Earlier this month, the Strategy and Advisory Council (SAR) of the KIN Pact issued its first advice on the prioritisation of knowledge questions. The steering group received the advice with enthusiasm and officially adopted it. There is a more comprehensive public summary and appendix that outline the SAR’s background and considerations, but in this blog, we delve into the core of this advice from KIN SAR and outline its implications for KIN.
What is the SAR and what does it do again?
The SAR plays an important role within KIN by providing strategic advice on which knowledge issues should be prioritised. KIN’s mission is to accelerate system transition, but which issues will have the most impact? And what activities should be associated with them? The recent meeting was therefore a significant opportunity to set the direction for KIN for the coming period.
Notable about this advice
With its diverse expertise and perspectives, the SAR has immediately proven its value to KIN by providing advice that serves not as ‘an answer’ to our question, but as a compass for KIN to achieve impact. Instead of ranking a long list of submitted knowledge questions (as was done in broad sessions last year), the council took a helicopter view. This approach did not result in a top ten of specific questions but rather identified four broad challenges that encompass the list of knowledge questions KIN gathered in 2023.
This is significant because the SAR has pinpointed the critical areas. These broad challenges are all complex, but it is precisely in these areas that KIN can add value.
Even more remarkable, the SAR, in its wisdom, advised KIN not to rely on the structure of large work programmes. Instead, the council emphasized focusing on the needs of the problem owners. Thus, the advice provided not only direction on content but also on the working method for KIN.
The core of the advice: the challenges we face
The SAR has identified four substantive challenges that align with the mission, capabilities, and position of KIN. The challenges are – in no particular order –:
- Implementation of Water-Soil-Network steering policy.
- Adaptation versus acceptance.
- The opportunities of modular and granular solutions.
- Preventing displacement in times of scarcity.
An explanation of why these are essential and the full list of considerations for formulating these themes can be found in the public summary. The challenges are detailed in the accompanying appendix, including the questions, dilemmas, and their relationship to ongoing programmes already known to SAR. Download the infographic for a quick visualization of the advice and the intended actions.
And what now?
The issued advice from KIN SAR is just a starting point. The next steps involve exploring who the problem owners are for each challenge and connecting with ongoing programmes. By broadly communicating this advice within and outside of KIN, we invite stakeholders to provide additional input. This will help refine our strategies further and ensure they align well with both local and broader societal needs.
A better world is something we create together
More information about the recommended challenges and actions? You can find these in the public summary (Dutch source) or the full appendix (Dutch source)
Together, we are building a climate-neutral and climate-resilient Netherlands. The KIN Pact is, after all, the network for KIN to uncover and address the issues surrounding transitions. So, do you have ideas, questions, or want to get involved in further developing these challenges? Contact us at pact@hetkin.nl.