Art of Hosting Transitions

A transition is a process in which the existing system of structures, institutions, culture and practices are broken down and replaced by new ones. This shift is a non-linear process in which a system moves from one dynamic equilibrium to another one. Transitions thus concern large-scale processes that cover at least one generation with interactions between different scale levels.

Transition management has been co-produced by Dutch researchers with a number of government, civil society and business actors in an exploratory way as a model to govern transitions. Transition management is an evolutionary way of steering and of creating the conditions for societal renewal to occur. Transition management involves the creation of experiments from which actors learn. The right initiatives can then be up-scaled at the right moment. The approach is rooted in complexity science and embraces such core concepts as co-evolution, self-organization and emergence.

In practice, the transition management model proposes the following cycle of activity clusters: (1) Problem structuring, organizing a transition arena and developing sustainability visions, (2) Creating arenas, developing transition images, transition pathways and transition agendas, (3) Mobilizing the transition network (finding resources) and executing projects and experiments, (4) Evaluating, monitoring and learning. These activities are initially carried out “in the shadow” of the mainstream or regime, that is, they occur in a safe environment for optimal experimentation and learning. The idea is that the regime protects itself from radical change through incremental adaptation and innovation, similar to the process of autopoiesis. Transition management thus initiates a societal transition.

An arena consists of a limited number of pioneers who are selected based on their competences, background and interests, and who are committed towards the transition goal and approach. An arena is an open, multi-actor network that contains representatives of government, firms, societal organizations, knowledge institutes and intermediaries. Transition management thus addresses social complexity, which is a result of diverse interests and worldviews among stakeholders and which warrants a multi-actor approach.

More than a dozen such arenas have been started up in several countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium. An international network (http://www.ksinetwork.nl) has been established. But how to host these arenas? How can the Art of Hosting contribute to such large-scale change processes? What is the Art of Hosting transitions?