Making transdisciplinarity happen: Phase 0, or before the beginning. Issue 136 (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Horcea-Milcu, Andra-Ioana; Leventon, Julia; Lang, Daniel J.
• Is Part Of: Environmental science & policy. Issue 136(2022)
• Page Start: 187
• Page End: 197
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Sustainability transformation -- Sustainability initiatives -- Co-creation -- Co-design -- Reflexivity -- Leverage points; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Sciences de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Environmental policy; Environmental sciences; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.70561
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.05.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-9011

Abstract

Abstract: Both within science and society, transdisciplinary approaches are increasingly employed to address today's sustainability challenges. Often transdisciplinary research processes are structured in three core phases: a) problem identification and formation of a common research object; b) co-production of solution-oriented and transferable knowledge; c) embedding co-produced knowledge through transdisciplinary reintegration. In all phases of this ideal-typical model, the involvement of non-academic actors is essential to meet the challenges of real-world problems, and of transformative research practices. Despite existing guidance for the core transdisciplinary process, its initiation often remains an uncharted area because of its strong context dependency. Based on a concrete transdisciplinary case study addressing sustainability transformation in Transylvania, we bring together our learned experience with initiating a transdisciplinary process using a research-driven approach. To this end, we introduce the notion of Phase 0, as an initiating phase prior to beginning an ideal-typical transdisciplinary process. Within Phase 0, we propose three empirically and literature informed sub-phases: Sub-Phase 0.1) selecting the case study; Sub-Phase 0.2) understanding the case study context from a transdisciplinary perspective; Sub-Phase 0.3) fostering premises for coming together. We outline the general rationale behind these sub-phases, and we illustrate how we carried out each sub-phase in practice. By deriving cross-cutting lessons from the three sub-phases, we enhance the practice of transdisciplinary sustainability research with the aim to leverage its transformative potential. Highlights: We show how to strengthen the initiation of transformations with transdisciplinarity and considering meta-conditionalities. We outline a science-driven Phase 0 for launching TD projects, which begins before problem framing and research co-design. We break Phase 0 in 3 sub-phases: selecting the case study, understanding case context, premises for coming together. We emphasize the role of leadership, accepting unpredictability, togetherness with shared values, transparency, timing.