Energy & Environment Forum: Bridging the Science-Policy Divide with Dr. Todd Schenk

Join us for an Energy & Environment Forum on Joint Fact-Finding: Approaches to Bridge the Science-Policy Interface as we Tackle Wicked Problems.

Many of the problems we face may be characterized as wicked in nature. Dynamic conditions and uncertain futures, shared and ambiguous responsibilities, variety among stakeholders in how problems are framed and solutions identified, and competing interests and priorities greatly complicate decision-making. Good scientific and technical information should ostensibly inform deliberations and improve decision-making, yet often complicates matters further; information becomes weaponized when different sides bring competing evidence to support their cases and/or paralyzes when uncertainty and complexity are accentuated. This talk will introduce joint fact-finding (JFF) methodologies for working with multistakeholder groups to make productive use of scientific and technical information as they deliberate around how to address complex problems. Cases will be used to illustrate JFF in practice. The roles and responsibilities of technical experts and other stakeholders will be considered. 

Dr. Todd Schenk is an Associate Professor in the School of Public and Internaitonal Affairs at Virginia Tech. He has extensive research and consulting experience working on environmental policy and planning, and collaborative governance issues in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. His current work falls into three overlapping areas: Collaborative governance, particularly in situations with high degrees of uncertainty, complexity and institutional ambiguity; environmental policy and planning in various contexts from invasive species to freshwater salinization, particularly in the context of climate change; and serious games as a tool for action research