Towards a systematic treatment
of value-ladeness
in IA modelling
Penny Kloprogge
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Contents
• Choices in modelling
– Introduction
– Consequences of choices
– Making choices
• Value-ladeness
• Steps in the Value-ladeness project
• Research agenda MUST
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Some choices in the modelling process
Which
data sets?
What
assumptions to make?
Which
scenarios to run? Which
modelling method?
What
outcome variables?
How link
interdisciplinary modules?
Treat variables
endogenous or exogenous?
How set
problem boundaries? What
policy measures to include? How deal with
uncertainties?
What
causal relationships?
Which
How set up
aggregation level?
equations?
Which
What parameter values to
underlying theory?
What
choose?
input variables?
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Consequences of choices
• Certain knowledge and perspectives are
incorporated in the model -> value-ladeness
• The model and the outcomes may depend
significantly on choices made
• Different outcomes may lead to different
understandings and policy advise
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Making choices (1)
• Choices influenced by:
• objectives;
• restrictions;
• common practice;
• choices/wishes of others;
• values of the person making the choice
Interpretation
Influenced by
Preferences
Culture, training, experience,
Moral convictions perspective on risk, etc
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Making choices (2)
• Not just the choice making itself matters, but
also:
• Determining that an issue requires choices to
be made
• Making an inventory of options
• Evaluating the choice
There is a choice process,
containing several steps
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Value-ladeness
• System characteristics
-> determines room for value-ladeness
• Societal relevance of the issue
-> influences importance value-ladeness
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Steps in the Value-ladeness project (1)
• Making an inventory of types and sources of
value-ladeness
• Mapping which types and sources are currently
dealt with in practice
using uncertainty strategies, through stakeholder
involvement, through peer review, good practice
guidelines
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Steps in the Value-ladeness project (2)
• Developing recommendations for a more
systematic and more comprehensive treatment
of value-ladeness
– recommendations with regard to application of
methods
– checklist that can be used by modellers that
• helps create awareness on value-ladeness of choices
• helps communicate value-laden issues
• helps incorporate plurality
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
Research agenda MUST
• Testing checklist-instrument
• Dissemination conceptual framework and
checklist-instrument
• Research into cultural and institutional changes
required for transparent treatment of valueladeness
• Value-ladeness in the utilisation of model based
knowledge in policy processes
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation
IA modelling and the policy process
Integrated
Assessment
policy
processes
problem framing
risk
assessment
implementation
goal
setting
options
monitoring
assessment strategy
evaluation
formulation
Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation