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Annex 1 METHODOLOGY AND PARTICIPANTS
Three main engagement mechanisms used in undertaking the review were:
- face to face interviews with senior decision-makers;
- workshops with researchers and stakeholders, in particular those with an interest in innovative research; and
- a dedicated website open for general input.
The participants for the review were identified in consultation with the Scottish Government project team. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to ensure the inclusion of all policy directorates, main research providers and a range of NDPBs, end users and civic society actors.
The breakdown of participants is included in Box A1. A total of 101 participants took part in the review.
Face to face interviews
The methodology employed was for SNIFFER to meet with selected individuals and, using an agreed template, to probe on issues relating to policy and scientific drivers and challenges and the related knowledge gaps. Information was also sought on perceptions of Scotland's scientific expertise and gaps, as well as sources of information relevant to horizon scanning for Scotland. Information was recorded and transcripts returned to participants for amending and confirming before being analysed.
Website consultation
To ensure that the project was as inclusive as possible, a dedicated web site www.researchhorizons.org.uk was created to explain the purpose of the project, publicise workshops, provide an on-line delegate registration facility and allow individuals to register and complete an on-line submission that mirrored the questions used in the face to face interviews.
Workshops
Two workshops were held - one in Edinburgh (31 August 2007) and one in Glasgow (05 October 2007). Both were by open invitation, and participants registered via the on-line website. Both workshops attracted a range of stakeholders although the Glasgow workshop attracted a high percentage of researchers. Each workshop was designed to allow interactive consideration of key knowledge gaps relevant to the Scottish Government policy and research needs.
Input from Strategic Science Advisory Panel
In addition to the above engagement SNIFFER also presented interim findings to the Strategic Science Advisory Panel at its meeting on 25 September 2007 and facilitated a similar exercise to that used at the face to face interviews - identifying the gaps and the knowledge needs on a collective basis.
Box A1: Summary of participants by sector
Actors | Number of participants |
|---|
Face to Face | Workshop | Website | Total |
|---|
Government & administrations | 23 | 6 | 2 | 31 |
|---|
Researchers | 10 | 33 | 7 | 50 |
|---|
Civic Society | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
|---|
Total | 43 | 46 | 12 | 101 |
|---|
For all means of engagement, the ultimate aim was to identify research needs, but the process was to identify first the higher level policy-relevant drivers and then link perceived knowledge gaps to these. Gaps in understanding and knowledge can be addressed in many ways - for example, by talking to the right people, identifying existing research, or commissioning new research. This review does not attempt to make reference to where existing knowledge and information exists, but largely to identify perceived gaps. It is understood that it is the intention of the Scottish Government that work subsequent to this review (the wider consultation) will undertake a more rigorous gap analysis. This is likely to include reviewing the extent to which some of the information already exists, and also identifying opportunities for broader collaboration (national or international scale).
Analysis
The approach taken was largely an abductive approach, in which participants were invited to share their views on future drivers and challenges for Scotland and areas where there are gaps in knowledge/ research needs. Following the analyses of initial interviews a range of topics were identified using the range of issues and points raised in the course of the interview series without trying to fit them within a predetermined analytical framework. Responses from interviews and website were than assigned to each of these categories.
Participants
FACE TO FACE PARTICIPANTS
Organisation | Name |
|---|
Birse Community | Robin Callender |
CBI Scotland | Alan Mitchell |
Crofters commission | Nick Reiter and Hugh Macintosh |
Deer Commission for Scotland | Hamish Trench and Mike Daniels |
Fisheries Research Services | Robin Cook |
Food Standards Agency | Jim Thomson and Anna White |
Forestry Commission | James Pendlebury |
Genesis Faraday Partnership | Chris Warkup |
Higlhand and Island Enterprise | Bob Stubbs |
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute | Richard Aspinall |
Moredun Research Institute | Professor Julie Fitzpatrick |
National Farmers' Union of Scotland | Andy Robertson |
Rowett Research Institute | Peter Morgan |
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | Mary Gibby |
RSPB | Dr. Jeremy Wilson |
SASA | Gordon Machray |
Scottish Agricultural College | Professor Bill McKelvey |
Scottish Consumer Council | Mr Martyn Evans |
Scottish Crop Research Institute | Peter Gregory |
Scottish Enterprise | Liz Bogie and Julian Pace, David Gass |
Scottish Environment Link | Deborah Long |
Scottish Funding Council | Professor David Gani |
Scottish Government Environment | John Mason |
Scottish Government Marine | David Wilson and Martyn Cox |
Scottish Government On the Ground | Tracey Slaven |
Scottish Government Rural | Peter Russell |
Scottish Government Agriculture and Rural | Andy Robb and Roy McLachlan |
Scottish Government Veterinary | Charles Milne |
Scottish Government Health Improvement | Pam Whittle |
Scottish Government Chief Researcher | Diana Wilkinson |
Scottish Government Enterprise, Energy and Tourism | Graeme Dickson |
Scottish Government Planning | Helen Wood |
Scottish Government Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland | Professor Anne Glover |
Scottish Government Environment | Richard Wakeford |
Scottish Government Chief Scientist's Office | George Morris |
Scottish Natural Heritage | Colin Galbraith |
Scottish Water | Richard Allan/ Mark Williams |
SEPA | Peter Singleton |
SEPA | Evan Willams |
SEPA | Dr Chris Spray |
Sustainable Development Commission Scotland | Maf Smith |
Universities Scotland | David Caldwell |
Visit Scotland | Ian Yeoman |
WORKSHOP - EDINBURGH
Agri-Food Biosciences Institute NI | Jim McAdam |
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology | Stefan Reis |
Centre for Human Ecology | Osbert Lancaster |
Genomics Forum | Emma Frow |
Greenspace Scotland | Eilidh Johnston |
Home Office Veterinary | Neil Watt |
Moredun Institute | George Russell |
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh | Christopher Ellis |
RSPB | Jeremy Wilson |
Scottish Association of Marine Science | Graham Shimmield |
Scottish Environment Technology Network | Colin Cunningham |
Scottish Fishermans Federation | Rory Campbell |
Scottish Government | Nick Ambrose |
SEPA | Caspian Richards |
SEPA | Peter Singleton |
SISTECH | Kate Beckmann |
SNH | Daniel Gotts |
University of Aberdeen | Dominic Houlihan |
University of Abertay | David Blackwood |
WORKSHOP - GLASGOW
ADAS | Brian Angell |
British Society of Animal Science | Geoff Simm |
British Society of Animal Science | Michael Smith |
Caledonian Environment Centre | Charles Russell |
Caledonian Environment Centre | Ken Morin |
DEFRA | Alex Morrow |
Farmer ( SSAP Committee Member) | James Robb |
Glasgow Caledonian University | Kevan Gartland |
Glasgow Caledonian University | Peter Kennedy |
Heriot Watt University | Gavin Gibson |
Macaulay Institute | Richard Aspinall |
Moredun Research Institute | Colin McInness |
Moredun Research Institute | Jacqui Matthews |
Quality Meat Scotland | Charlotte Malton |
Rowett Research Institute | Harry McArdle |
Rowett Research Institute | John Wallace |
RSPB | Gillian Gilbert |
RSPB | Paul Walton |
SAC | Bill Spoor |
SAC | John Oldham |
SAC | Mike Steele |
Scottish Council Foundation | Andrew Harris |
SCRI | David Hopkins |
Stirling University | David Gilvear |
Sustainable Development Commission Scotland | Shivani Reddy |
University of Glasgow | John Coggins |
University of Strathclyde | Elsa Joao |
WEB SITE SUBMISSION
Sector | Name | Profession |
|---|
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Alistair Donaldson | Commercial |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Alistair Lawrence | Research provider |
Environmental impacts & management | David Harris | Research provider |
Environmental impacts & management | Eric McRory | Policy Maker |
Science & technology | Frank Katzer | Researcher |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Gary Entrican | Research provider |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Geoff Simm | NDPB |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Ian Duncan Millar | Commercial |
Health | Jacqueline Wallace | Research provider |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | John Hooker | University: Academic Researcher |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | John Oldham | Research provider |
Rural, land use, food & agriculture | Michael Storey | Potato industry development body ( NDPB) |
Science & technology | Mike Steele | Non Government Organisation |
Biodiversity conservation | Richard Ferris | UK biodiversity research and policy community |
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