H2020 ACCEPT Project:D3.7 – Consumer engagement and design validation roadmap

To devise an engagement strategy that allows for co-creation and user acceptance of solutions and services, it is essential to map out key stakeholders and the related goals, barriers and drivers in the context of each pilot site. Therefore, a methodology that considers community context, engagement objectives and stakeholder mapping has been applied to each pilot site to produce a consumer engagement and design validation roadmap. The starting point of this community engagement methodology is the close collaboration with local pilot partners to understand the needs and challenges of their communities. Through scoping questionnaires and remote interviews, the social backdrop and community context of each pilot location has been taken into consideration, including the infrastructure, composition of users and culture of the specific region. Workshops were conducted with representatives from each pilot to map out the key stakeholders in terms of their interest in the project, and their ability to influence the success of project goals. In addition to investigating the community context, green energy goals and key stakeholders, results from the business and use cases work from WP2 was considered when creating targeted stakeholder engagement activities in the individual pilot locations. As an output of this community data collection and analysis, the ACCEPT consumer validation and design roadmap has been developed. This strategic plan outlines the recommended engagements to take place within each of the pilot communities throughout the ACCEPT project. These engagements will primarily focus on two objectives: 1) facilitating a co-creation approach for the ACCEPT service design (e.g. persona development and tool feedback) and 2) promoting collaboration with key stakeholders and addressing potential barriers to the adoption of the ACCEPT solution in local communities. Deliverable 7.1 Consumer Validation Report will further expand upon the specific co-creation engagements outlined in this deliverable. This roadmap will be flexible over the next 32 months due to changing circumstances and unforeseen developments. However, this roadmap serves as a key reference point to guide citizen engagement and co-creation activities that will go hand-in-hand with the technical ambitions of the ACCEPT project and the goals of the pilot sites.