Alle vragen

• What is special about transition experiments?
• What is the outcome of the vision creation process?
• What is a key idea for a system innovation?
• How do I define the subject?
• How do I create a vision?
• Is a vision immutable?
• Is collective vision creation necessary?
• Who should I choose as participants?
• What criteria should the process meet?
• What knowledge and skills are needed?
• What to do about power differences?
• What to do if participants fall back into the obvious?
• How long does it take to formulate a vision?

What is special about transition experiments?

There are some obvious differences between classical innovation projects and transition projects (transition experiments in jargon) as the following table shows.

Even if your project does not meet all of these characteristics the information on this site will prove useful if the project meets any of the following conditions:

• The project contributes to a wider challenge for the longer term
• The project transcends the boundaries of your own organisation
• The project calls for innovation of the structure or the regime, such as rules, routines, culture, roles and knowledge

In that case, the tips and points to consider presented on this site will help to increase your project's potential to bring about a transition.

What is the outcome of the vision creation process?

Your vision:

• Clearly identifies the social challenge that you are addressing
• Explains the general solution you are aiming for
• Specifies the fundamental innovation of your experiment
• Is sufficiently specific to guide your experiment
• Is sufficiently appealing to motivate stakeholders
• Is sufficiently robust or realistic to succeed.

 In formulating the vision you should also have considered:

• Other relevant experiments
• How you will link your experiment to general trends (developments at landscape level, in transition jargon)
• Structural bottlenecks that explain why the goal has not yet been accomplished; this is an aspect you also address when you flesh out your ideas in an action plan.

Decide which criteria are the most decisive

The various criteria cannot simply be combined. For example, the more innovative a vision, the less robust and realistic it is likely to be. That in turn reduces the chance that the vision will appeal to others. You should therefore think about which criteria should be the most decisive.

What is a key idea for a system innovation?

Key ideas for system innovations are ideas for solving persistent problems. They overcome ‘perverse' links and contain new links. Perverse links are connections between developments that are in themselves regarded as positive but that have negative side-effects that overshadow the positive effects.

Examples of key ideas for system innovations are:

• The greenhouse as a source of energy, which breaks the perverse link between greenhouse horticulture and energy consumption in the sense that the greenhouse becomes a supplier of energy
• Farm hubs, which decouple the upscaling of agriculture and the deterioration of the environment and create a new link with landscape management
• Key ideas for system innovation in water management that combine the use of space with water storage. With these ideas, new methods of using space no longer automatically curtail the possibilities for water storage.

How do I define the subject?

There are various starting points for a definition:

• A problem or general approach to a solution, such as sustainable development
• A physical environment, such as a district, street or collection of buildings
• An organisational environment, such as a production chain, welfare organisation, housing association or a combination of these
• A function: the provision of care, housing, mobility or a combination of these (care and housing, for example).

You can combine different points of departure.

As the vision creation process proceeds, you will adapt and refine your original definition as required.

The system should not be too large

Do not choose a system that is too large; since otherwise your project will no longer be guided by your vision.

How do I create a vision?

Creating a vision usually involves switching between problems and solutions (see figure below).

Start with the problem

Define the persistent problems that you want to address. The next step is to identify the underlying perverse links and structural bottlenecks. You then translate them into a key idea for a system innovation and a vision. Methods that can help you to identify problems include the causal analysis, causal loop diagrams, SCENE and narrative analysis. For these and other methods, click on 'Methods' at the top of this page and choose 'Creating a vision' in the menu under 'Cluster'.

 Start with a vision

You can also start with the solution, with a vision and/or key ideas for system innovation, using them to identify the perverse links or the barriers that stand in the way of realising the vision. Methods that you can use to formulate the vision include creativity sessions, ESTEEM and scenario development. For these and other methods, click on 'Methods' at the top of this page and choose 'Creating a vision' in the menu under 'Cluster'.

Is a vision immutable?

The answer is no. You may need to revise your vision, for example if:

• An assessment of the feasibility and acceptability of your experiment shows that the vision is unrealistic
• You encounter unexpected situations in the course of the experiment
• New developments occur that you need to respond to.

Is collective vision creation necessary?

Innovative ideas often come from enterprising and visionary individuals. In other words, vision creation is not always a collective process. However, there are benefits to collective vision creation:

• The differing perspectives of the problem, values, preferences, and knowledge of those involved are immediately included
• The joint process of formulating a vision and reflecting on it from the perspective of their practice influences the perception of the problems of those involved and their ideas about the future.

Collective vision creation therefore increases the chance that the vision will appeal to the stakeholders and that they will act on it.

 When should vision creation be a collective process?

Collective vision creation is the preferred method when various stakeholders depend on one another for the innovation.

 Identify the expectations

If you decide against a collective vision creation process, you should in any case identify the expectations and views of stakeholders since you may find that you have to adapt your vision or modify the expectations of others.

Start by investigating the views of people who are sympathetic to your ideas for an innovation. Use their reactions to strengthen your vision. At the same time, assess what part these people could play in a project based on that vision. When your vision and the plans for its implementation have been fleshed out in more detail and are sufficiently robust, you should approach less well-known and more critical people. The views of the latter, in particular, will give you an indication of factors that could cause the project to fail.

Who should I choose as participants?

The following guidelines will help you to choose participants for a collective vision creation process:

• Think of participants from groups of problem-owners: individuals from organisations that could make a contribution to the new practice or that will be affected by the practice
• Think of companies, public authorities, civil society organisations and research institutions
• Involve innovators and more established players with authority and a relevant network. The latter can then serve as ambassadors for the vision and help to bring about the necessary regime changes.

Qualities required of participants

Choose the participants on the basis of the following characteristics:

• Personal commitment
• Disposition towards innovation (ability to see opportunities)
• Capacity to look beyond the confines of their own area of expertise and personal background. 
• Not dogmatic when thinking about problems and solutions (‘creative thinkers')
• Willingness to collaborate
• A certain degree of authority within their practice
• The power and ability to motivate people and raise funds in their own network.

It is also important that participants can devote enough time to the vision creation process and are willing to commit to the process.

See also the cluster ‘Competences'.

What criteria should the process meet?

The substance and the process of the collective vision creation process must both mobilise the participants and create a sense of excitement. If they do, there is a greater chance of creating a support network for the next phase (the design process).

Criteria for the process

Specific criteria for the process are:

• Combine analytical and creative steps in the process
• Devote part of the vision creation process to identifying and discussing problems relating to sustainability
• Ensure that participants think beyond what already exists for the vision
• Help them to look critically at accepted truths that form obstacles to new practices
• Appeal to their knowledge and vision
• Equalise power differences as far as possible (see also the question ‘What to do about power differences?')

What knowledge and skills are needed?

Essential knowledge and skills for supporting a collective vision creation process are:

• Knowledge of methods and techniques for formulating a vision and for stimulating the power of the imagination
• Knowledge of actor or network analyses and system analyses
• Sufficient academic knowledge of the problem or the chosen sector or function
• The ability to think out of the box
• The ability to recognise original and innovative ideas
• The ability to identify and interpret historic trends underlying the need for system innovation
• The ability to make links between a long-term vision and short-term actions

Also important are:

• The capacity to encourage people, to ask questions and express wishes
• The ability to listen carefully to the problems, expectations, interests and values of others
• The ability to keep asking the right questions and to summarise conclusions
• The ability to get participants to show respect and understanding for each other, to accept that there is no one truth, to see the wider picture.

On this point, see also the cluster ‘Use of Competences'.

What to do about power differences?

In a collective vision creation process there will almost always be participants of varying status. Power differences can disrupt the creative process.

Equalising power differences

How can you equalise power differences?

• Invest in ‘training' for the participants, not only for the least powerful participants but also for those with greater power.
• Choose the chairperson and project manager carefully. The chairperson should preferably not be chosen from the most powerful party
• Select participants from powerful parties for their openness to the arguments and interests of less powerful parties
• Devote a lot of attention to team building and establishing trust between the participants
• Leave room and provide settings for informal meetings (for example, a joint excursion)
• Organise joint meetings at locations that are inviting and inspiring for all the participants.

Power differences as a reflection of structure

Power differences between participants are a reflection of the existing structure. They are therefore a sign of structural obstacles to transition, which you may also encounter later in the process.

What to do if participants fall back into the obvious?

A familiar pitfall in a vision creation process is that those involved fall back into obvious mental models. You have to beware of this and intervene whenever necessary. There are various methods you can use for this, such as the Counter-intuitive innovation approach, the Socratic intervision method, Protee, Causal analysis. For more information, see the ‘Methods' database.

How long does it take to formulate a vision?

You will seldom formulate a good vision at the first attempt. A vision usually has to mature slowly. It can take as long as a year to progress from the original idea to the final vision.

Vision creation sessions

If you are going to work with a group allow for at least three meetings to formulate the vision. The intervals between the meetings should not be too short, but they should also not be too far apart. You need the time between the sessions to:

• Make a summary of the results of the previous session
• Collect additional information
• Think of creative solutions, for example for structural obstacles
• Prepare the next session.