Collaborative Governance to handle Democratic uncertainty: the model of Gipuzkoa Etorkizuna Eraikiz

The event can be followed through Irekia (english audio) and through Youtube in spanish and basque.

Democratic societies are being challenged to look for new ways of doing politics that involve different stakeholders. A key issue here is to bring citizens to the core of policy making, for which deliberation shows to be important but not sufficient. Building democratic resilience entails complementing existing practices of citizen participation with the design and implementation of collaborative governance. This seminar proposes to look at this challenge gathering scholars, public sector practitioners and politicians who are involved in the study and practice of democracy.

The seminar lays on lessons learned from the Basque Gipuzkoa province case on collaborative governance called Etorkizuna Eraikiz (building the future). Through listening and experimentation, the program comprises different projects in which public authorities and citizens (represented in entities such as businesses and societal, educational, and civic organizations) co-participate to define, decide and implement sustainable policies. This reform covers a wide range of public policies (such as health, employment, elderly care, climate change, cybersecurity, or social equity), and provides evidences from which learning can be developed (it includes 200 projects, 900 participating organizations, and around 50,000 beneficiaries).

The seminar addresses the issues that are entailed in building democratic resilience: structures of collaborative governance; the development of collaborative leadership; how to move from experimentation to institutionalization; inclusion; trust building; innovation; communication to engage different actors; assessment of outcomes also in terms of SDGs. Presenters will bring their experience and knowledge to deal with the different.

Schedule:

10:00-10:05 Welcome by moderator Ms. María José Canel (Professor of Political and Public Communication, Complutense University of Madrid)

10:05-10:20 Mr. Markel Olano, General Diputy of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council (Basque Country) Etorkizuna Eraikiz (Building the future) Collaborative Governance

10:20-10:30 Video Message of the Vice-President of the European Commission Ms. Dubravka Šuica For Democracy and Demography

10:30-10:45 Key Note Speach by Prof. Geert Boukaert, KU Leuven University

10:45-11:45 Panel dicussion: Why the   Collaborative Governance   is   important?

Moderator Ms. Marta Marín (Basque Delegate to the EU)

• María José Canel (Complutense University)
• Xabier Barandiaran (Gipuzkoa Provincial Council)
• Jaume Duch (General Director for Communication in the European Parliament)
• Toma Šutić (Member of the cabinet of VP Dubravka Šuica, of the EC)
• Adil Najam (Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, US) Q&A

11:45-12:45 Panel discussion: How to implement the Collaborative Governance?

Moderator Ms. María José Canel (Complutense University of Madrid)

• Miren Larrea (Orkestra - Basque Institute of Competitiveness)
• Angela Hanson (OCDE)
• David Mair (Head of Unit, Joint Research Centre)
• Eider Mendoza (Gipuzkoa Provincial Council)
• Daniele Dotto (Head of Unit, DG REFORM) tbc
• Kirsten Dunlop (Chief Executive Officer, Climate-KIC) tbc Q&A

12:45-13:00 Conclussions. Ms. Marian Elorza, General Secretary for External Affairs, Basque Government