The aim of the testing workshop was to carry out DSS Toolbox testing, provide feedback and disseminate knowledge about the Invest4Nature project, with a focus on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and ecosystem services valuation. The workshop also provided an opportunity to present the I4N team’s planned activities for the last six months of the project.
The event was conducted according to the planned agenda:
- Opening: Welcome, agenda, and login
- Introduction to Invest4Nature and ecosystem services valuation
- About the DSS Toolbox
- Instructional video
- Work with the DSS Toolbox
- Discussion
- Feedback questionnaire
An additional element was a short address delivered by the Deputy Director of the Department, Agnieszka Górczewska, who emphasised that NbS calculation methods and the valuation of ecosystem services are steps that local authorities will undertake in the near future as part of appropriate valuation, planning, monitoring and decision-making.
The DSS Toolbox session was conducted by the facilitator, who guided participants through the tool’s functionalities with a step-by-step demonstration. The session aimed to introduce the tool, allow participants to complete selected exercises within the limited time and provide an overview to enable them to fill out the feedback questionnaire.
In the “Working with the DSS Toolbox” phase, participants examined a literature-based green-façade case from Portugal, prepared by the Toolbox facilitators. The resulting analysis was discussed, and although not all economic aspects were addressed, the key parameters reviewed gave stakeholders essential insights into when such a façade becomes cost-effective.
A Polish DSS Toolbox instruction was prepared for the workshop to guide participants through the tool’s three main functionalities. Participants also received copies to enable them to test the tool independently after the workshop, particularly if their English proficiency was limited. The link to the instruction (only Polish version): DSS TOOLBOX_instrukcja.pdf
Findings and participant feedback
During the discussion session, participants were asked which key decisions in their projects could potentially be supported by a type of decision-support tool, such as the DSS Toolbox. Their responses highlighted the following areas across the following phases:
Analysis and Design Phase
- Assessing the effectiveness and rationale of the NbS task.
- Determining the most suitable NbS in the project.
- Optimizing and selecting the green zone in combination with a microhub (mobility case).
- For selecting urban spaces for revitalization.
- Optimizing expenses while limiting CO₂ emissions.
Decision Phase
- Budget decisions on task.
- Choosing an NbS best aligned with local conditions; project objectives; project guidelines.
- Decision-making on selecting the intensity of greenery – tree alleys, parks, and others.
Project Preparation & Procedural Compliance Phase
- Preparing the justification part of EU funding applications.
- In phase of Description of the Subject of the Contract and the Tender Specifications.
Monitoring Phase
- Systematic data collection for NbS.
Convincing Decision Makers Phase
- Supporting investment arguments.
- Presenting the benefits of NbS to convince both decision-makers and investors of the value and suitability of the chosen solutions.
- In communication with municipal units and neighborhood councils.
Governance
- Presenting the outputs and value of green projects implemented in the urban courtyard.
- Showing the economic and social benefits of NbS.
Recommendations
- The DSS Toolbox has great potential, but Poznań City Hall currently lacks the necessary expertise and systematically collected data on NbS to utilize the tool.
- The deputy director’s talk on the need for NbS valuation as a future standard reinforced the importance of developing, testing, and training NbS valuation methods.
- The workshop segment presenting the I4N project, NbS, and ecosystem services valuation methods provided participants with a solid understanding of the need for NbS valuation.
- The Performance Assessment tool demonstrated a new way to compare non-monetary benefits and to link specific challenges with the types of NbS that can address them.
- During the testing workshop, basing the cost-benefit analysis on the Portuguese green façade case was valuable, since Poznań City Hall had not yet realized any financial benefits from NbS.
- Preparing the Polish testing instructions facilitated smoother workshop execution, allowing participants to deepen their knowledge afterward.
- The DSS Toolbox two-step registration process caused some difficulties for participants, despite detailed Polish instructions. For testing, a single-step authorization may be preferable, with full security measures applied when commercialized.
- Open Access Before Commercialization – users could be allowed to test the DSS Toolbox for free to evaluate its usability. After this trial period, the tool could be commercialized.
- At present, there is no direct business perspective for the DSS Toolbox within Poznań City Hall.
Highlights
- Participants were very engaged and actively involved in the workshop.
- The practical session with real case studies was particularly engaging.
- Participants had limited awareness of economic terminology but followed and actively discussed the Cost-Benefit Analyzer report.
- Presentations on the I4N project, NbS, and ecosystem services valuation, together with the deputy director’s speech, provided context and highlighted the importance of decision-support tools.
- The 'rainwater project,' implemented by Poznań City Hall, has been carried out, and in the future it could allow for the collection of expenditure data to estimate financial benefits and potential cost savings for urban sewer systems.
- The workshop and the DSS Toolbox itself helped participants gain a better understanding of NbS and move closer to awareness of global NbS valuation standards.
The discussion segment, which examined which key decisions in participants’ projects could potentially be supported by a type of decision-support tool, such as the DSS Toolbox, provided valuable insights into its potential applications.
Open questions that emerged:- How to obtain financial data and quantify NbS benefits?
- How to create and manage relevant databases?
- Methods for monetizing qualitative benefits, e.g., aesthetic improvements or reductions in air pollution.