CHALLENGE
Aarhus Municipality was facing the task of developing a new LGBT+ policy and action plan, lacking a clear structure to involve relevant stakeholders, particularly from civil society. While a few workshops had been conducted, a more practical approach was needed to translate the stakeholders' knowledge into policy proposals and action plans.
APPROACH
To meet Aarhus Municipality's needs, ReSearch Humanity facilitated a development workshop for cross-sector initiatives in the children and youth sector. Additionally, we supported and upskilled the municipality's own employees to conduct a series of similar sessions afterwards, focusing on health, urban safety, collaboration among associations, etc.
The held development workshop particularly focused on developing LGBT+ policies for the school sector. We brought together school leaders, citizens, the municipality's representatives from the children and youth sector, and representatives from organizations such as Sex & Samfund, Sabaah, and Everyday Sexism Project.
Based on various exercises aimed at leveraging the stakeholders' knowledge and experiences, participants provided concrete inputs and developed solution proposals. The focus was on translating valuable knowledge into concrete policy measures
"We could see that Aarhus Municipality saved time in both formulation and implementation because the right stakeholders were involved from the beginning. The framework contributed to effectively utilizing the knowledge of schools, administration, and organizations in the development process, leading to solutions that worked across their needs." - Karoline Barkvoll Holstad, CEO, ReSearch Humanity
The mix of stakeholders created significant value in the development process. School leaders could articulate the barriers they experienced in their schools, and civil society actors could contribute extensive expertise on the target group: children and youth in the LGBT+ segment. Finally, the administration could identify opportunities for connections between the two perspectives and translate barriers and opportunities into policy.
RESULT
First and foremost, the project has created a structure and framework for effectively involving stakeholders in the municipality's policy development work. Aarhus Municipality has received a report with comprehensive knowledge from the development session and recommendations for involving relevant stakeholders.
The held development session not only provided concrete policy proposals but also served as the starting point for subsequent development sessions. As a result, the project has empowered the municipality's employees to continue gathering the right stakeholders, facilitating a space for effective development, and most importantly, moving from knowledge and ideas to concrete policy proposals.
Moreover, the inclusive approach has helped build ownership for the policy work among the participants. Ultimately, they save time in formulating and implementing policies thanks to involving the right stakeholders from the outset.
Do you also want to transform knowledge from a broad stakeholder group into concrete solutions? We are ready to help you move forward. Contact us here, and we'll have a non-committal conversation.