In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Holger Højlund and Jens Ulrich who are both actively involved in the field of education and research at VIA University College in Denmark. VIA University College is a well-known institution offering education for various public service roles in the welfare state, such as nurses, teachers, and social workers. Although not strictly a traditional university, VIA University College offers a wide range of educational programs, including those designed for managers and leaders in both the public and private sectors.
Can you tell us something about yourself and your organisation?
VIA University College is a university located in the Central Denmark Region, established in January 2008. With a presence across the region spanning eight campuses, VIA University College accommodates a diverse community of approximately 19,000 international and Danish students. VIA University College offers practical education studies and focuses its research on the matters related to welfare state.
Holger is part of the research centre for management and leadership at VIA University College. He specialises in research on co-creation, citizen participation and partnerships between the public and private sectors. Jens works as a lecturer at VIA University College and runs a consultancy company, specialising in co-creation, management and leadership.
What inspired your organisation to join the Speak Up project and what do you want to achieve through your participation in this project?
Our organization's decision to join the Speak Up project stems from our keen interest in broader reform processes in society's welfare framework. This initiative offers a significant opportunity to explore key areas of contemporary development, such as the shift towards environmental sustainability, which is highly relevant in today's context. Moreover, Speak Up serves as a platform for nurturing collaboration not only among public organizations but also with private entities and civil society.
Within the project, we would like to explore different democratic processes and the effective delivery of civil services. We are particularly intrigued by the idea of forging new collaborations between public organizations, stakeholders, and citizens Our focus extends beyond organisational structures to include the complex dynamics of collaborative processes in a bottom up perspective and with a focus on the citizen part of the relationship. In the Speak Up project we follow the municipality of Skive in their mission to create climate villages together with its citizens.
The green transition is connected to the welfare state and we want to research how this transition opens new dynamics for democratic processes and organizational processes in the public and private sectors
In essence, our involvement in Speak Up aligns with our interest in understanding how to effectively organize and engage citizens in participatory processes. We recognize the importance of both top-down approaches, initiated by the municipality, and bottom-up initiatives driven by citizens themselves. Speak Up encapsulates both dimensions of citizen engagement: inviting citizens to participate in political decisions and collaborating with them in the implementation of already established policies.
Furthermore, the project offers a unique opportunity to learn from diverse approaches adopted by different countries and cities. By studying these varied methodologies and innovative solutions, we hope to gain valuable insights and exchange best practices. In Malmö, for example, we were inspired by their innovative framework for including citizens into political decision making with respect for social, cultural and economic differences. Also diversity and inclusiveness have shown to be of great importance in the green transition of the city of Mechelen.
What have your experiences been with participating in the Speak Up project so far?
Our expectations are evolving as we continue to engage with it. Each time we meet, we gain new ideas about the project and the possibilities for collaboration. We anticipate different forms of collaboration as we progress through the project's phases, depending on the specific situations involved. While we acknowledge the cultural and contextual differences between countries like France and Denmark, we remain open to drawing inspiration from different co-creation practices.
The involvement of multiple knowledge partners also provides an opportunity for theoretical engagement and discussions. We see that theoretical insights are useful in informing practical interventions undertaken by our partner organisations. Given that many partners are involved in social development, we are particularly interested in exploring the intersection of the green transition and democratic engagement in the Speak Up project. We aim to understand how partners navigate and integrate these two aspects, if at all, as it represents an intriguing development in the Speak Up initiative.
What is a citizen engagement initiative that your organisation is proud of?
We take pride in our institution's commitment to embracing diverse approaches to citizen engagement and co-creation. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all method, we value the importance of contextual considerations in our approach. Several years ago, Jens Ulrich developed a framework outlining four distinct approaches to co-creation processes, which has since been widely used by municipalities and government agencies across Denmark. Although currently available exclusively in Danish, this framework holds significant potential as a valuable tool for sharing in the Speak Up partnership.
Could you share any upcoming initiatives or events related to Speak Up that your organisation is currently working on?
We are currently collaborating with Skive municipality on their climate village pilots. Also we are starting up a comparative study across Speak Up on project management and the facilitating role of municipality employees in relation to co-production. Our studies in Skive are beginning to provide valuable insights. We have submitted one article in a book on citizens participation and we are currently finishing a paper for a conference on the organization of citizen collaboration in relation to green transition.