Lars Klüver, is a skilled innovator, designer and convenor of public deliberations and has been for more than 30 years.
His work with the Danish Board of Technology, was an early inspiration for many deliberative designers with his Consensus Conference method—a modification of an approach used in the US among scientists. Klüver understood the importance of expert knowledge but also the importance of bringing citizens into the mix, especially when considering future technologies.
Since then he has experimented with Citizen Summits for policy direction, and World Wide Views, an ambitious global project. Klüver is wary of advocating a single method, there is no one-size-fits-all in his opinion. He has also found robust ways to bring decision-makers into the deliberative space so that there is real ownership of citizens’ decisions.
Lars Klüver is director at the Danish Board of Technology Foundation (in Danish: Fonden Teknologirådet, DBT). He has more than 30 years of experience in technology assessment (TA), foresight and Responsible Research and Innovation. His main focus has been on providing policy advice and solutions to societal challenges through engagement involving representatives from societal groups, such as experts, stakeholders, politicians, citizens, users, etc. The toolbox of the DBT includes a wide range of methods, which have been developed or adapted to improved the connection between citizens, experts, stakeholders and decisionmakers. Lars Klüver has been active in policy analysis and participation research in multiple international projects, and has developed several methods for citizen engagement. He was project manager of the first Consensus Conference in the world, in which a citizen panel was giving advice to the Danish Parliament. He was the initiator of the “World Wide Views” initiative – a global citizen participation method, which has engaged more than 80 countries and is directed towards policymaking across geographic borders.
Music acknowledgement.
