PRIMED innovates through learning by doing. The network adopts snowball approaches to establish the needs for learning and information at multiple scales – starting from local communities in Ghana and a network of sustainability and climate change scholars in the Global South.
1. Mapping networks where resilience, adaptation and sustainable energy infrastructure overlap
We use semi-virtual focus group discussions between community actors and interviews and surveys with key stakeholders, to generate both social and discourse networks.
Social network analysis enables us to establish the contingent relationships between community actors and to understand what actions need to happen by whom in order to increase community resilience. The actors then reflect on their relationships with other actors and the nature of these relationships.
2. Developing a platform for networking and information sharing
We are exploring options for creating a digital infrastructure that can allow for virtual participatory research, and the exchange of information about innovative ways of increasing community preparedness and learning.
3. Researching social innovation
We use discourse networks to picture the networks of expectations of community actors. Expectations matter for the anticipation of both actions and events. Communication of similar or contrasting expectations or imaginings can help to streamline preparations for extreme events.
Reflecting on the social networks, actors can then determine how the relationships in sharing resources and information need to change in order to become better prepared.
PRIMED 