Joint method development period in Kuopio in 2007
Joint method development period was an idea from the second annual meeting of Intarese. The idea in short is to get the key method developers from different institutes in one place for a long enough period (several weeks) to be able to produce and finish something during that time. The planning of the period starts now from a copy of the WP1.4 plan for months 13-30. Please feel free to make major edits when necessary.
Draft Planning for Next 18 Months (1 Nov 06 – 30 April 08) For WP Leaders
SUB PROJECT 1.4 START DATE OR STARTING EVENT month 13
- ACTIVITY TYPE Research
- PARTICIPANT ID KTL IC RIVM MNP UU USTUTT INVS
- PERSON-MONTHS PER PARTICIPANT 9 1 4 1 2 3 1
- TRAVEL & SUBSISTENCE (IN EURO) 7334 734 2600 334 1067 1800 334
- CONSUMABLES (IN EURO) 6800 534 1967 500 700 1267 334
- COMPUTING (IN EURO) 1000 1000
- EQUIPMENT (IN EURO)
Contents
OBJECTIVES
- To revise and compile the Risk characterisation methodology report based on the review drafts - To write the Risk characterisation protocol based on the methodological work: Environmental Health Planner (MNP/RIVM), Impact pathway/cost-benefit (USTUTT), and pyrkilo (KTL) - To offer guidance to and collect feedback from SP3 workpackages in their risk assessment work. - To implement the Risk characterisation protocol within the Toolbox (SP4).
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Risk characterisation methodology report (D18):
WP1.4 has produced draft reports about most of the topics planned. The reviews that are still missing (parts of Health impact assessment (IOM); Policy-relevant indicators (RIVM); Public perception issues (RIVM)) will be finished in the early months of the planning period. Then, the compiled report will be sent for comments within INTARESE (especially SP1 and SP3), revised, and brought together with the contributions of other workpackages in SP1. The report will be finished by month 18. Responsibility: As assigned previously.
Risk characterisation protocol (D17):
Several lines of thought have emerged within INTARESE about possible protocols related to risk characterisation. A comparison of those approaches has lead to a fairly uniform view on how different approaches can be combined in an integrated way, where the best parts of each approach can be utilised. KTL will finalise a manuscript of an participatory risk assessment protocol. This will be improved by causal modelling (by USTUTT) and outcome indicator panels (by RIVM). The method development will be performed with intensive collaboration, as researchers from KTL, RIVM, and USTUTT will join together in Kuopio for a few weeks and apply the methods on a case study around month 17. The current draft of D17 will be revised based on this work. The protocol will be developed in collaboration with another EU-funded project BENERIS (Benefit-risk assessment for food: an iterative value-of-information approach, www.beneris.eu). Food-related case studies will be performed in Beneris, and selected approaches will be tested there. Responsibility: KTL.
Guidance and feedback:
The methodology report and protocol will be distributed to SP3. Each WP3.X should utilise one or more of the methods described in the methodology report D18. Technical guidance will be given to this by WP1.4 when necessary. However, the methods are not novel in the sense that they have been used elsewhere before, but it is important to practice them and gain experience. On the other hand, the protocol described in D17 is a new way of doing risk assessments, and there is both practical and scientific merit in applying it in the policy assessments. Therefore, there will be a strong emphasis on developing, distributing, and applying the protocol in case studies, guiding in its use, and collecting feedback from its applicability within WP1.4 and from WP3.X. This protocol forms the backbone of the risk assessment. The first draft of the protocol, as well as a short practical guide for implementing it are almost ready, and they will be distributed on month 14. To facilitate guidance and feedback, each workpackage in SP3 will be assigned to a partner from WP1.4, who is responsible for the immediate guidance and feedback. When possible, these contact partners are the same as contacts between WP3.X and WP4.1 or WP4.2. A report about the feedback will be produced by KTL, RIVM, and INVS.
KTL: overall guidance; WP3.5, WP3.7 (WP3.1) IC: 3.4 RIVM/MNP: WP3.2 USTUTT: WP3.3, WP3.6 UU: WP3.1
After the work with case studies has really started and the need for immidiate guidance and support diminishes, the focus will be moved to the efficiency of doing risk assessments. Novel ways to combine assessments will be developed and tested within WP1.4 and offered to be used by WP3.X. This will probably be a major effort during the latter part of months 13-30.
Implementing the protocol within the Toolbox
WP1.4 will work closely with WP4.1 and WP4.2 to help develop the INTARESE Toolbox. Especially the protocol developed here will hopefully form an important part of the toolbox. Some of the risk characterisation tools have been created using the Mediawiki program. The interfaces between this program and the programs used in SP4 Toolbox development will be combined when useful and possible. This work will start during the intensive collaboration period in Kuopio around month 17. Responsibility: KTL, UTSUTT
DELIVERABLES
D17 Risk characterisation protocol D18 Risk characterisation methodology report DXX Feedback report D49 Revised risk characterisation methodology
MILESTONES AND EXPECTED RESULTS
M22 Interface and implementation of risk characterisation in the Toolbox (within Interim Toolbox design) MXX 3rd Presentation and agreement on methodology and development strategy
