Multi-Actor Reference Groups in OPTAIN

Following the definition of the multi-actor approach, a platform for multi-actor engagement can be seen as “a more-or-less ongoing mechanism in which actors meet regularly to foster exchange and promote joint decision making and collaboration in a continuously evolving way” (Acquaye-Baddoo et al., 2010). In our attempt to address the agriculture-drinking water nexus within a multi-actor context of OPTAIN, the approach of multi-actor platforms (Sundnes e.a., 2018) is adapted to Multi-Actor Reference Groups to stress i) the role of the actors in the project and ii) the evolution of the reference group as function of the evolutionary stages of OPTAIN in which specific phases can be distinguished. The MARG also reflects different levels of engagement – informing, consulting and involving – depending on the role of the stakeholders (see e.g. Arnsteins ladder of participation1 and chapter 2 on methodology). The level of engagement is also reflected in the organization of the MARG by defining an inner circle (stakeholders engaged during the entire lifetime of OPTAIN) and an outer circle (stakeholders engaged during specific themes or phases of OPTAIN).