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{{Instruction
|Title=VERITY Scenario-Building Training for Effective Implementation of Recommendations
|Has Related Initiative=Initiative:2f79d227-8b35-4500-bd2c-7dc6df8dbb0d
|Instruction Goal=[https://zenodo.org/records/16992751 The Scenario-Building Training] aims to make [https://zenodo.org/records/16975899 VERITY’s Recommendations for Fostering Trust in Science] more actionable and transformative, supporting their clarity, relevance and feasibility. The training offers a step-by-step methodological tool for exploring how specific VERITY recommendations can be applied in real-life individual, institutional or policy contexts. 

It can also be used outside the VERITY project, as a flexible resource for exploring the practical implementation of recommendations in other contexts.

Authors: Pamela Bartar & Gábor Szüdi (Centre for Social Innovation, ZSI)
|Has Requirements=<span lang="EN-GB">The Scenario-Building Training starts with reviewing the [https://zenodo.org/records/16975899 VERITY Recommendations for Fostering Trust in Science] and selecting one recommendation to work on. Users then describe the socio-political context and identify both enabling and hindering factors, while also mapping the key stakeholders who should be engaged. Next, they assess critical variables such as time, funding and resources before developing three possible scenarios: a feasible scenario that reflects what can realistically be achieved, a best-case scenario with the most positive outcomes, and a worst-case scenario that considers potential risks and setbacks. For each scenario, users outline concrete steps, risks and sustainability measures. Finally, the expected impacts are evaluated, and scenarios are refined iteratively, ideally in collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders.</span>
|Has Duration=4
|Has Participants=Stewards of Trust
|Important For=All stakeholders in research; Academic institutions; Academic staff; Citizen Scientists; Civil society organisations; Collaborating researchers; Decision makers; Educators; Research Ethics Committees; Funders; Industry; Journalists; Media; Policy makers; Researchers; Research Integrity Experts; Scientists
|Has Method=Participatory sessions
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{{Instruction Perspective Trainee
|Is About=The Scenario-Building Training is a practical resource that guides stakeholders through structured exercises to test how the VERITY Recommendations for Fostering Trust in Science can be applied in real-world settings. By creating application scenarios, users can identify opportunities, challenges, barriers and risks, and plan for feasible, best-case, and worst-case outcomes. It supports Stewards of Trust and other relevant stakeholders in translating recommendations into actionable strategies to foster trust in science, and it can also be applied in broader contexts.
|Important Because=The Scenario-Building Training is important because it bridges the gap between recommendations and practice. It helps stakeholders move from abstract guidance to concrete implementation, ensuring that strategies to foster trust in science are realistic, adaptable, and sustainable. By anticipating risks and uncertainties, identifying enabling and hindering factors, and planning practical steps, the training supports users to turn ideas into action both within VERITY and in broader contexts.

<span lang="EN-GB">Beyond its methodological value, the training also serves a wider purpose of fostering public trust in science. By guiding Stewards of Trust (SOTs) through the application of VERITY’s recommendations, it supports systemic improvements in key areas such as building trustworthy science, strengthening education, engaging the public in research, building effective science communication, and developing supportive policy frameworks. It highlights the importance of collaboration across diverse actors in the ecosystem of trust, from policymakers and researchers to educators, communicators and funders, ensuring that scientific practices remain transparent, inclusive and responsive to societal needs.</span>
|Has Practical Tips=<span lang="EN-GB">The Scenario-Building Training can be carried out individually or in groups. However, it provides the most valuable insights into the practical application of a given recommendation when a group of interested stakeholders (minimum 2–5 people) from the same organisation, or working on the same trust-in-science issue, jointly reflect on the key enabling and hindering conditions at the macro (socio-political), meso (organisational), and micro (individual) levels. The maximum duration refers to the time required for such a group to complete all steps and assess the most important underlying conditions across the three scenarios.</span>

<span lang="EN-GB">For individual work, we recommend first reflecting on the most feasible scenario. This may generate new ideas about the most relevant enabling factors for achieving better results, as well as the most serious risks and barriers that could prevent feasible implementation of the recommendation in your context. The final step is particularly important in individual work: your results should be reviewed by another person, preferably from a different professional or scientific background but with the same level of knowledge of the trust-in-science issue. If you still have doubts about certain steps of the Scenario-Building Training after reading the step-by-step guide below, we recommend consulting the seven examples developed during the VERITY Scenario-Building Workshop on 27 March 2025.</span>
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{{Instruction Step Trainee
|Instruction Step Title=STEP 1: Selection of a recommendation
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Check the VERITY Protocol of Recommendations for Fostering Trust in Science (available on the [https://verityproject.eu/verity-recommendations VERITY website], [[Initiative:2f79d227-8b35-4500-bd2c-7dc6df8dbb0d|Embassy of Good Science]] and [https://zenodo.org/records/16975899 Zenodo]). Choose one recommendation that you want to implement in practice, e.g. in your daily work or in general in your organisation or projects. The main objective is to enhance '''societal trust in science,''' but you can decide on a more concrete application field related to your/your organisation’s work where the recommendation would be beneficial. Check the provided examples for such application fields.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Which of the recommendations (or elements of one recommendation) do you already apply in your professional or expert routine?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Can you name a context and describe a typical scenario?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you integrate the recommendation’s objective in your daily activities to ensure an enhanced trust in science?</span>
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|Instruction Step Title=STEP 2: Set the problem context
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Define the broader (socio-economic, political) and narrower (institutional) context of the problem to be solved. Consider all background issues that can have a direct or indirect influence on the successful implementation of the recommendation. List general assumptions that you can make about the recommendation, i.e. list all those educated premises that you consider as a starting point for an effective application scenario. These assumptions are the starting points on which further reasoning and development of the scenario can be built. These assumptions can vary in nature and might relate to specific contexts like economics or social interactions.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What is the core problem that needs to be solved to foster trust in science? What are the basic assumptions on which the application scenario can be built on?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the socio-economic, political, and cultural aspects that fundamentally shape the implementation of the recommendation?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the main organisational or institutional settings that potentially affect the implementation of the recommendation?</span>
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|Instruction Step Title=STEP 3: Identify the relevant stakeholders
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Identify the main individual or organisational stakeholders (Stewards of Trust) involved in the practical application of the recommendation. These stakeholders might include those who are affected by the main issue and those who can substantially contribute to the proposed solutions. Divide between game changers (or systematic innovators) and beneficiaries under the premise that roles can constantly change. In this framework, consider also the potential collaboration between various stakeholders (ecosystematic view).</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Who can benefit, can be affected negatively by or can impact the scenario related to the selected recommendation?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Who is involved in the practical application of the recommendation within and beyond your organisation?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you ensure that different voices, values and interests are engaged in the innovation/problem-solving process, including hard-to-reach or marginalised stakeholders?</span>
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|Instruction Step Title=STEP 4: Identify the key variables
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Identify the key variables, i.e. those critical factors that can severely influence the implementation of the selected recommendation. Such factors can be divided to enabling and hindering factors, and might include time, money, human and other resources and capacities, equipment, goodwill of stakeholders, etc. These factors serve for defining suitable intervention points within your scenario. At this stage, no specific activities should be drawn up, but the general terms of the different scenarios should be constructed, i.e. key intervention points within and beyond the organisational setting with consideration of the role of identified relevant stakeholders.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the enabling factors and strategies to facilitate the effective implementation of the recommendation?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the hindering factors, i.e. obstacles and challenges that impede progress of a successful scenario-building?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the key intervention points for the scenario?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How can the identified stakeholders be involved in the innovation/problem-solving process?</span>
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|Instruction Step Title=STEP 5: Describe the main outputs of the most feasible scenario
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Given the already determined elements, the outputs of a baseline scenario should be elaborated, i.e. the practical outputs to be achieved if the identified stakeholders work effectively together, by use of the identified intervention points, towards the joint achievement of the set objectives under the given circumstances. These tangible outputs can include concrete products, such as educational materials or communication events, but also cover less material accomplishments, such as increased information exchange or a mutual learning process.  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">The scenario-building methodology uses design thinking to develop fresh ideas and an out-of-the-box perspective: You can start to think of a worst-case or a best-case scenario to trigger your creativity and vision. Our instruction uses the most feasible scenario as a starting point, i.e. a realistic plan to achieve, considering the crucial key variables. This initial brainstorming on the most strategic options for a scenario supports further idea generation towards a best-case and worst-case scenario. The best-case should deliberately go beyond what is really under the current conditions and aim to define outputs that are to be achieved in the future when the present assumptions and underlying enabling factors favourably change. The worst-case should serve as a reminder what could happen, if no action is taken or the well-intended initiatives to enhance trust in science are not properly planned or encounter insurmountable structural or organisational barriers.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Most feasible scenario: What are the outputs to be realistically achieved given the current enabling and hindering conditions?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Best-case scenario: What are the results to be ultimately aimed for when all the circumstances are ideal to apply the recommendation?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Worst-case scenario: What can happen in case, e.g. the recommendation is applied to an inadequate context, stakeholders are not well-informed or well-addressed, no action can be taken, or the implementation is inadequately planned?</span>
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{{Instruction Step Trainee
|Instruction Step Title=STEP 6: Define the actionable steps leading towards achieving the objectives
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Reverting from the main outputs identified, the actionable steps should be listed that are positively necessary for the successful implementation of the selected recommendation. The training envisages working with the most feasible scenario, but additional steps can be considered for the best-case scenario or even detrimental actions for the worst-case scenario. All action steps should consider the identified stakeholders to be involved, as well as the key intervention points towards which certain actions might lead. The action should include steps that mitigate expected and unforeseen risks, as well as capitalise on arising opportunities.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the main actionable steps needed from you and each stakeholder to achieve the objectives defined for our scenario?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you ensure that your implementation actions can adapt to unforeseen results or changes in the underlying conditions? (e.g. societal, economic, political)</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you ensure to capitalise on arising opportunities through your actions?</span>
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{{Instruction Step Trainee
|Instruction Step Title=STEP 7: Describe the main outcomes of the most feasible scenario (impact)
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">Having planned the actionable steps resulting in the defined outputs, the main outcomes of the most feasible scenario should be detailed. Outcomes represent the longer-term effect and impact of the applied scenario on individuals, groups or the broader context. The changes occurring as a result of the identified outputs should first be reflected on, with the aim of specifying at least one outcome. The assessment of the outcome should include the understanding of the wider outreach, the potential transferability and significance of the scenario actions (impact aspect) and the duration of the consequences of such actions and key intervention points (long-term effect perspective).</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Build a vision and a mission: what is the main output and outcome of the successfully fulfilled feasible scenario?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the main benefits? Who are the main beneficiaries of the impacts of your scenario?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How can potentially negative impacts be transformed into assets or socially innovative outcomes?</span>
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{{Instruction Step Trainee
|Instruction Step Title=STEP 8: Develop an appropriate impact measurement framework
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">As outcomes are less tangible than outputs and might involve less quantifiable patterns such as behavioural change, the appropriate identification/development of key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial to track observable longer-term trends, such as an increase in skills or shifts in the behaviour of certain population segments, which is potentially caused by successful interventions of our implementation. Consider at least one key performance indicator (KPI) with which a durable outcome can be measured for later analysis.</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      What are the KPIs with which to measure the long-term effects and impact of the applied scenario?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Is the KPI strategically aligned with my organisation or project?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Is the KPI operationally actionable within my organisation or project?  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How long will it take to reach your objective/s?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you measure these KPIs in a conceivable way?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      Foresight: In which ways has the scenario application impacted your organisation or project?</span>
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{{Instruction Step Trainee
|Instruction Step Title=STEP 9: Re-iteration of the scenario-building process
|Instruction Step Text=<span lang="EN-GB">As certain implementation issues can be overlooked at the first attempt of the scenario-building exercise, it is recommended to repeat all the steps at least one more time, preferably with the involvement of other actors. The methodology can be reapplied at pre-defined regular intervals to establish an innovative process in your organisation or when new information comes to light. This follow-up can help to overcome any challenges or concerns arising towards the realisation of the determined objectives or to simply revise vital points of the scenario for better results.  </span>

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you promote reflection with the other participants on the most feasible scenario?</span> 

<span lang="EN-GB">·      How do you ensure that relevant new information concerning the recommendation or results is regularly provided to the participants of the scenario-building exercise?</span>
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{{Instruction Remarks Trainee
|Has Remarks=<span lang="EN-GB">The step-by-step guide to VERITY Scenario-Building Training with a worksheet and examples is available on Zenodo:</span> https://zenodo.org/records/16992751
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{{Tags
|Has Virtue And Value=trust in science
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