis of the key stakeholders, getting at relevant actors missed in previous projects. Collaborative workshops with stakeholders (section 8.1) are used as a tool to identify their key alliances, action sets and feasibility. Questionnaires are being performed along the project implementation aimed at the different stakeholders to visualize the degree of affinity with the project objectives and their capacity to influence in this context. Moreover, once the agents are mapped, the results of the indicated tools (questionnaires, workshops) are analyzed to establish action sets that will gather agents with common positions as well as possible conflicts existing in the territory; likewise, feasible alliances will be identified, both for strengthening the connection between stakeholders and for managing conflicts. 7.2 Preliminary Review [updated] During the A2C kick-off meeting, the presentation of the WP7 included three preliminary questions for the partners involved with their existing networks and channels that could be useful for the project. The answers obtained were used as a first step for the ecosystem analysis. As a result of this analysis, a preliminary SWOT matrix was elaborated (Figure 9). Figure 9. Preliminary SWOT matrix: engagement processes for the implantation of the circular economy A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 22 of 60 At the end of June (M9) under WP7 activities (T7.1) a workshop was organized in Alhama de Murcia (where the coordinators and other partners are based) aiming at analyzing the existing spaces for collaboration in the project. The activity is fully described in section 8. 7.3 Levels of Participation in A2C Activities [updated] A2C foresees the citizens’ engagement process in the Region of Murcia entailing different levels of participation, based on the Spectrum of Public Participation developed by the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), as shown in Figure 10. The spectrum ranges from low participation, where people are simply informed about the relevant problems and alternative solutions (on websites for example) to high participation, where they are empowered to take the final decision on the issue at hand (i.e., through deliberative forums or referendums) [1]. The spectrum levels within the A2C project will be applied as follows: Citizen engagement goal: To provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions. Promise to the public: We will keep you informed. Information only involves a one-way flow of information from the project to citizens, although it is an important foundation for community engagement since it builds knowledge and allows citizens to understand the public decision-making process and take informed decisions. The Inform level of public participation gives citizens what they need to fully understand the project’s actions so that they can reach their own conclusions. Some authors ([2], [3]) consider that the Inform level should be placed across the spectrum, since effective engagement requires effective information. This way, although informing does not involve Figure 10. Levels of public participation. Source: http://tompkinscountyny.gov/tccp/publicparticipation A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 23 of 60 community participation per se [4], it increases the understanding of the issues, the ability of the stakeholders and communities to address them, and the compliance with regulations [5]. The Inform level is appropriate in situations where there is no opportunity for the public to influence decision-making. Simply informing them is the appropriate activity. Indeed, all the relevant stakeholders (administration, business, academia, and civic society) will be targeted at the Inform level on all the activities and results of the A2C project through the project website (https://agro2circular.eu/), social media (@Agro2Circular), scientific dissemination, press releases, flyers and brochures specially designed for the local level. In addition, a local website will be developed by the WP8 leader (ICONS) including specific information in the global contexts, and spaces for participation (questionnaires, surveys, events) to be managed by the Local Outreach Desk (PRIMA, KVC) and WP7 partners will use their websites (i.e. CARM: section of Regional Ministry of Agriculture) as an information platform on the news and events carried out in the project. Moreover, lectures, workshops, open visits and seminars on site are planned by the partners (AGRO, PRIMA, PROEX). These activities overlap and are to be coordinated with those in WP8. Specifically, the following actions will be taken: (i) Meetings with stakeholders (i.e., the association of food industries AGRUPAL) that will be potential future users of the process, model and valorisation technologies. (ii) PROEX as producers and exporters will also inform their associated partners in internal assemblies and using their internal channels. (iii) Third parties’ events such as the Science Week Fair organised by Fundación Seneca, held every year at the end of October/beginning of November at the Malecon Park (Murcia) where technological parks (CETEC; CTNC) have a dedicated stand, will constitute an opportunity to engage users through posters and small experiments or merchandise related to the project to general society (families, schools), policy-makers and industry. AGROFOOD also collaborates in this event. (iv) Awareness raising talks will happen in primary/secondary schools, VET centres, universities and companies. In this regard. PRIMAFRIO organised these talks, that were also conducted by KVC, and CETEC. AGROFOOD has already taken part in regional events disseminating the A2C projects to the wide public (as part of WP8, T8.3) establishing a basis for further contacts with potential attendants in future activities. (v) Training activities (included in T8.6) aim to train professionals (active and potential), unemployed people as lifelong training, universities (through related chairs, some of them already backing the project through letters of support) and cover not only technical and technological aspects, but also the financial and perspectives (especially for companies). (vi) A stand at the local weekly market in Alhama de Murcia (held every Tuesday, 9:00-14:00) will be managed by PRIMAFRIO, to provide information to visitors and vendors about the project and to distribute materials (brochures, flyers). KVC, CNTC and AGROFOOD provide support to this activity, collaborating in the stall; a shift planning will be established among these entities to optimise A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 24 of 60 the efforts and offer different types of specific information to the stakeholders interested. (vii) Scientific and professional dissemination: as stated in the A2C outreach strategy (D8.1): scientific dissemination of the project results is planned along the project implementation, in the form of papers in peer review journals and contributions to congresses and conferences. Publication of papers in professional journals will also contribute to the engagement of the industry in the adoption of the A2C model. In this regard, AGROFOOD is invited by the editorial board of the CTNC biannual magazine (CTC Alimentación 9 ), published in printed form for the agri-food sector in the region but also available online. This professional magazine has already published information on the project. (viii) Industry fairs and events: It is also planned to participate in events such as fairs, symposiums and brokerage events in different sectors. For instance, CTNC and AGROFOOD are involved in the organisation of the International Symposium on Food Technologies, a meeting point for companies in the sector that takes place coinciding with the Murcia Food Brokerage Event organised by INFO (held in May 2023). Likewise, CETEC took part in the AGRICULTURAL FILM Conference (March 2023). Citizen engagement goal: To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions. Promise to the public: We will keep you informed and will acknowledge concerns and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. The Consult level of public participation focuses on feedback and is the basic minimum opportunity for the public to input on analysis, alternatives or decisions. The responsibility for the decisions remains with the government or the organisations doing the consulting (i.e., the project manager). The Consult level is appropriate when specific input is sought from citizens for the decisionmaking, but early engagement is not possible throughout the process. There is a wide range of ways to perform consultations, some of which include processes that require little or no dialogue (surveys in a newsletter or digital platform) or involve a debate (public meetings, focus groups). Several activities in the Region of Murcia and their community-based schemes require the willingness of stakeholders (among them citizens) to provide information. (i) Surveys about awareness of citizens and companies: covering i.e., their consumption and disposal habits of fruits, vegetables and plastic packages, as well as recycling behaviours to improve the effectiveness of the A2C systemic 9 https://ctnc.es/publicaciones/ A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 25 of 60 solution model, while reducing the cost of implementation. The surveys would be tailored depending on the sector/group. (ii) Surveys aimed at the private sector: input from companies will be required to explore the adoption possibilities and viability analysis (covering economic benefit) of the A2C solution including the data integration system and the business models developed. The viability analysis will also cover the logistic aspects of the circular solution, such as the responsibility of the collection and storage or the benefits foreseen. It gives consideration for the additional costs which stakeholders incur in the adoption of such practices. Feedback on problems of interest in the sector will also be gathered, such as finding biobased products that fulfil their requirements and subsidising options. (iii) Consultations on training needs will be aimed at different publics, including VET and assimilated (vocational training, lifelong learning) on existing gaps in curricula on circular economy so that university (undergraduate, MSc) as well as companies recognise their needs for unmet skills. These surveys will be hosted on the A2C platform and the website (in a specific section). The partners will contribute to obtaining results with links on their websites (especially institutional partners) on the level of awareness of the circular economy. In addition, the EU Platform EUSurvey (https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/) will also constitute a useful tool for consultations. Citizen engagement goal: To work with the public to make sure that concerns and aspirations are considered and understood. Promise to the public: we will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. At the Involve level, citizens are invited into the process to a greater extent than at the Consult level. The goal is to work with the public throughout the process and to make use of their knowledge and expertise on a given issue. This implies a two-way exchange of information that encourages discussion while providing an opportunity to influence the outcome. The Involve level not only ensures a common understanding, but also the products or services provided are better tailored to the stakeholders’ needs. The regulation, standardisation or behaviour needs are accepted and sustainable and the resources are effectively applied at this level. At the Involve level, the public is invited into the process, usually from the beginning, and is provided multiple opportunities for input as decision-making progresses. However, while ‘Involve’ assumes a greater level of participation by stakeholders as they work through issues and alternatives to assist in the decision-making process, the organisation undertaking the engagement generally retains responsibility for the final decision. In A2C, A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 32 of 60 coordinate the different bodies created for the engagement process and act as mediator in case any controversy arises. ● Driving Group: This group will be built in Q3 2022 after the circular economy workshop held in Alhama de Murcia in June 2022. The group will act as a local stakeholder panel, composed of representatives of the key stakeholders from the quadruple helix of social innovation: University of Murcia, Regional Development Agency (INFO), Industry (AGROFOOD, PROEX, CJM), Regional and Local initiatives, CSOs, together with KVeloce (Systemic Approach Manager) and PRIMA (Local Outreach Manager). Their main objectives are to generate synergies with other existing and ongoing projects at the local and regional level, organising activities, seeking mutual support, and detecting solutions for the implantation of the circular systemic solution. Current status The Coordination and Management Group has been set up by KVC and PRIMA. They hold regular meetings (approx. 1 per month) to supervise the performance of the activities being carried out as part of the Public Engagement, and to coordinate the Local and Regional Dissemination and Communication according to the project needs, ensuring the wider outreach. CETEC as project coordinator supports this coordination and management group, providing advice and means to achieve the desired objectives (contacts, requirements to partners, information). Current status The Driving Group acts as part of the local stakeholder panel set up for the project. It is composed by the partners based in the region of Murcia: Regional Development Agency (INFO), Industry (AGRO, PROEX, CJM), Research (CETEC, CTNC) and public Administration (CARM), together with KVeloce (Systemic Approach Manager) and PRIMA (Local Outreach Manager). Up to date, three workshops have been held, further detailed in sections 8.1 and 8.2 (Collaboration level). A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 33 of 60 8 Action Plan 8.1 Regional Workshop on Public Engagement [updated] Under WP7, a regional workshop on public engagement was planned for June 2022 in Alhama de Murcia at the regional level to establish a participatory approach toward the stakeholders’ needs and priorities. Moreover, this workshop served to nurture further public engagement activities. It was organised to identify the interest, opinions, and wishes of the partners involved in WP7 at the regional level and to detect potential infrastructures and analyze synergies and barriers. The workshop represented a key point for organising the community-based scheme. Current status The workshop was organized by KVC and attended by CETEC, PRIMAFRIO, AGROFOOD, PROEXPORT, CAJAMAR, and CARM, constituting the first meeting of the Driving group. During the workshop, participative methodologies were used to explore the opportunities for engagement at the regional and local scales. First, shared in groups their interests and prospects, based on the 5 levels of engagement of the IAP2; thereafter, during a plenary session, the proposed activities were displayed on a panel (Figure 14). Most of the activities were framed in the inform, consult and involve levels. During this session, the infrastructures of public engagement in A2C were also discussed. These results were already reflected in D7.1, as the activities to be carried out at the different levels of IAP2. Figure 14 Panel of opportunities for public engagement Subsequently, another plenary session was conducted to explore barriers and framework conditions for the engagement activities (Figure 15). A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 34 of 60 8.2 Public Engagement Activities [updated] In the current document, a preliminary list of activities suitable for each level of participation is proposed. Nevertheless, it must be taken into consideration that the action plan is dynamic, and these will be updated in a collaborative manner, with contributions from all partners in subsequent workshops. 10 https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2022-5809 Figure 15 Plenary session Among the aspects to be considered, the following are to be highlighted: ● The need of dynamizing the Spanish section of the website, to constitute an effective tool for engagement (to be discussed with WP8 Leader ICONS). ● A framework condition that may difficult the involvement of agrifood companies was the legal definition of waste according to Law 7/2022 for waste and contaminated soil10, which considers waste as materials that an agent discards or has the intention to discard. This definition leaves agrifood waste as outgrades, that are already used in the canning industry or food for livestock. ● Regarding the multilayer plastics used for mulching, partners called attention to the inconsistencies related to the types that are being recommended and subsidized by regional authorities, although they are not biodegradable. ● The availability of some agrifood waste is limited in time by seasonality. The suggestion of exploring other types of food waste is subject to technical justification. ● The need of communicating financial and economic aspects, beyond technical dimensions, targeting professionals and companies through dedicated training was also underlined. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 35 of 60 8.2.1 Inform [new] As mentioned, the aim of the inform level of public participation is to provide balanced and objective information promptly to the public. This implies to give citizens what they need to fully understand the action and to reach their own conclusions. Table 2. A2C Inform activities schedule Information on the website and social media: As indicated before (section 7.4.1, a Spanish section of the website was created. Initially, this section included general information on the project, but later a blog structure was included to upload Events (Eventos) and News (Noticias), as seen in Figure 16. 17 News pieces and 3 Events have been published up to date. Figure 16, News and Events at the Spanish section of the website A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 36 of 60 Next steps The activity at the website and social media will be maintained, with the aim at dynamizing the contents. Some of the planned news that are pending to be published in the next months will be the PROEXPORT Assembly in which the project will be promoted, as well as their participation in FRUIT ATTRACTION fair; the launch of the videodocumentary and a report on the “making-of”, or the continuation of the activity at the Alhama city market. In the last year of the project, it is expected to include other resources in the website, such as best practices regarding community-based social innovation schemes for circular economy (gathered as a result of T7.1.2) , surveys and questionnaires (under different activities, such as T7.4, T7.5 or T8.6), the video documentary shot to explain the different dimensions of the project deployment (under T8.3), or announcing site visits to the project demonstrators (under WP6). Further information on the website and social media can be found in the Dissemination and Communication report (D8.2; M18). PRIMA as local outreach manager elaborates a calendar and requires partners for contributions to the website. . Webinars and seminars. The organization of webinars and seminars has been focused to educational purposes, and carried out by PRIMA, KVC, CETEC and AGROFOOD aimed at the different levels (primary and secondary schools, vocational education and university). Three different topics have been addressed so far: a general seminar on circular economy, and two specific seminars on plastic upcycling and the application of biotechnology to circular economy. The seminars started in February 2023 and were carried out until May 2023; during this period 16 Workshops/seminars were held, in 8 different educational centres, with the attendance of more than 400 students. In addition, CETEC took part as speaker in a webinar organized by the Technological Centre on Environment of the Region of Murcia (CETENMA) and AGROFOOD in a webinar organized by the University of Alcalá - Analytical Chemistry area in the subject "Use of waste from the food industry". Next steps For the scholar year 2023/2024, a new series of workshops/lectures are being prepared, together with the corresponding materials such as presentations; to this end, PRIMA has already arranged meetings and procedures with the educational centres and the Regional Ministry of Education. Furthermore, other seminars and webinars are being organized targeting different stakeholders, such as professionals or enterprises, to engage them in the implantation of the circular economy, with the participation of CETEC, KVC and AGROFOOD. More detailed information on the contents can be found in Deliverable Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (Draft; D8.6, M18). INFO will soon present a mapping and best practices in Circular Economy. Moreover, they are organizing for November 2023 an event “Pymes and sustainability”, a training session focused on social impact, good governance and environment, and will provide the participants with tools to elaborate policies for sustainability, in which the project will be presented due to the close relationship with the topic. Expositions and attendance to events. All along the project, partners have been participating in expositions and scientific and technical events, raising the awareness of the public from all sectors of the stakeholder helix on the challenges addressed by A2C and the solutions proposed to achieve the circularity of the agrifood sector. Some examples of this activity are the Science Week held in Murcia in October 2022, in which the technological centres CTNC and CETEC were present in a booth together with AGROFOOD (Figure 17); Innovam+22 held in Cartagena attended by AGROFOOD and CTNC in October 2022; attendance and A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 37 of 60 presentation of results at International congresses in September 2022, April and July 2023; the Murcia FOOD Brokerage Event organized by INFO in collaboration with CTNC in May 2023 (Figure 18); Crecestartup Agrifoodtech held online June 2023 with the participation from AGROFOOD and CTNC, or the FAMEINNOWA fair attended by PROEXPORT in April 2023. Further information on these activities can be found in the Dissemination and Communication report (D8.2; M18). Next steps For the next year of the project (2023/2024) it is expected to participate in the new edition of the Science (October-November 2023) and Innovam+. CAJAMAR will also present the project in the Science Week held at University of Almeria, at the end of October 2023. In addition, partners are expected to attend various events related to the theme of A2C that will be announced in the coming months or where we are invited. Site visits. Up to date, CETEC has already performed site visits coinciding with the Green Week (June 2023, Figure 19). Next steps Figure 17. Exposition on multilayer films at CETEC/CTNC booth. Murcia Science Week 2022 Figure 18 Murcia FOOD Brokerage Event 2023 Figure 19. Students during the site visit to CETEC, Green Week 2023 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 38 of 60 Several visits will be realized to the 9 demonstrators planned under WP6, allowing citizens to fully understand the actions’ features and implications. Besides, the visits will enhance the character of implementation action demonstration objective of the project. The visits will start progressively, according to their progress by the responsible partners, and will target representatives of the quadruple helix of open innovation: public administration and public services; private sector; citizens and civil society organizations; and research organizations and universities. Besides, special attention will be paid to young people and the site visits will be offered to students in the region, paying special attention to primary and secondary schools, vocational training and university degrees with close relationships to the project’s topics in the region (CIFEAs, environmental sciences, biotechnology, chemistry, agricultural/industrial/chemical engineering, to mention some). 8.2.2 Consult [new] The objective of the consult level is to obtain feedback on analysis, issues, alternatives and decisions. Table 3. Consultations timetable Socioeconomic Analysis: Under T7.4, the socioeconomic and sociocultural analysis required the participation of the stakeholders participating in two of the value chains addressed in the project (lemon pulp and peel, and disinfection film); the analysis is embedded in the evaluation framework, using the social organisational Lifecycle assessment (SO-LCA) approach. A questionnaire was answered by 115 workers at the regional level. Additional information on the methodology and the results can be found in the Socioeconomic and sociocultural analysis report (D7.8; M18). A parallel consultation was run targeting stakeholders’ managers, while VTT collected information for the environmental LCA (T7.3). For the purpose of this deliverable, it is worth highlighting that the questionnaire included different sets of questions, aimed at analysing the awareness and consciousness regarding circular economy, through selected questionnaires, as well as the environmental concern measured using the revised NEP (New Ecological Paradigm) scale [7], [8]. The results obtained can be considered as a screening. Next steps Further consultations (Table 3) are expected targeting wider samples in the last year of the project, framed under the socioeconomic/sociocultural analysis (T7.4) with results to be published in the final version of the Socioeconomic and sociocultural analysis report (D7.9; M36); furthermore, these results will be valuable for the validation and clustering of the A2C model at the EU level (T7.7), allowing an evidence base assessment of its potential for adoption and scale up reflected in the corresponding report (D7.16; M36). A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 39 of 60 Furthermore, in the second quarter of 2024 consultations targeted to the citizenship will be organised, specially focused on assessing the perception and the awareness on upcycled products (nutraceutics, plastics), their standardisation, their acceptance, etc. The surveys and questionnaires will be prepared based on validated tools during the last quarter of 2023 and first quarter of 2024 Surveys at the community-based scheme: These activities are embedded in the Task 7.1.2 and aim to further engage the public in the implementation of circular economy and the A2C model while collecting their feedback on the activities. To optimize the participation, citizens are rewarded, for which specific merchandising materials are collected. For instance, PRIMA conducted a short survey included in a brochure (Figure 20) in April 2023, with questions exploring awareness and recycling behaviours of the citizens at the Alhama City market; the public taking part in the survey was involved in a draw, in which the prize consisted of a basket with 20 kg of fresh fruits and vegetables from the market itself. The results of the survey, answered by 94 people, will be used to evaluate the engagement in the community-based scheme and to design new actions. Further detail and lessons learnt will be displayed in the report on Community based innovation schemes (D7.4; M35). Other consultations. The co-creation of the multidimensional model (Task 7.5) involves different tools, some of them at the consult level (surveys and interviews). These are based on a collection of statements designed by UVEG and KVC that provide feedback on different scenarios related with the dimensions of the A2C model (environmental, technological, socioeconomic, financial, regulatory, governance, training and awareness raising, and Figure 20. Brochure with survey at the Alhama City market A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 40 of 60 standardisation). A total of 24 stakeholders participated in the survey and some of the participants showed availability for a deeper interview, which allowed longer responses and therefore a more detailed analysis. The results of the survey were subsequently discussed in workshops (one of them performed in July 2023, another planned for the last quarter of 2023), constituting a further level of participation (see 8.2.4). Next steps A further consultation is planned for T8.6 (focusing on the training dimension), using a questionnaire designed by UVEG. The main stakeholders targeted will be those related to academia and education, but also companies and professionals, as well as public administrations related to the A2C, in such a manner that the results provide insights on the materials and contents to be developed for the final version of the Toolkit of guidelines and training materials (D8.7; M35). 8.2.3 Involve [new] The Involve level aims at working with the public to make sure that their concerns and aspirations are considered and understood. Table 4 Involve activities calendar Community based scheme. Under task 7.1.2, a participative and community-based innovation (T7.1.2) has been organised by PRIMA, with the collaboration of KVC, CETEC, CTNC,AGROFOOD, MCT and EVERSIA, to foster the acceptance, awareness and knowledge of climate-neutral practices, alternatives, and behaviours but also aimed at strengthening communities, paying special attention to the challenges that disadvantaged and deprived communities may face. After preparatory meetings with the Alhama de Murcia City Council (particularly, the Local Development Department), and associations of market vendors, the activity started in November 2022. The scheme consisted of the installation of a booth at the City Market , that acted as A2C Face2face infrastructure (see section 7.4.2), and 6 containers in which the market vendors deposited the 6 types of fruit and vegetable waste considered in the project, to be sent to CTNC for further processing and incorporation to the A2C value chains (Figure 21). The community-based scheme has also served to distribute surveys, organize awards, and present products similar to those that will be the final results of the project, until June 2023, in which the activity was interrupted for summer break. Next steps Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2021 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2024 2024 2024 Community based. Summer break (June/ July) Summer break (June/ July) Circular game award Training Award Training Award Documentary Shooting Shooting/e dition Launch/ publication Waste collections Year 2 Year 3 Start Year 1 A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 41 of 60 PRIMA and KVC are organising new activities framed in the community-based scheme (consults, small seminars, awards, etc) to be restarted in October 2023 until the end of the project. Moreover, the scheme will be expanded to other dates and special events, installing the booth and performing activities such as prizes, surveys, showcasesThe results and the lessons learnt from the community-based scheme will be published as Deliverable D7.4 (Report on Community based innovation schemes) on M35 of the project. Figure 21 Pictures of the Community-Based scheme Circular game award. Circular Game was an initiative to teach young people (Primary and secondary education) about circular economy in a fun and engaging way. With this aim, more than 300 students from different centres in Alhama and Murcia joined in groups to create videogames related to the circular economy using Arkade Makecode; to improve the circular and programming skills they needed, a series of seminars were organised from February to May 2023 (Figure 22). At the end of the activity the videogames designed were presented to take part in a big contest on circular economy videogames. After the evaluation of the videogames by a multidisciplinary jury, considering criteria related to the presence of circularity concepts, design and usability, the winners were awarded in a ceremony celebrated at PRIMA facilities in May 2023 (Figure 23). Next steps Given the success of the videogame course, partners involved will organize a new edition with the company TALENTOSTEM during the last year of the project. The dates are expected to be the same than last year. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 48 of 60 9 Dissemination and Communication During the elapsed time since the beginning of the project (October 2021) and the publication of this document (October 2022), project partners have made efforts to spread the project through the main website. In addition, a local website in Spanish was published, reinforcing the dissemination and communication of the events and activities at the local and regional levels in Alhama de Murcia and the Region of Murcia, where the project has been introduced. Furthermore, dissemination and communication materials in Spanish with a stronger focus on the activities carried out in the community-based scheme are being elaborated. These are the brochures and posters that will complement the video subtitled in Spanish. The most important content of the actions will be sent to local and regional media to publish them. To reach and engage citizens in the activities, a clear and simple communication strategy has been put in place. Catchy messages are tailor made to the different stakeholders in the quadruple helix (public administrations, citizens and vendors from the market, educational centres, industry). Once the general aim of the project has been explained to the citizens, the actions will be segmented according to the degree of citizen involvement and the type of public. To this end, several ways are currently being evaluated, from dedicated and programmed marketing campaigns to informative and awareness raising actions aimed at the citizens of Alhama de Murcia and the autonomous region. 9.1 Approach Communication covers a wide range of actions targeted to several stakeholders or target audiences and should also communicate evidence-based information about areas and contents related to the project. In the case of A2C, these contents may among others relate to the impacts of plastics in the environment, the routes followed by the F&V waste from the collection in markets or by producers to the obtention of new products, the creation of new value chains, the need of governance, and regulatory and financing tools to put in place circular economy models. These contents may be produced by the consortium but also by third parties. A responsible innovation communication must select, curate and disseminate contents based on validated information, and make them easily understandable for all. The most important objective (primary objective) is to engage citizens in the activities planned for the co-creation of a multidimensional circular economy model at the regional level, which can be replicated in other geographical contexts. Secondly, it is intended to engage and involve several stakeholders (research and academia, public administration, companies and investors, among others, to be detailed in Annex). The communication activity in A2C in Murcia will allow the collection and distribution of data to optimise the engagement rate of all target groups, taking into consideration those that play a role as multipliers (civil society entities, NGOs, foundations, cultural centres, etc.). ‘Citizen engagement requires good communication – but good communication alone is not citizen engagement’. Alec Walker-Love, Europe-based communications specialist with a background in urban mobility A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 49 of 60 9.2 Local Outreach Desk The Local Outreach Desk was established in WP8, led by PRIMAFRIO and includes personnel from KVC, AGRO, CARM, and INFO. As shown in table 8, the Local Outreach Desk is also closely related to the A2C Outreach Manager (ICONS) and has a strong relationship with other institutional bodies, some of whom have already signed letters of support to state their interest in the project. Team Members Esther Ballester (PRIMAFRIO) Irene Garre (PRIMAFRIO) Aran Blanco (KVC) Ana Belén Morales (AGROFOOD) Beatriz Vallina (KVC) Relation with Institutional Bodies ● Instituto de Fomento (INFO) ● Instituto tecnológico del Calzado y el Plástico (CETEC) ● Instituto Tecnológico de la Conserva (CTNC) ● Ayuntamiento de Murcia ● Ayuntamiento de Alhama de Murcia ● Universidad de Murcia (UMU) ● Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) Relation with other WPs and partners ICONS (A2C Outreach Manager) – WP8 WP8 partners As indicated in the A2C outreach strategy (8.1), the Local Outreach Desk led by PRIMAFRIO will be responsible for defining the local D&C strategy, including the appropriate channels, messages and communication formats to foster engagement. 9.3 Communication Strategy Engagement in communication refers to the community and aims at reaching a long-term alliance with a certain audience that allows sustaining knowledge, fostering the adoption of more culture-centric expressions of problems, solution-finding processes and facilitating structural transformations [9],[10]. Engagement is not restricted to interaction, the participation in demonstrators or involvement in a predefined period, while these could be considered as dimensions or outputs: engagement means a medium and long-term sustainable relationship with feasible changes at the behavioural level. In addition, the engagement of audiences contributes to the sustainability of the A2C project in the medium and long-term (Hanson et al., 2009). This strategy considers that a multi-channel approach merging traditional and innovative media could contribute to accomplishing the objective as expressed in the project proposal. This way, the partners based in the Region of Murcia where the A2C model will be cocreated and implemented will attend and organise specific events while using their networks and their influence through interpersonal and direct communication, social media and also traditional press and mass media (at the local level, in line with the project scope). The A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 50 of 60 actions planned are further detailed in section 8.2. The communication strategy should also consider opposition research, specific audience targeting, and continuous adjustment of the messages provided, when required, linked to the follow-up of the actions and responses obtained (including audiences’ reactions and unintended results). A double approach (upstream and downstream) will be used in A2C dissemination and communication for engagement. • Upstream: refers to reaching a group that has interpersonal influence and can create change due to its relationship with the service-users instead of directly targeting the serviceusers (for example, citizens, companies or professionals in the agricultural sector). In addition, these groups could be more likely to influence and have the ability to modify contextual factors. For instance, policy-makers, public administration officers, community leaders or investors are groups to be considered in upstream actions. • Downstream: to recruit service users for the A2C project will involve a significant effort in social marketing and public communication. Efforts should be made to design and implement the campaigns responding to the specific needs and preferences of citizens and main sub-targets. It must be taken into consideration that upstream initiatives might be necessary for downstream efforts to be effective. 9.3.1 Goal and Objectives The goal of the dissemination and communication within the engagement strategy is to recruit and engage the citizens in the municipality of Alhama de Murcia (for the communitybased scheme) and by extension, the Region of Murcia, as it is explained in section 5. The objectives are: - To increase the impact of the engagement strategy. - To engage citizens in other activities of the project. - To communicate the project outcomes. - To ensure the long-term sustainability of the project demonstrating the success and acceptance of the A2C multidimensional model among the involved stakeholders. 9.3.2 Target Audience Citizen engagement and communication campaigns, even when they appear to address the general public, are directed toward specific segments of the population as seen in Figure 14. Figure 28. Target groups aligned with the Quadruple Helix of Innovation A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 51 of 60 Some campaigns often include more than one target audience and can include both upstream and downstream groups. These groups are further explained in 6.2, while section 9.4 establishes the segmentation to sustain the engagement. 9.3.3 Media A2C communication campaigns at the local level will require the media mentioned in D8.1 (platforms, online social media, mass media, interpersonal channels, small group meetings, and one-to-one discussions). The media of choice will depend on the key message and specific audiences for each communication campaign, as shown in Table 9. 9.3.4 Resources and Calendar The table summarises the resources for supporting the citizen engagement strategy through the communication strategy. These resources will be considered for designing the communication campaigns plan, grouped depending on the actions and the specific degrees of participation, target audiences, tools and channels. Each communication campaign should specify a calendar, considering the following phases: - Launch phase: where the campaign is being initiated, involving the greatest media presence. - Body of the campaign: where media are often used incrementally to remind the audiences of the message of the campaign. - Final media push: before the campaign ends. 9.4 Main Communication Campaigns [updated] Communication Campaigns (CC) comprise the overall organisation of the communication strategy and are in line with the action plan (section 8.2). Five types of communication campaigns are planned, according to Table 7. Campaigns are ordered from a lower to a higher degree of use of resources and media effort. The campaigns will be carried out in Spanish to be understood by the local Spanish speaking public. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 52 of 60 Table 7. Communication campaigns for public engagement ID Aim Target group Key message Approach Channels Resources INFORM CC1.1 To inform stakeholders about the A2C project. Society as a whole A2C will develop and test its circular approach in a real case demo site Downstream Local press/TV/radio Social media Local website Current media presence. Flyer11 Posters Personal networks and relations with Media Events (i.e., Science Week) CC1.2 To disseminate the concept and results That’s how A2C works. We’ll keep you up to date! Downstream Website Social media Local press, TV or radio Knowledge transfer and training CONSULT CC2.1 To obtain valuable information and feedback Citizens, service users (food, cosmetic, plastic industry) Without you, A2C does not make sense. Let us know your opinion! Downstream Website A2C virtual platform Social media Local press, TV or radio A2C virtual platform Partner’s platforms (links) Social media Local press, TV or radio Current media presence. New tools for feedback gathering (surveys, questionnaires) CC2.2 Research and education A2C provides valuable information on how feedback can be obtained and analyzed to implement multidimensional and participatory circular economy models. Upstream Personal relations with university chairs, departments Events and conferences INVOLVE 11 In addition to the flyer designed in WP8 for the project, specific flyers for the local level are to be designed by PRIMAFRIO and KVC A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 53 of 60 ID Aim Target group Key message Approach Channels Resources CC3.1 To recruit citizens for cocreating a circular model for the agrifood sector expecting a high degree of involvement and collaboration. Citizens, service users (farmers), NGOs Your waste is your treasure. Out of food waste, new food can arise. Your participation is key to achieve the circularity of the F&V sector in the region. Participate in our event [substitute by the name of the event in each case] Downstream Events Community based scheme (T7,1.2) Video documentary Local press/TV/radio Social media A2C Virtual platform Local website Current media presence. Flyers and posters13 Webinars Presentations Personal networks and relations with media CC3.2 Industry (Agrofood, cosmetic, plastics) Investors Invest in a sustainable economic model for the future of agriculture. Participate in our events [substitute by the name of the event in each case] Upstream A2C Virtual platform Local website Events Newsletter CC3.3 Public administrations Policy makers A sustainable and circular model must encompass regulatory, economic and governance aspects to become a success. Participate in our events [substitute by the name of the event in each case] A2C Virtual platform Local website Events CC3.4 Research and education Community-engaged projects could contribute to filling the gap in implementation research. Join our online forum! Training and knowledge transfer Conferences Events COLLABORATE CC4 To involve citizens in the decisionCitizens Private/Industry Administration We need your participation in the decision-making. Downstream Personal networks Events Current media presence Flyers A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 54 of 60 ID Aim Target group Key message Approach Channels Resources making process through the collaboration and consultation with the public in all relevant areas Research & Education (Stakeholder panel) Other projects in the call We want to hear your voice: Join the decision-making process now. Local press/TV/radio Social media A2C Virtual platform Local website Webinars Presentations Personal networks and relations with media EMPOWER CC5 To raise loyalty and engagement during the pilot implementatio n Service-users (i.e., citizens, vendors, farmers people participating and already involved) In A2C we are implementing a participatory circular economy model. We want to hear your voice. Downstream Local press/TV/radio Social media A2C Virtual platform Local website Current media presence Webinars Presentations Personal networks and relations with media A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V.1.0 Page 55 of 60 10 CONCLUSIONS The objectives of public engagement in A2C are: ✓ To involve all the stakeholders (a quadruple helix of participation) in cocreation processes; ✓ To foster a systemic change towards new behavioural models, financing methods, policies, etc; ✓ To improve the awareness and acceptance of climate-neutral circular economy practices; ✓ To increase the deployment of circular solutions and their adoption at the regional level, to be later replicated in other contexts. The Deliverable 7.3 Public Engagement Strategy & Summary of Activities and Results of the Agro2Circular project will still require continuous revision and updating, particularly the dissemination and communication section. to ensure the foreseen objectives and goals allowing the long-term sustainability of the model proposed in A2C. The impact of the dissemination has been analysed in WP8 deliverables, including the activities at the inform level. At the regional and local level, there is a wide variety of stakeholders and participation infrastructures, having as a purpose citizen engagement at all levels (Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, Empower). At the consult level, the participation has been satisfactory (in terms of the number of surveys answered by stakeholders and citizens in activities 7.1.2, 7,4 and 7,5) and further consultations will be planned. Also, at the involvement level, the community-based scheme has revealed as a good tool to attract the interest of citizens and will continue until the end of the project, combining with other activities and paying more attention to the dissemination aspect, while the collection of F&W waste was considered not cost effective for the purposes of the project. This will be further analysed in D7.4. Likewise, the seminars and workshops in educational schools will continue to transfer the knowledge acquired in coordination with T8.6. For the collaborate level, the co-creation workshops to deliver and to validate the A2C model will continue during the last year of the project within the tasks 7.5 and 7.7. The involvement of relevant actors in the stakeholder panels set up has also provided relevant insights. Although the building of these panels was challenging especially for the public administration sector, the collaboration of the partners providing their networks has played a key role. A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 56 of 60 11 ANNEXES 11.1 Stakeholder list 11.1.1 Public Administration/services 11.1.1.1 Regional Table 8. Public administration sector stakeholders at the regional level Regional Government (Partner): Regional Ministry of Business, Employment, Universities and Spokeswoman Regional Ministry of Education Regional Ministry of Transparency, Citizen Participation and Public Administration Public Services Instituto de Fomento (INFO) (partner) Scientific Park in Murcia (depending on INFO, hosts technological businesses) Official Commerce Chambers (Murcia, Cartagena, Lorca) Fundación Séneca (Science and Technology Agency) 11.1.1.2 Local Table 9. Public administration sector stakeholders at the local level Local Government: City Hall of Alhama de Murcia Departments Infrastructures, Public Services, Energy Efficiency, Administrative Environmental Management, Public Contracts Department Associations, Transparency, Citizen Engagement, New technologies, Sports, Internal affairs, Dependencies and Transport Department Equality, Social Welfare, Older people, and Consumption Department Citizen service, Urban Quality, Parks and Gardens Department Development, Employment, Commerce, Hospitalities Department Youth, New Technologies, Environment, Animal Welfare Department 11.1.2 Private sector Table 10. Private sector stakeholders at the regional level Private Organisations and Industry (End-Users) Food Agricola Santa Eulalia Agridemur AgroCazalla Agrodolores El Mirador Agromark AgroMediterránea Hortiberia Hortofruticola 3 Puentes Mercagrisa Peregrin Cota 120 Soltir SUBASUR Surinver Deilor Difrusa Almerca Cricket El Montes Puerto Export Kernel KPE Sabas Urcisol Adesur AgroTomy Peregrin Camposeven Sacoje Verdimed Florette Paloma Fruca G’s Tana Cítricos de Murcia AMC J Garcia Carrión Cynara Marín Gimenez Hida Alimentación Manuel García Campoy Alkäcil Cosmetics A2C – Deliverable D7.2 V1.0 Page 57 of 60 Aromsa Iberchem Natuaromatic Nutraceuticals Nutrafur HTBA Plastic Producers and recyclers Palec Ecologico Galian Plastics Onlyplast Plasbel Reciplast Plastirama Plastics Ros Marin Retailers, Supermarkets, Services Food chains (Aldi, Mercadona, Lidl, Spar, Superdumbo) SMEs, entrepreneurs (small supermarkets, market vendors, F&V local shops) Tourism and hospitality services: i.e., Foodtopia (restaurant/catering service engaged in reduction of food losses) Agrifood Clusters and Associations Agritech Murcia https://www.agritechmurcia.com/ Industrial and Business Associations Asemuplast (Region of Murcia) AMIQ (Association of Chemical Industries in the Region of Murcia) AEMA RM (Environmental Businesses Association-Region of Murcia) AGRUPAL (Association of Canning Industries) FECOAM (Association of Agricultural Cooperatives) Financing Intermediaries Caja Rural Central Globalcaja Caja Rural Regional Private Non-Profit Organisations CETENMA - Technological Centre for Energy and Environment CEEIMBusiness and Technological Centre in Murcia CEEICBusiness and Technological Centre in Cartagena 11.1.3 Citizens and Civil society organisations Table 11. Civil society organisations related to A2C at regional level Environmental Associations Ambiente Europeo Región de Murcia Limpia Murcia Residuo Cero Teachers for future, Fridays for future, parents for future Ecologistas en Acción ANSEAsociación de Naturalistas del Sureste Education Associations Confederación Regional De Asociaciones De Madres Y Padres De Alumnos De Murcia "CONFAMUR" Consumer Organisations (and others) Federación murciana de asociaciones de amas de casa, consumidores y usuarios THADER Asociación de Consumidores y Usuarios en Red, CONSUMUR