1. Stakeholder engagement to deliver river basin plans; just a matter of perceptions? Klaas-jan Douben Regional Water Authority Brabantse Delta Breda, The Netherlands EU-LIFE+ RESTORE PROJECT Best Practice River Restoration Policy, Planning and Implementation Event Paris, 29 November 2011

2. Interaction between knowledge transfer/sharing and obtaining enduring support Social learning (use/share knowledge and experiences altogether, reflect and create awareness) Principle concept for improvement

3. Different kind of stakeholder groups and roles (specific approach strategy?): Scientific and knowledge institutes Official and beneficiary institutes (ranging from state to municipalities, companies, NGOs, etc.) (individual) Residents, land- and water-users (associated/non-associated) Internal colleagues, planners, managers, (law) enforcers, etc. Politicians and administrative managers Media Basic issues and boundary conditions

4. Cultural backgrounds and behaviour (e.g. transboundary basins): Major (cultural) differences between counties (even within Europe) On government level (government – government): small vs. big, money facilitator vs. money receiver, role in decision- making process On internal government level: designers/planners/engineers vs. managers/maintenance and law-enforcement personnel On human – government level: perceptions, law-abidingness, resistance, previous experiences, feedback E.g.: endless discussions in the Netherlands vs. top down approach in e.g. Eastern European counties

5. Basic issues and boundary conditions Tools and resources (only a means to an end): Drawing tables and innovative workshop techniques -> e.g. sketch and match Model results (play stations) -> e.g. Planning kits Virtual reality (flying over landscape) Story telling (transfer of experiences) Websites, social media, etc. Telling stories

6. Dealing with legal boundary conditions and legitimate prerequisites: (design of) Decision-making processes Merge governmental planning process with public participation Basic issues and boundary conditions Political processes: Timing: before/after elections Governmental and administrative noise (too many decision-makers on various spatial scales involved) Administrative bottlenecks?

7. Tailor made deployment of participation ladder, combined with social learning: Initiator (process design): deploy participation ladder from a social learning point of view; exchange following elements among actors (joint fact finding): perceptions of living and social environment (acquaintance) values and emotions (wishes) theories (knowing) take action (capability) what do you want to achieve? what do you expect from stakeholders? who do you want to involve (think out of the box)? how do you approach potential participants? Major challenges (1) informing consultation partnership power/ control

8. Tailor made deployment of participation ladder, combined with social learning: Expectation/participation management: communicate participation and process boundaries secure differences in perceptions beforehand balance the degree of participation shared analysis of problems and opportunities Major challenges (2)

9. Thank you for your attention