The Power of Example
An evaluation of how examples of best practices,
good examples and success stories are used in the
work for sustainability
The Power of Example
An evaluation of how examples of best
practices, good examples and success stories
are used in the work for sustainability
Address: CM-Gruppen Box 110 93
SE-161 11 Bromma, Sweden Internet: www.naturvardsverket.se/bokhandeln
Naturvårdsverket
Telephone: +46 (0)8-698 10 00 (switchboard) E-mail: upplysningar@naturvardsverket.se
Address: Naturvårdsverket, SE-106 48 Stockholm, Sweden ISBN 91-620-5283-7PDF
ISSN 0282-7298
© Naturvårdsverket 2003 Printer: CM-Gruppen, Bromma
List of contents
Summary... 3
Background... 3
Definitions and delimitations... 3
How the evaluation was performed ... 4
What did this survey tell us?... 5
Theoretical background - the information and innovation context in best practice examples ... 6
Our assessments... 6
Proposals and recommendations for further work ... 7
1. Background ... 9
1.1 Why evaluate the use of good examples in the work for sustainability? ... 9
1.2 The aim and delimitation of the evaluation... 11
1.3 Are the “best practices” actually the “best”? ... 11
1.4 The main issues of the evaluation and its implementation... 12
1.5 The expected results and effects of the evaluation... 13
1.6 How the evaluation project has been organised... 14
2. The survey ... 15
2.1 A survey of good examples... 15
2.1.1 What are good examples? ... 15
2.1.2 Collection and selection of best practice examples... 16
2.1.3 What have we found?... 17
3. Interviews with producers of information... 18
3.1 Producers... 18
3.2 Why produce an anthology?... 19
3.3 What are the target groups?... 19
3.4 What do producers want to achieve? ... 20
3.5 How should we follow up? ... 21
3.6 How were the examples chosen? ... 21
3.7 What selection criteria are used?... 22
3.8 Do the examples represent best practice? ... 23
4. Interviews with recipients of information ... 25
4.1 How do we search for information on new innovations in the environmental field in general? ... 25
4.2 Do you search for collections of good examples, best practices, success stories?... 26
4.3 Does your own organisation produce some type of anthology which might be termed “best practice”? ... 26
4.4 Searching for and using good examples... 27
4.5 How should best practice examples be selected and documented?... 28
5. To disseminate the good examples ... 31
5.1 The potential and limitations of information... 31
5.3 Information theory and knowledge transfer concerning best practice examples as an informative policy instrument ... 32
5.4 Best practice examples - part of an innovation process ... 33
5.5 Our assessment of the information and innovation context ... 34
6. Problems and advantages... 35
6.1 The problems... 35
6.2 The advantages of using best practice examples... 36
6.3 Our assessment... 37
7. Our assessment – how should best practice examples be selected and documented? ... 38
The content and level of detail in best practice anthologies ... 38
The need for an overview ... 38
Evaluation of best practice examples... 39
The link between best practice examples and other instruments of environmental policy ... 39
7.1 Our assessment of the interviewees suggestions... 39
8. Conclusions and proposals for further work... 41
8.1 Proposals that improve the quality and functionality of best practice examples ... 42
8.1.1 A better overview... 42
8.1.2 Better best practice anthologies ... 43
8.1.3 More evaluated examples... 44
8.2 Proposals that improve the link between best practice examples and other sustainable development initiatives ... 46
8.2.1 Better coupling between best practice examples and other sustainable development initiatives ... 46
8.2.2 Making use of experiences from large-scale programmes... 49
Summary
Background
Describing and drawing attention to best practice examples, good examples or “success stories” is becoming an increasingly common feature of environmental protection both nationally and internationally. There are a number of driving forces within the field of sustainable development which, in all probability, will lead to this phenomenon increasing even further. A closer analysis of the effectiveness of this tool is therefore justified. We know far too little about the use and effects of such things as general guidelines, handbooks and best practice examples. (We use the terms best practices, good examples and success stories as approximately synonymous terms in this report) This evaluation does not however presuppose that the tool in itself is poor and ineffective. On the contrary, there is reason to believe that the collection and dissemination of good examples is a positive component of environmental policy. The present practice of compiling such examples is however not without its critics and in order to render the tool more effective, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) has decided to perform an evaluation of their role in environmental work.
Definitions and delimitations
Best practices can be found in many areas:
• Technical innovations, i.e. traditional technical inventions or new ways of using eco-systems
• Organisational innovations in the environmental field, e.g. in the area of enforcement and inspection.
• New forms of cooperation, e.g. new ways of collaborating with actors both inside and outside the environmental family.
Our delimitation of the term “best practice examples” (or good examples or success stories) is based on the intention of the compiler. In our opinion, a document constitutes a collection of best practice examples if the producer states explicitly that the document contains such examples. Sometimes this may well be quite obvious if the title itself contains the phrase “best practices” or something similar like “success stories”, etc. But sometimes it is not always immediately obvious and the compiler’s intention of
conveying best practice examples only becomes evident in the preface or introduction, or it is mentioned on the back cover, etc. There are also many reports that sometimes contain collections of best practice examples, but this does not become evident until one has read the whole document.
This evaluation does not pass judgement on whether individual best practice examples really are examples of best practice, e.g. from the point of view of environmental
performance. We do however come back to the problems regarding evaluated best practice examples in the “Conclusions and proposals” section of the report. How the evaluation was performed
In order to obtain an overview of the production and use of best practice examples in the environmental field, we began the evaluation by searching for them on the Internet and in published documents and reports. After that, we conducted comprehensive interviews with producers and recipients of best practice examples.
Internet – We began our survey of good examples by searching for the combination “best
practice examples + the environment” (In Swedish: goda exempel + miljö) on the Internet. This produced about 4,000 Swedish web pages within the environmental field which mentioned best practice examples (goda exempel) in some form or another (compared to over one million hits on “best practices” and about 100,000 on “success stories” in English). We decided to study the first 400 hits in the search, about 10 per cent of the total, in more detail.
Reports – A search of the Swedish EPA Library’s database, ELIN. This produced a large
number of reports with best practices, case studies, etc. as their theme. By contacting colleagues within the Swedish EPA and obtaining information from report reference groups and other networks, we also found reports that, although they did not explicitly refer to them in the title or had the term as a keyword, paid a significant amount of attention to good examples.
Interviews - conducted using a standardised questionnaire developed to find out the key
aspects of both the compiler’s and recipient’s view of best practice examples in the environmental field.
A total of eleven interviews were carried out with producers of good examples. These were: the Ministry of the Environment, the Swedish Business Development Agency (NUTEK), the Swedish EPA, the Swedish Association of Environmental Managers (NMC), the Swedish Institute for Ecological Sustainability (EIH), the Swedish Association of Local Authorities, the Association for Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development, the Swedish National Co-ordinator on Agenda 21 and Habitat, and the National Road Administration. To examine the production of the LIFE programme collections of success stories, those heading the programme at NUTEK and the Swedish EPA were interviewed.
Among the recipients of best practice examples, we interviewed the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), the Swedish Recycling Industries' Association, COOP, the Ecocycle Council for the Building Sector, Svenskt Vatten AB -The Swedish Water & Wastewater Association, the Stockholm County Association of Local Authorities, the National Chemicals Inspectorate, the Stockholm Local Investment Programme Secretariat, the municipalities of Västerås, Huddinge, Falun, Sollentuna, Örebro, and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
What did this survey tell us?
The documentation reviews and the interviews indicated there was a large amount of
information, but that this was difficult to penetrate and poorly arranged, with a lot of
distortion and a large amount of hidden statistics. Only 10 per cent of the Internet hits actually described good practice examples, the other 90 per cent perhaps mentioned best practices in some environmental context, but only as some kind of peripheral information. On the other hand, we found a large number of reports, not least from the environmental authorities, that were essentially good example practice collections, but where neither the title, bibliography, nor other type of easily accessible information (e.g. the text on the back cover) indicated this fact.
When it comes to producing collections of best practice examples, the interviews indicate that a conscious choice to use them as a tool, based on an analysis of how they can be used to influence actors, was not made. Neither is it usually the case that an analysis has been performed as to how best practice examples can be used to reinforce other
instruments of environmental policy. The selection of examples seems to be governed by supply rather than by demand and is not customised to a specific target group. Selection criteria do exist, but they often appear to be rather poorly thought-through and not based on an analysis of the needs of the target group.
When it comes to finding best practice examples, potential recipients feel they often lack knowledge as to the existence of such examples and they do not know where to find them. They also feel it is difficult to find the right search strategy in relation to the information they require. Many of those interviewed would like to see a portal and/or search engine that would facilitate the search for best practice examples.
When it comes to applying or copying best practice examples, there is the practical problem of many cases being unique, which means that it is not easy to set up a template for how collections of examples should be designed so that they can be of use. The examples described have seldom been followed up or evaluated, which in many cases was seen as an obstacle to application.
Leaving the problems behind, the benefits of working with good examples highlighted by the interviewees included the fact that they represent a relatively fast and easy way of showing what has been achieved and of disseminating new and innovative knowledge. Several interviewees felt that it was interesting to see good examples not only as a way of pushing through legislation, but also perhaps of achieving higher environmental
objectives. It is also interesting to consider the use of best practice examples as a complement or alternative to other policy instruments such as regulations and general guidelines.
Theoretical background - the information and innovation context in best practice examples
Since there is both an information and an innovation angle to how best practice examples are used, it is important to make use of experiences from other areas in order to render this instrument of environmental policy more effective. Those areas we feel lie closest are the theories of modern information and innovation. For this reason, a short review of the literature in these areas was carried out within the framework of the evaluation. Our conclusions prove that best practice examples will be more effective if using them is based to a greater extent on firmly targeted information to specific target groups, where the producer is also considered trustworthy by the recipient. Neither can communicating best practice examples be based solely on reports or websites, but must also be seen in a larger context that facilitates communication among people by, for example, presenting best practice examples in those arenas where recipients actually are. The purpose of communicating best practice examples should be to support other types of measures, such as the environmental quality objectives (adopted by the Swedish Government) or
legislation.
Information channels need to be developed so that recipients of best practice examples can specify what information and knowledge they require. Experiences in general of disseminating documentation methods and distributing innovation should improve the effectiveness of best practice examples in the environmental field.
Our assessments
The production and use of best practice examples is an encouraging aspect of
environmental work, but their application can certainly be improved. Greater awareness is needed of how best practice examples can function as a policy instrument and what one can achieve by using this tool. We see a need for a better overview of existing example collections; for highlighting and analysing the needs of potential target groups in order to make best practice examples more governed by demand; for guidance on how best practice examples can better be described and presented so that they can be made use of; and for more evaluated best practice examples to be made available when it comes to technical solutions, working methods and forms of cooperation.
Furthermore, we feel that there is a need for better links between the application of best practice examples and traditional environmental work and for better ways of making use of experiences from large national and EU-based programmes.
The majority of the suggestions for improvement put forward by interviewees are based on problems and opportunities that have been experienced earlier, and which could well form the basis of our recommendations and proposals. The views of those interviewed do however contradict each other, a case in point being the requirement for comparability set against the emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual good example. The need for best practice examples that are both well produced and evaluated in contrast to the need
to produce case descriptions without consuming too much time and resources is another contradiction.
Some of the users’ requirements may very well be desirable, but they would demand such significant resources that the pace of introduction and the terms of responsibility would become all-too-important elements of realistic proposals. These include the requirement for a central agency (e.g. the Swedish EPA) to guarantee trustworthiness and
comparability of good examples, as well as the similar requirement for the evaluation of best practice examples using scientific methods. To place far-reaching demands on the documentation and analysis level for each best practice example would also jeopardise one of their key advantages, namely rapid information dissemination. On the other hand, unsystematically selected best practice examples, which have not been evaluated in any way, would have a low catalytic effect for change and little legitimacy as instruments. It would also be more difficult to link them to other environmental protection measures. Evaluation, the dissemination of experiences and knowledge building concerning all efforts to achieve a sustainable society are very important to the development of this kind of environmental work and to the utilisation of results achieved up till now. The fact that learning about what is possible to do in practice in the environmental field is increasing throughout society furthers our overall aim of achieving a sustainable society. It is therefore important that this work is carried out in the best possible way, that beneficial knock-on effects are achieved and that best practice examples interact positively with other types of environmental measures.
Proposals and recommendations for further work
Our proposals do not imply any reprioritisation between the production and dissemination of good examples and other types of environmental work in general, but should rather be seen as improvements to existing activities. Neither do our proposals imply any
significant cost increases for organisations that are financing projects since they do not involve any noteworthy increase in resources, but will rather lead to quality
improvements by “looking” somewhat more carefully “before leaping”.
Three of our proposals aim to increase the quality and functionality of best practice examples by:
• obtaining a better overview of collections of good examples by setting up a simple “useful links” page on the Internet.
• producing simple guidelines/a checklist for those who select, document and
disseminate best practice examples and publish collections: These guidelines would aim to avoid typical shortfalls in quality and provide good advice for the selection, documentation and dissemination of best practice examples.
• increasing access to specific evaluated examples by surveying those that have already been evaluated with regard to environmental performance, economics and
friendliness. We also propose that evaluations in connection with e.g. the LIP Programme (Local Investment Programme) should to a certain extent focus on
evaluating individual projects/systems in order to catalogue evaluated good examples. • We suggest that these activities be carried out by a working group with participants
from the Swedish Institute for Ecological Sustainability (EIH), the Association of Swedish Local Authorities, the Swedish Business Development Agency (NUTEK) and the Swedish EPA.
• We also suggest that better links between best practice examples and other types of sustainable development efforts be created by environmental authorities paying greater attention to the incidence of best practice examples during their daily work and emphasising best practice examples whilst applying the law and working with environmental objectives and strategies. Enterprises and other operators should also be able to use best practice examples in their environmental efforts.
• In conclusion, we propose that the dissemination of experiences from large-scale national and EU-based environment-related programmes be developed and improved, not least in order to emphasise project results that may be regarded as good examples or success stories. How experiences from the LIFE programme are disseminated should be further developed in this context.
1. Background
1.1 Why evaluate the use of good examples in the work
for sustainability?
Why evaluate the use of best practice examples in the work for sustainability? Consider-able resources are being put into the concept not just in Sweden but in the world as a whole.
There are also many different driving-forces which will cause the production of best practice examples not only to continue but also to increase in the near future. Firstly, there are many government authorities, county administrative boards and municipalities compiling best practice anthologies, either as independent anthologies or as part of reports within various areas of expertise, industries or societal sectors. These are often aimed at inspiring or influencing different target groups to show that things can be done, without describing in detail what is to be done or establishing a specific strategy.
Highlighting best practice examples – of methods, techniques, etc., - is also seen by regional and local authorities as a way of fulfilling their role not just as a regulator but also as a promoter of sustainable development.
Secondly, the selection and dissemination of best practice examples can in some cases be consciously used as an element of traditional environmental protection. In guidance documentation, for example, they show what is possible to achieve from a technology point of view. Good example anthologies can also be compiled to develop working methods, e.g. in environmental education or forms of cooperation, e.g. regarding different types of water issues.
Thirdly, authorities and municipalities also have a self-interest in highlighting the results of their own efforts, and in presenting their results as “best practice examples”, not least as a consequence of Agenda 21 work. Industrial organisations also have the same self-interest in highlighting best practice examples in environmental protection within their own industry or member group.
Fourthly, companies developing new system solutions, new technology and new methods also have an interest in highlighting their own services and products. Technology
competitions run by national or regional business agencies often concern green produc-tion or environmental technology in a broad sense, where the aim of the activity is to find best practice examples – even if this aim is sometimes described differently.
Fifthly, there has been an increase of the use of best practices in EU-based policy
documents. The proliferation of best practices or good examples will probably continue to be driven by recent programmes and policies on the European level. Foremost of them are
the 6th Community Environment Action Programme decided by the European parliament
and the Council in July 2002. Information on best practices are explicitly pointed out in several articles of the 6EAP.
Improved exchange of information on best practice on implementation of Community legislation, guidelines on best practice for green procurement, promoting best practices with respect to sustainable land use planning, promoting best practices and supporting networks fostering the exchange of experience on sustainable development in urban areas and in sensitive areas in nature and the exchange of best policy practices on incorporating environmental data in financial reports are pointed out as a strategic approach to meeting environmental objectives (article 3).
Promoting the use of best available techniques and of best environmental practices are singled out as a mean to preserving biodiversity (article 6). Promoting the use of codes of good practices relating to the use of pesticides is a mean mentioned in article 7, regarding health and quality of life. In article 8 on sustainable use and management of natural resources and wastes, programmes of best practice and indicators of resource efficiency are priority actions.
Indirectly, the 6EAP will probably increase the use of best practices / good examples by pointing out the need for technology transfer, encouraging technological innovation, promoting eco-efficiency practices, promoting sustainable use of all types of natural resources, demonstrating decoupling between economic growth and negative environ-mental effects – all of these activities are known to be related to the dissemination of good examples or best practices.
A large number of EU-funded programmes related to the environment and/or economic development, such as LEADER, LIFE and several of he Structural Funds Programmes also make a heavy use of good examples, both in programmes directives, but also as a tool for documentation of the results of the projects of the programmes, but also as a general knowledge transfer tool. For instance, the LIFE programme has already produced a fairly large collection of success stories documents, but is expected to stimulate product innovation with the aim of greening the market through improved dissemination of results of the programme.
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) also has during the last years produced “success stories” and stressed the need for disseminating case studies on best practices. Trends in the work for sustainable development mean it is likely that resources for this type of environmental work will be further reinforced. The broadening of environmental policy to increasingly more societal sectors, more and more actors, the importance of sector integration, an emphasis not only on regulatory and economic policy instruments, but also on “softer” policy instruments such as voluntary agreements and knowledge-enhancement efforts, are all positively correlated to a greater use, development and dissemination of best practice examples.
In light of this, we believe it is very likely that the tendency towards the use of examples will continue at least on the same level as today and will probably increase. It is however not a foregone conclusion that the quality of the work done to select, document and
disseminate good practice examples will improve to the same degree. This does not mean, however, that the dissemination of good examples is a poor and ineffective instrument itself. On the contrary, there is reason to believe that the development and dissemination of best practice examples already constitute to a certain extent (and may to an even greater extent in the future) an efficient environmental policy tool.
It is therefore essential that this instrument be applied in as efficient a manner as possible, not least in order to quickly and easily disseminate the experiences gained by authorities and companies in their own environmental efforts and the results of the various large-scale programmes.
1.2 The aim and delimitation of the evaluation
The aim is to evaluate how best practice examples are used, disseminated and received within the environmental field. The evaluation should increase our knowledge of best practice examples as a policy instrument (their weaknesses, strengths and potential impact).
The evaluation should help gain good practical experience, so that we improve the efficiency of this policy instrument and ultimately increase its environmental effect. This also includes putting best practice examples into context among other instruments, especially other informative policy instruments such as guidance documents and handbooks.
1.3 Are the “best practices” actually the “best”?
This is an issue which often came up during the planning and implementation stage of the evaluation. It is important here to differentiate between both the question of whether one specific “best practice example” really does represent best practice, and the question of whether best practice anthologies are worthy of the title. These issues are partly independent of each other and require different evaluation approaches.
The question of whether a specific example is a “good” one, and what can exactly we might mean by it, is an important one, not least to be able to link the dissemination of best practice examples as an informative instrument to other environmental measures and other instruments of environmental policy. We suggest therefore that a project be initiated so that groups of best practice examples can be evaluated systematically (see Analysis and proposals).
In the evaluation, we have delimited best practice examples so that they include documents and other material that explicitly call themselves “best practice examples”, and material we have adjudged to be de facto best practice examples. The evaluation does
not cover the issue of whether the best practice examples really are the truly “best” practice or not.
1.4 The main issues of the evaluation and its
implementation
Good examples are intended to stimulate recipients to act and to provide guidance in various issues. Target groups for best practice examples vary, but often they are intended to stimulate local environmental efforts and convey and disseminate experiences and knowledge. But are these best practice examples utilised? Are they documented in the right way? Do they reach their target groups? What does a good ”best practice example” look like? What strengths and weaknesses does the dissemination of best practice
examples have as a tool? How are the effects of best practice examples followed up? This is just a selection of interesting questions concerning how best practice examples work or should work as a policy instrument.
The main questions asked in the evaluation are:
• Are best practice examples selected in an appropriate fashion?
• Are best practice examples described in such a way so that they support decisions that facilitate their dissemination?
• How does dissemination work?
• To what extent do the selection and level of detail correspond to the needs of the target group?
To be able to answer these questions, we have examined two groups of hypotheses on problems and opportunities. The first hypotheses are based on the theory that the impact of best practice examples decreases if they are not deliberately selected as a policy instrument.
The other group of hypotheses imply that the impact of the instrument would increase if best practice examples supported the target group in its own decision-making.
To be able to answer the main questions asked in the evaluation, we have chosen to carry out both a general survey of the scope and type of best practice examples within the environmental field, as well as interviews with both producers and recipients of them. We have also performed a short literature study, primarily focusing on how innovation is disseminated and on information as an instrument within the environmental field.
1.5 The expected results and effects of the evaluation
The evaluation is intended to provide:• An idea as to the scope and what type of best practice examples exist within the environmental field and as to the potential for creating and managing some kind of register of best practice anthologies.
• A survey of how best practice examples are produced and how decisions on selection and level of ambition are taken.
• A description of how some central target groups, primarily the municipalities, view and use best practice examples.
• A better understanding of how best practice examples work in the context of dissemination and innovation.
• A clear picture of the problems associated with the policy instrument, its strengths and weaknesses.
• An analysis of how the tool can be rendered more effective - suggestions for improvement regarding design, content and working methods.
• Proposals for how best practice examples can be linked to and strengthen other policy instruments.
• Finally, the evaluation is also intended to create a basis for a checklist/guidance document on how best practice examples can be selected, described and evaluated. All in all, the evaluation and its proposals are expected to contribute to:
• A better overview of existing anthologies of best practice examples.
• Quicker dissemination of experiences and faster innovative pace regarding environ-mental efforts through developing a better dissemination method.
• Better anthologies of best practice examples as a result of greater understanding of ”the innovation context” and the “information context” among those compiling such anthologies.
• Better quality of best practice examples as the result of better selection criteria, better adaptation to the needs of recipients, greater potential for environmental benefit and better integration of ecological, economic and social sustainability.
1.6 How the evaluation project has been organised
The project has been organised as a horizontal project within the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA), as it in principle touches upon all the different remits of the Agency’s departments. The project working group has consisted of:Ulf E Andersson, Director-General’s staff (project manager), Peter Green, (deputy project manager), AnnaKarin Lissel Swenning, and Marie-Louise Rydén.
An external reference group has also been linked to the project consisting of the following participants:
• Ola Engelmark, Swedish Institute for Ecological Sustainability (IEH) • Carl Naumburg, Vinnova (Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems) • Ylva Rönning, National Board of Housing, Building and Planning • Göran Uebel, NUTEK (Swedish Business Development Agency) • Peter Wenster, Swedish Association of Local Authorities
2. The survey
2.1 A survey of good examples
2.1.1 What are good examples?Good examples or best practices can be found in many areas:
• Technical innovations, i.e. traditional technical inventions or new ways of using eco-systems
• Organisational innovations in the environmental field, e.g. in the area of enforcement and inspection.
• New forms of cooperation, e.g. new ways of collaborating with actors both inside and outside the environmental family
The importance of developing and disseminating best practice examples is often
highlighted in environmental policy documents, without a more precise definition being provided of what best practice examples actually involve. In our survey, we have therefore laid down a number of delimitations for what we mean by best practice examples, and what can be seen as best practice anthologies.
First of all, we have by definition based our delimitation on the intention of the producer. A document (reports, and other types of publications and web pages) constitutes,
according to our assessment, a best practice anthology if the producer explicitly indicates that the document contains best practice examples. Sometimes this may well be quite obvious if the title itself contains the phrase “best practices” (or something similar like “success stories”, etc.) But sometimes it is not always immediately obvious and the producer’s intention of conveying best practice examples only becomes evident in the preface or introduction or it is mentioned on the back cover, etc.
But our opinion is also that other documents that have different names such as “antholo-gies of examples”, “catalogues of ideas” or case studies can also be defined as best practice anthologies, if “best practice examples” are, in the author’s opinion, highlighted in the text. Expressions such as “environmental gems” etc., indicate that the intention is to communicate good examples.
Other reports can also very well be best practice anthologies in the main or at least to a great extent, even if this does not become apparent until the whole document has been reviewed. This means therefore that there is a large number of “hidden” best practice anthologies, and that the boundary between best practice anthologies and other types of documentation is not that easy to spot. The delimitation is always open to a certain amount of interpretation.
2.1.2 Collection and selection of best practice examples
To obtain an overview of the production and use of best practice examples in the environmental field and of the prerequisites for creating and running some kind of register of best practice anthologies, we began our evaluation by performing an Internet search.
The Internet
We began our survey of best practice examples by searching for the combination “best practice examples + the environment” (In Swedish: goda exempel + miljö) on the Internet, using the Google search engine. We found about 4,000 Swedish sites within the environmental field that mentioned best practice in some form or another. To obtain an insight into what the material actually consisted of, we decided to take a closer look at the first 400 hits in our search, i.e. about 10 per cent of the total number of hits.
After an initial review of the material, we divided it into three categories; approved,
borderline and rejected. To be approved, the website had to present or refer to examples
in the environmental field, which it has chosen to call best practice examples. Borderline cases were websites that presented or referred to best practice examples but in some area other than the environmental field, e.g. work environment. Websites that were rejected contained no best practice examples and were only on the hit list because one of the texts on the website contained the words “best practice” and “environment”. These websites were mostly not about best practice examples in the environmental field but concerned completely different subjects. The review indicated considerable variation in the material.
Reports and other printed material
We also searched for reports and other material that might contain best practice examples. A search of the Swedish EPA Library’s ELIN database produced a large number of reports with best practices, case studies, etc. as their theme. By contacting colleagues within the Swedish EPA and obtaining information from report reference groups and other networks, we also found reports that, although they did not explicitly refer to them in the title or had the term as a keyword, paid a significant amount of attention to best practice examples. This means therefore that there may also be many reports that sometimes contain best practice anthologies, but this does not become evident until one has read the whole document.
Internationally speaking
As already mentioned, describing and highlighting best practice is not something that only occurs in Swedish environmental protection. For example, a number of programmes within the EU have been involved with the production of best practice examples, success stories, etc. Using the Google Internet search engine and entering the combinations “best practice and environment” and “success stories and environment” produced 1,030,000 and 113,000 hits respectively. Without having examined the content of these hits in any great detail, their large number does however suggest that the use of these concepts is
considerably widespread. Among the international best practice anthologies within the environmental field which we found in our general survey, two are worth a special mention: www.bestpractices.org and www.sustainability.com which also has a well-considered structure and relevant additional information on the examples.
2.1.3 What have we found?
Based on the material we have collected, we can see good examples can concern many different fields of expertise and phenomena within the environmental field. Best practice examples are not always that easy to find merely by performing a simple search of the Internet or a library database. Upon closer examination, we can soon establish that descriptions of best practice examples vary considerably, e.g. concerning how easy it is to obtain an overview of the content, the depth of the information and whether there are links to further material and/or the names of contact persons available.
A few examples of what we found in our search are given below.
Firstly, we have found a number of reports, websites and other material that state explicitly that they contain “best practice/good examples”.
We have also found anthologies that are to all intents and purposes best practice anthologies, but do not explicitly say so.
There are also what we call “hidden” best practice anthologies, i.e. material that is shown to contain best practice examples only upon close inspection.
Secondly, not only does our delimitation of good examples include technical systems or environment-related solutions, but also working methods and forms of cooperation in different types of environmental projects.
In many cases, the boundaries between these categories aren’t so clear and many best practice anthologies and even individual best practice examples contain aspects that concern technology, working methods and forms of cooperation alike.
Thirdly, we feel that an important delimitation is that best practice examples should actually exist and be applicable in practice. This means that inventions, laboratory trials, idea documents or action plans that have not yet to be realised are not defined as best practice examples, even if they might very well be a valuable precursor to such an example in practice.
3. Interviews with producers of
information
The interviews were performed according to a questionnaire, designed around seven main topics the reason why best practice anthologies are compiled, what producers wish to achieve by them, the selection process, selection criteria, media and dissemination methods and resource consumption.
3.1 Producers
A total of eleven interviews were performed with producers of the best practice
anthologies. The interviewees represented the following organisations and associations: The Ministry of the Environment, the Swedish Business Development Agency (NUTEK), the Swedish EPA, the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, the Swedish Association of Environmental Managers (NMC), the Swedish Institute for Ecological Sustainability (IEH), the Swedish Association of Local Authorities, the Association for Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development, the Swedish National Coordinator on Agenda 21 and Habitat, and the National Road Administration. To examine the production of the LIFE Programmes’ success stories anthologies, those heading the programme at NUTEK and the Swedish EPA were interviewed. Several of the web-based anthologies are jointly run by different actors, who often co-finance the website. Some of the interviewees therefore represented more than one organisation in practice. The common factor for all is however that they are involved in developing and disseminating examples of best
practice. It is best to consider the interviewees as intermediaries who often play the role of collector, compiler and disseminator of best practice examples. There are both printed and web-based anthologies. The websites that are jointly run by several organisations display all their logotypes and visitors can then extend their search for good examples. This leads to many cross-references in the web-based anthologies. The central authorities that we looked at present best practice anthologies mostly in printed form. These can also be available in e.g. pdf format on an authority’s website. To run the website on a day-to-day basis, some of those interviewed hire consultants to help them. This consultant support mostly concerns the technical operation of the website, its design and in some cases also production of best practice examples themselves. As part of their joint series of best practice anthologies regarding the environmental aspects of municipal planning, the Swedish EPA and the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning also hired consultants to help them with the content of the anthologies.
3.2 Why produce an anthology?
In the vast majority of cases, the organisations involved chose to compile an anthology to show what they have achieved in their environmental work, either for their own sake or to draw attention to new and innovative ways of solving environmental problems. Some talked about “reaping the benefits of goodwill” (NMC), others about providing the municipalities with ideas on how various regulatory guidelines can and should be applied (National Board of Housing, Building and Planning and the Swedish EPA). The National Road Administration emphasised the importance of showing what is happening in the environmental sphere within their sector, and preferably in cooperation with other actors. At the beginning, the Road Administration ran the website jointly with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. In one case, the pressure of showing results was given as a reason for compiling an
anthology. Up to now, about SEK 6 billion (about EUR 660 million) has been distributed as part of the EU LIFE Programme and based on this, two anthologies have been
presented within the framework of the programme, in which about one hundred LIFE-funded projects are described as success stories.
When it comes to choice of medium for the anthology, the Ministry of the Environment thought that the new technology that became available in the middle of the 1990s led to us choosing the more interactive forms of reporting which web-based solutions could offer. “It was typical of the day”, said the National Coordinator on Agenda 21 and Habitat. Similar thoughts emerged from almost all those who have worked with web-based best practice anthologies. As is evident, many of the above-mentioned organisa-tions have produced anthologies as a spin-off effect of their own day-to-day activities. In the IEH’s case, the collection and dissemination of best practice examples is part of its core activities, based on the commission the institute has received - to attract people to do things that benefit the environment. In addition, the IEH stresses the voluntary aspect of environmental work, which makes the dissemination of best practice examples a central component of the dialogue with the relevant actors which the EIH wishes to establish and support.
3.3 What are the target groups?
The municipalities are often grouped together as the main target group. Other categories of target groups mentioned in the interviews are companies, business leaders, company employees, authorities, politicians, students, interest groups, etc. The target groups can also include more specific stakeholders, such as experts interested in new and innovative solutions within their area. The printed anthologies often have a clearer target group. The reason quoted by the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning for producing a series of anthologies was to provide an overarching perspective of the work carried out by municipalities in the field of physical planning. As a result, the main target group
consisted of local politicians and civil servants involved in physical planning activities.
Many professions are involved in the planning work done by municipalities in different ways, which led the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning to compile a whole series of 12 good example anthologies. This was done to further narrow down the subjects and target groups. The aim was also to point out new scope for cooperation when working with comprehensive physical planning. Both NUTEK and the Swedish EPA felt that the most obvious target group for the LIFE Programmes two anthologies might be potential recipients of LIFE-subsidies.
NUTEK also pointed out another target group – the intermediaries. Intermediaries help potential programme candidates to make decisions. Consultants and industrial organisa-tions can be intermediaries in certain circumstances. They have the drive to absorb the new information in the anthologies and disseminate it further to their customers. Both the LIFE-programme anthologies lack a clearly defined target group, however. Neither does the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning’s series have an explicit target group. Another example is the Swedish EPA’s anthology Collecting household waste1 which contains a survey and analysis of different disposal systems for household waste and packaging in Sweden in 2000, and which should act as background information for municipalities and contractors planning to introduce a new collection system. The IEH can mainly see five broad target groups for its examples; municipalities, researchers, sector authorities, the business sector and NGOs.
3.4 What do producers want to achieve?
Apart from bringing attention to themselves from the outside world, producers often wish to demonstrate and try to convey new and innovative knowledge to the target group. The majority of those interviewed feel that best practice examples can inspire people to read them since they don’t show what must be done but rather what can be done, if one wishes to go beyond laws and regulations. They also illustrate the experiences other actors have of a certain system or a certain practice and can then help municipalities to exchange experiences among themselves.
The main focus is normally on innovative examples, which is why producers don’t choose to perform total surveys within the areas that are the subject of the examples. Specifically, it is the innovative aspect they wish to highlight. According to the Swedish Association of Environmental Managers (NMC), producers also wish to put the spotlight on the voluntary environmental initiatives taken by many companies. In many respects, the NMC sees its anthology as a shop-window in which companies and organisations can find inspiration to go beyond the requirements of environmental laws. Inspiration and external visibility are the watchwords many producers use to describe the anticipated effects. Concerning the LIFE programmes, an unabridged survey was performed and the examples presented in both anthologies are those which the LIFE Unit/DG Environment
1 Swedish EPA 2001, Collecting household waste. A survey and analysis of systems for the disposal of household waste and packaging, Sweden 2001. Swedish report no: 5145.
feel are the best projects. The IEH sees the dissemination of good examples as a way of overcoming the more dutiful attitude towards environmental issues they feel they can see in environmental efforts. By demonstrating examples of smart solutions, good forms of cooperation, local commitment, and new approaches, the IEH hopes to help highlight the positive aspects of environmental work.
3.5 How should we follow up?
Follow-up takes on many different guises. The Swedish EPA did not perform a follow-up, but the interviewees feel that things went well since the reports sold well. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (and the Swedish EPA) did no follow-up in the sense of an evaluation but they also noted that the anthologies sold well. They were also used as study material at a number of higher education institutes. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning did establish, however, that the anthologies were a perishable commodity. Neither has any systematic follow-up of the impact and significance of the published anthologies as part of the LIFE Programmes been per-formed. They have however been received with a considerable amount of interest when presented at exhibitions and other gatherings.
The web-based anthologies provide partly different follow-up problems. The National Road Administration uses statistics on the number of visitors as an indicator of impact, but feels it has not found a satisfactory follow-up method. The Swedish Association of Environmental Managers (NMC) sends out a members’ questionnaire once a year to evaluate activities on its website. The questionnaire in relation to the web-based examples focuses on the benefit of NMC’s best practice examples. The results of the questionnaire form the basis of further planning over the forthcoming years. NMC also follows up the visitor statistics that indicate an average of 200 visitors a week. All the producers and disseminators feel they get some feedback on their sites, mostly in the form of email and telephone calls, even if no systematic follow-up or evaluation is performed. The IEH has not performed any systematic follow-up, but it has conducted three questionnaires, the aim of which was to examine the attitude visitors to the website adopted as regards the information. The IEH also compiles web statistics and these show that the list of best practice examples on its website is the IEH’s most popular web service.
3.6 How were the examples chosen?
The selection process also differs quite considerably among the various actors. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning developed selection criteria intended to reflect geographical diversity in terms of town and country, coastal and inland conditions. The examples were to reflect good planning quality according to the project group’s understanding of the issue. The project managers agreed on a common level of
the examples, i.e. a benchmark for the lowest acceptable quality of an example. The selection criteria remained constant throughout the project. A number of overarching criteria were chosen in the LIFE programmes, such as geographical distribution among EU member states. To begin with, the Ministry of the Environment chose to hire a consultant who was to sort out and compile the first examples that were presented on the website. In time, it was felt that a list of criteria for the examples to be presented on the web was necessary. Geographical distribution was seen as particularly important in the selection process, since it makes it easier for e.g. municipalities to find relevant examples in the neighbourhood. The Swedish Association of Environmental Managers (NMC), as well as the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise has constantly called upon its members to submit examples. There is also a description template on the site, which can be used by someone wishing to publish a new example. A policy decision has also been taken, according to which only companies may present examples on the site, since the
Confederation of Swedish Enterprise is co-financing the venture. The ÅF Group (A major consulting firm), which is also involved in developing the project plan for NMC’s
website, also collects examples. The number of examples submitted recently has however fallen off somewhat, which according to the NMC may depend on the fact that the level for what is a good, new and innovative example has risen considerably over time. The ÅF Group constantly monitors corporate environmental reports and environment-related newsletters in its hunt for further examples. It also reviews the candidates and nominees of the NMC’s annual “Excellent environmental leadership” prize. The National Road Administration has no uniform selection criteria, but rather a series of general require-ments. In its instructions, the IEH has formulated how an example should look in order for it to be classed as an “environmental gem” and hence be published on the website. In short, a so-called environmental gem should be a completed project, that uses a technique and/or a working method that provides considerable environmental benefit and that is considered by the project owners to be a successful project from the point of view of implementation. Furthermore, the project must also be in line with Sweden’s environ-mental objectives as well as be categorised in one of the IEH’s fourteen subject areas. There are special subject area coordinators and these are constantly collecting best practice examples and documenting these with necessary factual information such as the project owner and a contact person. The collected information is submitted every quarter to the responsible information officer who approves the text. The text is then given to the web coordinator for publishing.
3.7 What selection criteria are used?
All producers have some type of criteria or selection list. Some have a clear template for selection, others deal with general, overarching criteria. The status of the criteria, and the requirement that they be followed, also varies between clear statements to a more implicit application. There is also variation between the interactive and open, web-based
anthologies and the printed versions. For its report on household waste, the Swedish EPA
chose to focus on “interesting systems” or “systems that can be evaluated”2. When the
National Board of Housing, Building and Planning chose its selection criteria, it wanted them to serve as guiding principles for selecting examples and it also felt there should be a clear basis for planning. This plan should be well balanced, contain concrete recom-mendations on how the municipality should act and the example should also follow the legislator’s intentions within the area in question. Regarding web-based anthologies, NMC felt that the examples chosen had to be more proactive than the existing legal requirements, that they were at the cutting edge and were innovative and that they were taken from a concrete project run in a company, not just general descriptions of planned environmental initiatives.
The National Road Administration feels that an example should have a positive effect on the environment, though does not stipulate a clear level for what such a positive effect on the environment might entail. The Administration also emphasises the importance of naming a contact person. This contact person signs a letter of approval which gives the National Road Administration the right to use and publish the example on its website. The Swedish National Coordinator on Agenda 21 and Habitat at the Ministry of the Environment has tried to develop an unambiguous list of criteria for the publication of examples on its website. As mentioned above, geographical dispersion is the main and most important selection criterion. Other important criteria are that the example has been evaluated, that it is of a pilot/experimental nature and that it may be of interest to an international audience. Furthermore, the project’s sustainability over time, its cost-efficiency and having an innovative management (i.e. chief responsibility for the project may well lie outside the municipal sphere) are also key criteria. The LIFE programme applies rather similar criteria to those that are included in the programme application itself. In the case of the IEH, the selection criteria coincide with the instructions used in the selection process.
3.8 Do the examples represent best practice?
A vital point when compiling anthologies is of course whether the examples presented can really be said to be best practice. In all the interviews, we asked whether the interviewee knew that the examples presented were best practice. The aim of this question was not primarily to obtain information on any possible environmental effects but rather to find out how the interviewee made sure of the quality of the examples. Most interviewees feel that the examples presented are best practice if they fulfil the selection criteria used. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning feels that if the examples fulfil the criteria, they are in line with the working hypothesis on good planning quality. Since the aim of the 12 anthologies was mainly to inspire and illustrate new approaches to the Planning and Building Act in municipal comprehensive planning activities, the issue of environmental effects did not play much of a part. The examples were to have political support and to have been implemented, i.e. be already up and
running. This constituted a best practice example. When the Swedish EPA was producing its report on household waste, there were no explicit criteria on whether an example was best practice or not, instead, the Agency chose to discuss the examples presented in terms of whether they were interesting and possible to evaluate. This anthology also stressed the importance of the waste disposal systems that were illustrated as examples being already up and running. If the examples presented are interesting and possible to evaluate, they represent best practice, according to the Agency’s stipulated definition. Regarding the web-based anthologies, the NMC feels that an example is best practice if it fulfils the criteria. It is also of the opinion that companies do not wish to display untrue or poor examples. The National Coordinator on Agenda 21 and Habitat at the Ministry of the Environment feels it is difficult to say whether an example is best practice or not and asks itself the question whether the chosen example really is the best one. Good or even better examples that merit dissemination may be overlooked or neglected by us giving our support to those examples presented on the web. Since there is a lack of clear criteria, the Coordinator feels that it is difficult to say whether the examples presented are best practice or not. The National Road Administration chooses to rely on the expertise of the contact persons and feels that they vouch for the quality of the example. The contact persons for each example are themselves responsible for any detailed information required. On its website, the National Road Administration makes it clear that it has not evaluated the examples presented. If such an evaluation has been carried out, however, a summary of it is presented alongside the illustrated example. The Administration reflects on the unfortunate situation that there are currently only a few evaluations and that their quality varies considerably. In the case of the IEH, all the examples presented have not been tried and tested and this is a deliberate educational intention by the Institute. The IEH sees its role as the supporter of change and hence cannot lend its unqualified support only to well-tried examples. It may be enough for the solution in the example presented to be innovative.
4. Interviews with recipients of
information
The interviews were performed according to a questionnaire, designed around three main areas. The questions concern how recipients look for and use best practice examples and how examples should be compiled and designed to be of use. The questions we put in the interviews with recipients are much more oriented towards knowledge and information retrieval than those put to the producers. Those interviewed represented the following organisations:
The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), the Ecocycle Council for the Building Sector, Svenskt Vatten AB -The Swedish Water & Wastewater Association, the Stockholm County Association of Local Authorities, the National Chemicals Inspectorate, the Stockholm Local Investment Programme Secretariat, the municipalities of Västerås, Huddinge, Falun, Sollentuna, Örebro, and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
The recipient category is not as clear as the producer category. Above all, the two categories often run into each other. Many of those interviewed belong to organisations that are both producers of best practice examples and a target group for best practice anthologies. This is particularly true of the representatives of trade organisations we have interviewed.
4.1 How do we search for information on new
innovations in the environmental field in general?
The aim of our interviews with recipients was to find out how they searched forinformation in general. We did this in order to ascertain what role best practice examples play in information and knowledge retrieval.
Several of the interviewees said they didn’t actively search for innovations themselves, but were supplied with knowledge via newsletters such as Environment Daily and
Roundtable on Cleaner Production, and via networks and colleagues. Seminars and
conferences may also be useful to create and maintain contacts. Networking in Sweden and the EU was also singled out as important. Personal contacts are also important. The Internet also plays a certain role. The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University points out that searching for information isn’t difficult, but screening it is.
One of the companies interviewed mentioned that knowledge about new technology often comes from salesmen, and that information on new forms of cooperation is mostly obtained through working together with other countries.
4.2 Do you search for collections of good examples,
best practices, success stories?
When answering this question, most answered that they didn’t search for these kinds of knowledge anthologies very often. If they did, the most common tool to use was the Internet. Some stressed that the anthologies they had seen were not of the kind of quality they had hoped and that the information had to be reinterpreted to fit the given knowledge context in which it was to be used, a process that takes time – time they often don’t have. Some did say they searched for best practice examples, and mentioned some of the websites talked about above.
They also pointed out the problem of screening the information and a lack of time sometimes prevented a more active assimilation of the anthologies in question.
4.3 Does your own organisation produce some type of
anthology which might be termed “best practice”?
Most recipient interviewees answered yes to this question. Either they had already produced an anthology or were planning to do so. The degree of dissemination varies however; from printed or web publications to lists of best practice examples distributed at conferences and in professional networks. There are also reports from large-scale
projects and inventories that might be seen as best practice examples and which they are trying to publish. In general, they feel they are bad at informing people about what they do, but by being involved in various national projects, they constitute an indirect basis for the best practice examples that are distributed centrally. Environmental and public health reports are also mentioned. The Municipality of Örebro mentions that when performing inspections, its Environment Office uses templates that it considers to be best practice examples of how the inspected operators can manage their environmental affairs in order to be approved.
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation runs three different campaigns on its website. In all these campaigns, the Society uses best practice examples as a way of encouraging companies to make voluntary commitments.
4.4 Searching for and using good examples
What do those interviewed feel helps or hinders them in their search for information on best practice examples? One obstacle is lack of time. It is mostly a question of screening the information one finds uninteresting.
Some also mention the problem of access to information, for example the problem of getting companies to disclose certain information and that small companies often don’t document and analyse the results of their environmental efforts.
Other impeding factors mentioned include the problem of finding the right search pattern in relation to the information needed, such as badly arranged or confusing documents and/or Internet websites. The fact that examples are difficult to find or are not kept up-to-date is also seen as an obstacle. Some haven’t even thought about searching for examples when they are looking for or need new knowledge.
Finally, the fact that examples have not always been critically evaluated is also men-tioned. According to most of the interviewees, the examples should be evaluated before they are disseminated. When the City of Stockholm was involved in a large national programme (The Local Investment Programme, LIP, which often used anthologies as a tool) on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment, many municipalities refused point blank to consider best practice examples that had not been scientifically evaluated. Several of those interviewed feel that presentations of the financial and technical
prerequisites for a project should be made comparable and be based on scientific fact, and that the source or other information guarantor must be impartial. And regarding “soft” projects (forms of cooperation, organisational structure, etc.), those interviewed feel methods rather than technology should be presented.
The Swedish Water and Wastewater Association, Svensk Vatten AB, suggests a way of strengthening the evaluation aspect when producing examples. The association proposes a partnership with, for example, technical institutes and universities. This should be done to facilitate the evaluation of examples and ensure that evaluation and follow-up are
implemented using scientific methods.
If we turn our attention to the factors those interviewed feel are helpful, these centre on timing, access to information and clarity of presentation. It is helpful if the information is appropriate to the issue one is currently faced with and that it comes from what one feels is a reliable producer. Reliability is a key term in this context. The information must be reliable and come from a trustworthy source, such as the chief executive or chief environment officer of a company.
Most of those interviewed pointed out that the Internet is an excellent solution because it is fast and inexpensive to publish and keep material up-to-date. To remedy the confusion that prevails on the Internet, some interviewees suggest a kind of portal divided up into subject areas so that it is easy to find what you are looking for. The Technical Office of
the Municipality of Falun mentions the structure of the LIFE reports as a benchmark of structure and design. This would encourage clear, well-considered websites with condensed information. A well-arranged website with clear, understandable links is also important, and generally it is good if the visitor obtains a quick, introductory picture of what the information is about first and then is able to find more detail when necessary. Some of those interviewed would like to see the Swedish EPA take on the responsibility for coordinating and running a portal for evaluated and reliable best practice examples, similar to the Agency’s handbooks and general guidelines. This, they feel, would make it easier to find areas of interest, e.g. with the aid of a keyword search engine or table of contents. Compiling the existing anthologies, for instance, in the form of a website with links would be valuable and would serve the purpose of disseminating the information to stakeholders. Concerning web-based solutions, the Ecocycle Council for the Building Sector suggests a link system where trade associations could help with the links and information classification by providing knowledge on what might be of interest to their own members. Some emphasise that drop-down menus with search categories would be better than free word searches. Another suggestion that emerged from the interviews is to have search options classified according to field of activity, such as water, wastewater, air quality etc.
The Technical Office of the Municipality of Sollentuna points out a more general obstacle not just to searching for best practice examples but also their possible implementation, namely the relative sluggishness of municipal activities. The office believes it takes time to introduce a different way of thinking, and even longer to change existing practices. The Municipality of Örebro thinks it is helpful if the contact persons can be reached and if they can supplement the information with details that are important for the recipient’s own case but which is perhaps inappropriate for broad publication (financial details, setbacks during the project, political pitfalls and how to avoid them, etc.). The Municipal-ity is of the opinion that it can be difficult to get past the flattering description and find the real core when following up best practice examples. For many of those interviewed, it is important that there is a contact person to get in touch with for more information since the examples need to be updated and more clearly specified.
4.5 How should best practice examples be selected and
documented?
How could best practice anthologies be designed to be of more benefit, according to the interviewees?
Several interviewees want to see a greater number of detailed case studies in which problems and obstacles are also properly highlighted. They also feel that bad examples can be instructive and can illustrate what went wrong and how this has been rectified.
