We kicked off in the search of a theoretical framework and methodology to use at our public consultations. Based on the literature and previous experience, we proposed a method and held a pilot citizen consultation in Barcelona in March 2019. 17 Spanish citizens attended, helping us test our approach and learn from the experience. The experience contributed to the development of the final guidelines to be implemented at the five citizen consultations planned for autumn.
We spent the following months immersed in the organization of our five public consultations in Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal. Early in summer, we advertised the event through various channels including traditional and social media, and set up the registration online forms. We selected 100 volunteers that best matched the socio-demographic profile of each country, and off we went! We held the public consultations on several Saturdays within the September-November period. Below are some numbers that illustrate the size of our joint effort:
| IT | PL | SK | ES | PT | Total | |
| Applications received | 125 | 176 | 119 | 662 | 173 | 1255 |
| Participants | 93 | 100 | 99 | 102 | 102 | 496 |
| Citizen nationalities represented | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 20 |
| Municipalities (within country) represented | 37 | 40 | 37 | 38 | 42 | 194 |
| Moderators | 10 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 58 |
| Observers | 10 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 66 |
| Other volunteers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Staff involved | 5 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 36 |
We are very grateful to all who made the public consultations possible, and could not be happier with the way our project core activities proceeded! Busy times are ahead of us when it comes to data analysis.
During our first project year, we have also started a process of consultation and participation with experts and science communication practitioners. With their help, we will identify existing barriers and incentives to engage with science communication in Europe. This, together with a study on existing models for teaching science communication in Europe, will allow elaborating an action plan and recommendations including the issues that should be further explored.
But that´s not all for 2019. This year we have also consolidated our social media communities (Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube) and brought the attention of media in our countries. Furthermore, we have managed to take part in ca. 30 scientific events presenting the CONCISE aims, objectives, and activities.
December is also that time of the year when we look into the year to come. And the 2020 season looks like it´s going to be awesome for the CONCISE community!
While we wait to read more about that on upcoming blog posts, Happy New Year to All from the CONCISE team!
Edurne Gaston (Asociación Española de Comunicación Científica)
