work together with the users and other relevant stakeholders throughout the design
and development process. For this purpose, a participation process was executed
throughout the MERMAID project that focuses on a cyclical, iterative and participatory process of scoping, envisioning and learning through which a shared interpretation of MUPs was developed and applied in an integrated manner.
2.3.2 Stakeholder Groups
A group of representatives of all major types of stakeholders were invited for the
interviews and round table sessions, where six stakeholder categories were identified: governing bodies/policymakers such as regional, national and European officers; end users of the multi-use platforms, e.g. energy companies and aquaculture
entrepreneurs; suppliers of the multi-use platforms such as cable companies and
construction businesses; representatives of other offshore activities such as fisheries,
shipping and mining sectors; civil society, including (environmental) NGOs and
local citizens; and universities and research institutes.
2.3.3 Activities Performed and Their Outcome
The participatory design was developed to involve various stakeholders, with
different backgrounds, in the design of a multi-use platform for a specified site.
The participatory process was thus performed four times. The four case studies were
chosen during the first phase of the MERMAID project. They differed not only in
terms of the geophysical characterisation, the degree to which multi-use was
discussed before the project also differed. The four sites were the Baltic Sea, a
typical estuarine area with fresh water from rivers and salt water, where multi-use
was discussed before; the transboundary area of the North Sea and Wadden Sea, a
typical active morphology site, where multi-use was discussed before; the Atlantic
Ocean, a typical exposed deepwater site, where multi-use was not discussed before;
and the Mediterranean Sea, a typical sheltered deepwater site, where multi-use was
not discussed before.
Figure 2.1 gives an overview of the participatory design process which was
applied in these four case studies in the MERMAID project. The design process of
MUPs in the four cases was organised in three steps as follows: first prepare the
designs by identifying the views and needs of all stakeholders: this was done through
interviews (Rasenberg et al. 2013); then give inputs for the design of the multi-use
platform organising a round table session involving all stakeholders (Röckmann
et al. 2015); and finally evaluate the design by organising a round table session with
all stakeholders (Röckmann et al. 2015).
The work performed in the participatory process did not aim to make a final
design, but to organise the input of the stakeholders that can be used to make the final
30
M. Stuiver et al.
and development process. For this purpose, a participation process was executed
throughout the MERMAID project that focuses on a cyclical, iterative and participatory process of scoping, envisioning and learning through which a shared interpretation of MUPs was developed and applied in an integrated manner.
2.3.2 Stakeholder Groups
A group of representatives of all major types of stakeholders were invited for the
interviews and round table sessions, where six stakeholder categories were identified: governing bodies/policymakers such as regional, national and European officers; end users of the multi-use platforms, e.g. energy companies and aquaculture
entrepreneurs; suppliers of the multi-use platforms such as cable companies and
construction businesses; representatives of other offshore activities such as fisheries,
shipping and mining sectors; civil society, including (environmental) NGOs and
local citizens; and universities and research institutes.
2.3.3 Activities Performed and Their Outcome
The participatory design was developed to involve various stakeholders, with
different backgrounds, in the design of a multi-use platform for a specified site.
The participatory process was thus performed four times. The four case studies were
chosen during the first phase of the MERMAID project. They differed not only in
terms of the geophysical characterisation, the degree to which multi-use was
discussed before the project also differed. The four sites were the Baltic Sea, a
typical estuarine area with fresh water from rivers and salt water, where multi-use
was discussed before; the transboundary area of the North Sea and Wadden Sea, a
typical active morphology site, where multi-use was discussed before; the Atlantic
Ocean, a typical exposed deepwater site, where multi-use was not discussed before;
and the Mediterranean Sea, a typical sheltered deepwater site, where multi-use was
not discussed before.
Figure 2.1 gives an overview of the participatory design process which was
applied in these four case studies in the MERMAID project. The design process of
MUPs in the four cases was organised in three steps as follows: first prepare the
designs by identifying the views and needs of all stakeholders: this was done through
interviews (Rasenberg et al. 2013); then give inputs for the design of the multi-use
platform organising a round table session involving all stakeholders (Röckmann
et al. 2015); and finally evaluate the design by organising a round table session with
all stakeholders (Röckmann et al. 2015).
The work performed in the participatory process did not aim to make a final
design, but to organise the input of the stakeholders that can be used to make the final
30
M. Stuiver et al.