*Govert D. Geldof, **Albert Cath, ***Gijsbert van der Heijden & ***Roel

Valkman

*Geldof c.s. & DTU Environment, **Narratio, ***Rondte, ****Tauw bv12 ICUD

Porto Alegre, 16 September 2011

Practitioners

Practice

Conceptual Framework

DATA MODEL

Transition Theory

TACIT KNOWLEDGE

Technique:Second Law of Thermodynamics

Fish Fish soup

Faeces

Urine

Grey water

Stormwater

Sewer pipe

Sludge

EffluentSewage OverflowsFlooding

Faeces

Urine

Grey water

Stormwater

Energy

Nutrients (phosphates)

Base flow – Drinking water

Added value to theenvironment

Water in the house 2050

©beeldleveranciers

Existing urban areas 2050

©beeldleveranciers

From plan to realisation(intention to action)Many plans are never implementedEverybody is “busy, busy, busy,….”“No time for innovation”Decreasing craftsmanship (more information,

less knowledge)

For innovations like this, the organisation of knowledge is the most essential

challenge…

Explicit knowledge

Implicit knowledge

(tacit)Methodology?

Three propositions1. The complexity of water

projects increases2. For coping with

complexity tacit knowledge is crucial

3. Tacit knowledge decreases

YES

YES

YES+

Problem

The RationalisingSphere

The ConnectingSphere

The Governance& Politics Sphere

The RootedSphere

The Shadow

Management &Control Sphere

“We have to avoid risks: kill the

project”

“We have to apply an interactive

approach”

“It is impossible to maintain

decentralised facilities”

“We need data, to optimise the

system”

“They do not understand us”

Five Spheres“For efficiency we

need facts and figures”

Tacit KnowledgeYou will find tacit

knowledge in all five Spheres

The Spheres are drifting apart… people are not talking each others’ language

As a result, tacit knowledge is getting isolated in the Spheres (there is no flow anymore)

The RationalisingSphere

The ConnectingSphere

The Governance& Politics Sphere

The RootedSphere

The Shadow

Management &Control Sphere

Conceptual Models are not effective when there is no

flow of tacit knowledge

Next stepWe think it would be interesting to do the

same research in other countries (FP7, Interreg?)

Also: work out strategies to increase the flow of tacit knowledge in complex urban water issues

Testing concepts in the Netherlands already started: 21st Century Guilds and Workshops (re-introducing Master – Journeyman – Apprentice relationships)

21st Century Guilds: WorkshopsOrganised around

concrete – practical – urban water issues

All Spheres includedNarrative approachResulting in Speech

Act (debate → intention → action)

Logos, Pathos & Ethos

New Research… Teams of technical

and social scientistsLooking at

differences between the countries involved

Organising several Workshops including all Spheres

Work on a common strategy to stimulate tacit knowledge flow

Who is interested?

My personal ambition13 ICUD: presenting the results of

ten Workshops in the Netherlands;13 ICUD: two 21st Century Guilds:

on sewer systems and on dykes;14 ICUD: presenting the results of

many Workshops in many countries;

14 ICUD: one international Guild on the urban water cycle (energy, nutrients, etc.)

Thanks for your attention …Thanks for your attention …