Section 3: Managing experiments and adjusting for context

Managing TIP experiments involves a commitment to generating and disseminating knowledge acquired through experimentation; and to empowering those involved in experiments to be agents, rather than subjects, of change.  Section 3 shares tools, methods and learnings from TIPC members, universities and Hubs from implementing experiments in collaboration with diverse partners in Sweden, South Africa and Latin America. It also goes behind the scenes at the TIP experimental conference to share the mechanisms guided by the theory of change.

Implementing the experiment

These resources introduce methodologies and tools for experimentation, sharing learnings from EIT Climate-KIC, the Latin America HUB, Vinnova’s food area experiment in Sweden and the Living Catchments experiment in South Africa, providing a walk through the experimental process and insight into practical considerations.

The Living Catchments project: A pilot experiment in South Africa

This set of resources demonstrate how the South Africa Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) experiment explored and expanded understandings of TIP within the  specific and wider context. The resources here show the selection, implementation, reflections and analysis of the TIP Experimental Policy Engagement (EPE) chosen by TIPC member, the South African Department for Science, Technology and Innovation (DSI). The TIP EPE selected was the the ‘Living Catchments Water Project’ which is part of a broader policy roadmap toward ecological water provision for South Africa’s water security and provision for all, as embedded in ‘SDG 6: Water and Sanitation.’  This experiment was chosen for its transformative potential and to feed findings into the country’s larger science, technology and innovation framework. Policy experiments, known in a TIP context as Experimental Policy Engagements (EPEs), are embedded in their specific circumstances with broader learnings and outcomes from each feeding back into the wider TIP research and knowledge infrastructure, to aid those looking for a fresh approach to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in both the Global South and North. This curated selection of related resources act as an introduction and overview for practitioners interested in embarking on an EPE within their context and demonstrates the South African experience of TIP experimentation.

 

Designing an experimental conference

In 2022, TIPC set out to create an experimental conference, in response to the recognition that conventional conference spaces may be insufficient for transdisciplinary knowledge creation and exchange. This collection of resource shows how this experiment was managed, introducing how the conference committee sought to create a space for alternative knowledge practices and the theory of change that guided the design, implementation and evaluation of the conference.

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