Department Environmental Social Sciences
Second Series of Cartoons: Competencies at the Science–Policy Interface
Bringing together actors from science and policy is crucial for addressing today’s pressing challenges — from climate change to biodiversity loss and social inequities. But effective dialogue at the Science–Policy Interface (SPI) requires more than knowledge. It takes a set of competencies that are often invisible: listening carefully, recognizing diverse roles, navigating complexity, engaging at the right time and in the right place.
This second series of cartoons illustrates these competencies in a playful yet thought-provoking way. Each scene highlights what it takes to collaborate meaningfully across different worlds, sparking recognition, reflection, and maybe a smile.
Background of the second cartoon series
This second series of cartoons was developed from the Competencies Framework for the Science–Policy Interface (Dettwiler, D., Salomon, H., Piessens-Siegrist, M., Last, L., Zhang, J. & Hoffmann, S., in review). The framework identifies four key competencies essential for meaningful engagement: cognitive, spatial-temporal, relational, and reflexive competencies. These competencies enable actors from science, policy, and practice to navigate complexity, choose the right time and place for dialogue, build trust and networks, and reflect on their own roles and power dynamics.
The cartoons bring these dimensions to life in playful but thought-provoking scenes. They illustrate challenges such as navigating wicked problems, tailoring communication, identifying power dynamics, and reflecting on one’s role.
Usage of the cartoons
- General use: The cartoons can be used under a Creative Commons license for non-commercial purposes (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) provided that the following source is cited: © Eawag and WFSC & PSC : Jialin Zhang, Sabine Hoffmann, Luisa Last & Monika Piessens-Siegrist; Stückelberger Cartoons: Christof Stückelberger, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- Cartoon exhibition: The cartoons can be exhibited free of charge in different contexts in the future. If you would like to organize an exhibition of the cartoons, the source/authors (see above) must be named, and two introductory posters must be used. For more details, please send an email to Jialin Zhang or Sabine Hoffmann.
The research behind the second cartoon series
The cartoons are part of the ETH Joint Initiative Engage: Evidence-based dialogue on trade-offs in wicked societal problems (2023–2026) and build on:
Dettwiler, D., Salomon, H., Piessens-Siegrist, M., Last, L., Zhang, J. & Hoffmann, S. (in review). Building Capacity at the Science–Policy Interface: A Competencies Framework. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
