Table 1 Step-by-step guideline for stakeholder involvement and co-creation when tackling wicked problems

Contextual inquiry:

1

Conduct a literature scan on the wicked problem of interest to get acquainted with its problem definitions, solutions, and (key) stakeholders. Both scientific and non-scientific literature, such as governmental reports, should be used.

2

Create an initial stakeholder list based on the literature review.

3

Involve at least two field experts to validate the list of stakeholders and to gain practical insights (now and further along in the project).

4

Involve and subsequently interview stakeholders from a range of different organizations with a variety of backgrounds in order to find missing stakeholders and to get an understanding of the different perspectives on the wicked problem.

5

If the complete list of stakeholders is too long, repeat steps 1, 3 and if possible 4 to shorten the list.

6

Let stakeholders rank the final stakeholder list to find out which stakeholders are perceived as key stakeholders.

Value specification:

7

Conduct qualitative interviews or focus groups with key stakeholders with different backgrounds and hierarchical positions to get a better understanding of their values, needs, and perspectives on what the wicked problem is and how it can be solved. Take into account that each stakeholder has a unique expertise, so it is unlikely that a one-size-fits-all interview schedule will be suitable.

8

Transcribe and code transcripts from the interviews and/or focus groups to extract key values.

9

Validate stakeholders’ key values by sending a survey to all involved stakeholders.

10

Use all generated output to guide the subsequent phases of the process, such as the design phase.