Work Package 2 (WP2) of the BlueGreen Governance project focuses on one central question: how can governance systems at the land–sea interface become more collaborative, forward-looking, and capable of dealing with climate, biodiversity, and water challenges?
To answer this, WP2 combines co-creative governance principles with strategic foresight methods and digital tools. We spoke with Jean-Marc Douguet, WP2 lead, about how co-creation mobilizes actors, how e-tools structure deliberation, and how three interlinked workshops guide stakeholders from diagnosis to action.
Work Package 2, focused on governance innovations, is led by ecological economist Jean-Marc Douguet, senior lecturer at University Paris-Saclay. He is a specialist in using an integrative analytical approach to improve governance processes, for example by developing online tools and using a multi-actors and multi-criteria evaluation
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“Co-creation is not simply about consultation or collecting opinions. It is about mobilising actors from the very beginning, starting with the definition of the “common problem” that requires stakeholders to act together. In governance at the land–sea interface, problems are rarely technical alone; they are political and societal. The complexity of the situation lies not only in understanding the effects of biodiversity loss and continental water on marine environments, and also the effects of the sea on terrestrial environments. It is also necessary to take into account the climate pressures and anthropic and economic pressures specific to each case study.
By engaging stakeholders early, we create a shared understanding base on scientific knowledge of why a problem requires collective action. It also makes stakeholders aware of how pressures impact them, whether they make them more vulnerable.”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“The e-tools are not just dashboards for displaying data. The unique feature of the BGG Dashboard is that it comprises two tools:
This combination is particularly important when working across multiple case studies and governance levels.”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“The mobilisation of stakeholders gives us a chance to establish a dialogue on different aspects, as discussed during the three consecutive workshops described below. These workshops provide opportunities for everyone to contribute, to share scientific and non-scientific knowledge, and to take a step back to consider what is desirable and how to achieve it.
The workshops are structured so that everyone can contribute — public authorities, NGOs, sectoral actors, and researchers. By combining scientific data with deliberation, participants see that their input genuinely influences outcomes. This builds trust and sustained engagement, which is a key condition for co-creative governance.”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“The results of WP2 provide the basis for WP3, which consists of the seven Case Studies all over coastal Europe and beyond. In every Case Study three workshops are held, that form a coherent process: diagnosis, scenario exploration, and action. Each workshop builds on the previous one, using specific strategic foresight tools.”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“The first workshop focuses on understanding the current situation. Participants collectively identify and prioritise the main pressures affecting their area. These pressures can be climate-related, ecological, or linked to human activities such as agriculture or fisheries.
We use foresight tools such as megatrend analysis and horizon scanning to structure this discussion. The goal is not to analyse everything, but to agree on a limited number of main pressures that matter most for governance.
A key element is the analysis of social vulnerability: how these pressures affect communities, ecosystems, and institutions differently. This step grounds the process in social perceptions and governance implications, thus contributing to an understanding of the social significance of the changes.”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
The second workshop moves from diagnosis to exploration. Here we ask “what if?” questions and develop alternative scenarios, guided by the e-tool PlanWise4Blue. This is one of the tools in our dashboard, making use of the concept of making a Cumulative Effect Assessment.
Typically, we start with two contrasting scenarios. One is an eye opener scenario — what happens if no significant action is taken. It therefore presents the evolution of pressure indicators over time as well as that of environmental state indicators through the assessment of the cumulative impact on ecosystems.
The second is a policy-driven scenario, aligned with existing European, national, or regional objectives. Using modelling outputs, participants can see how pressures, environmental states, and cumulative impacts evolve under each scenario.
This often reveals tensions. For example, achieving all policy goals simultaneously may not be socially or economically feasible. Discussing these trade-offs openly is one of the strengths of the process. Participants then begin to sketch a third, compromise scenario — a more realistic and collectively acceptable future pathway.
Jean-Marc Douguet:
The third workshop focuses on action. Using backcasting, we start from the desired compromise scenario and work backwards to identify the pathways needed to reach it. An important tool in this workshop is the deliberation matrix, which allows all stakeholders to compare backcasting scenarios, expressing their views on how these backcasting pathways can, or cannot, address the governance issues identified at the level of each case study.
This is where governance innovation becomes tangible. Participants identify concrete actions, responsibilities, and forms of coordination. Different backcasting pathways can emerge, reflecting alternative governance arrangements — more fragmented or more collective.
Backcasting transforms abstract visions into actionable strategies. It also highlights where institutional change is needed, and where cooperation between sectors or jurisdictions must be strengthened.
Jean-Marc Douguet:
“Policy makers operate under uncertainty and competing demands. Strategic foresight tools do not eliminate uncertainty but help navigate it. Co-creation with stakeholders provides a structured approach to decision-making and makes policies more likely to be accepted and implemented. This is not only a methodological contribution; it is a governance innovation with real policy relevance.
These tools and co-creation help policymakers use scientific information in concrete situations while also considering uncertainties. The solution to a problem does not always lie in acquiring more knowledge. It also depends on the quality of the knowledge mobilised, whether scientific or not. Who produced what knowledge? What forms of uncertainty exist in the knowledge production process? How pertinent is the knowledge to address the challenges of the case studies?”
Jean-Marc Douguet:
WP2 is deeply rooted in scientific research. The co-creative governance framework and the strategic foresight guidance are both based on extensive literature reviews and conceptual development. The workshops act as a bridge between science and practice.
For readers interested in the theoretical foundations, the scientific deliverables (see box) provide detailed explanations of the frameworks and tools we apply.
Work Package 2 demonstrates how co-creation, strategic foresight, and digital tools can be combined to mobilise actors, structure dialogue, and support governance innovation at the land–sea interface. For policy makers and researchers alike, WP2 offers both a conceptual framework and a practical methodology — inviting further engagement with the project’s scientific work and its implications for future governance.
This work package has resulted in several publications:
An interview with Gunnar Sander, Lead of Case Study Oslofjord Lead of the Case Study Oslofjord is Gunnar Sander, senior scientist. We speak to him and his colleague Cecilie Baann,
An interview with Oscar Barberà Aresté, Lead of Case Study Valencia Region Case Lead of the Valencia Region is Oscar Barberà Aresté, associate professor of politics and governance at the
An interview with Aridane González, Lead of Case Study Canary Islands The Canary Islands are an autonomous community of Spain, located west of Morocco and Western Sahara. They are an
Landscape of The Scheldt: (Saxifraga-Tom Heijnen) An interview with Ellen Fobé, Work Package 1 Lead Starting the programme Blue Green Governance, it was important to assess the current situation. In