The PRO-Ethics project is geared towards the development of an Ethics Framework and Guidelines supporting the ethical implementation of participatory processes in the activities of research funding organizations (RFOs). This core output is developed in an iterative process and tested in the context of 10 participatory pilots, which also served to identify best practices, and find levers to adapt institutional processes and embed the learnings of the project in regional and national R&I ecosystems across Europe. These pilots have been implemented in two phases. The present deliverable gives insight into the processes of pilot phase II, as well as the concrete lessons that could be extracted from them.

Pilot data has been collected through various instruments, including structured activity reports, reflection and evaluation workshops, pilot stories, and narrations provided in the context of regular consortium calls, collected in the form of minutes and transcripts. In addition, two workshops with external stakeholders were held and their insights documented in the present deliverable.

These data indicate various tensions and points of friction, as well as possible solutions and recommendations related to the implementation of participatory activities. Broadly speaking, these pertain e.g. to structural barriers, limited resources, time constraints, limited expertise, and processual uncertainties on the side of the implementing organizations. Regarding participants, access to the field, understanding and addressing stakeholders’ needs and expectations, emergent role conflicts and appropriate engagement formats came up as examples of relevant issues impacting the success of a pilot.