INGSA Case Studies
What are INGSA Case Studies?
We have found that Case Studies are often most effective for encouraging people to extend and adapt their thinking about the complexities of policy-making and the provision of knowledge into that process. Using interactive and engaging scenarios enables people to step outside their own experience, build empathy for others, and provides tools for thinking outside the box on problems and solutions.
INGSA Case Studies are free to use and adapt for training or teaching – they are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.
What Case Study should I use?
Scroll down to view the list of case studies, or use the search function below to search by key themes.
Case Studies span a broad range of themes, situations, and stakeholders – many of them cut across several key issues, like most complex problems. In terms of format, INGSA Case Studies fall into a range of styles:
Fictional
Imaginary scenarios to illuminate some of the complexity of the issues faced at the science/policy/society nexus.
Sufficiency of Evidence
Imaginary scenarios prioritising questions of how decision-making changes as the evidence-at-hand changes. Excellent at underscoring the pressures faced by policy-makers in making decisions on limited information, managing and communicating risk and uncertainty.
Simulations
Gamified case studies encouraging participants to take on character roles with motivations and aims. Great for longer workshops to explore the complexities of mixing evidence, policy, society and personalities in decision-making.
Historical
These dissect real world historical issues and aim to providing a deeper understanding of issues that people might already be aware of.
How do I use a Case Study?
Case Studies are designed to be anything from 3 hours to 2 days – but you don’t have to use them as designed. The scenarios can be readily adapted to your own format, or simply used as inspiration for a discussion or teaching outcome.
They are not designed to have a ‘right’ answer or any particular outcome – the point is to explore the complexities and trade-offs in making any decision in a contested situation. It is more important to explore WHY decisions are made rather than the details of the decision itself.
Some of the Case Studies come with Mentor Notes that provide some guidance on the format or key questions to ask participants.
Fictional
All of these cases cut across a range of major issues such as technology, health, and diplomacy. They are grouped according to their primary theme, but be aware that appropriate cases for your needs might be listed under other themes.
Society / Social
| Case Study | English | Español | Français | Português |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Estrela – Internal Displacement, Climate Change and Planning | Download | |||
| Resourcia – Immigration, Labour and Social Cohesion in a resource town | Download | |||
| Midgaze – Armed rebellion and social reintegration of ex-combatants | Download | Download | ||
| Kassemble – Integrating traditional techniques in education to fight unemployment and poverty | Download | Download | ||
| Njagala – Youth and Social Media | Download | |||
| Rawhitia – Healing psychological trauma after civil war through education | Download | |||
| Terremotia – Folk knowledge and the understanding of risk | Download | Download | ||
| Orangeria – Mobilising social science expertise to reduce crime | Download | Download | Download | |
| Ileojogbon – Legislating homosexuality | Download | |||
| Mulikamee – Fighting unemployment, emigration and radicalisation | Download | Download |
Technology
| English | Español | Français | Português | |
| Saraterra – Cybersecurity in the age of the quantum computer | Download | Download | ||
| Innovandia – Smart city networks and AI for solving societal problems | Download | |||
| Gonswana – Food insecurity and new technologies | Download | Download | ||
| Tangeria – Gene-editing and climate response | Download | Download | Download | |
| Carboneria – Competing technology-based economic proposals with multiple stakeholders | Download |
Public Health
| English | Español | Français | Português | |
| Freudania – Youth Mental Health | Download | |||
| Amplesia – Childhood obesity: science, economics and local knowledge – Asia variant | Download | |||
| Islandia – Childhood obesity: science, economics and local knowledge – Pacific Island variant | Download | Download | ||
| Afristan – Health, Nutrition and Public Policy | Download | |||
| Swamperia – Future technology in the fight against malaria | Download | Download | ||
| Nicoteria – e-Cigarettes as a public health strategy | Download | |||
| Panderia – Pandemics, panics and international borders | Download | Download | Download |
Environment
| English | Español | Français | Português | |
| Pulpinea – Trade-offs: the biodiversity vs the economy | Download | |||
| Coralesia – Biodiversity, Sustainability & Indigenous | Download | |||
| Rhodécar – Creating jobs by valuing waste | Download | Download | ||
| Abron – Future marine resources in a post-oil economy | Download | |||
| Doumbelane – Mobilisation of water and land resources for food security | Download | Download | Download | |
| Jibaji – Construction of a dam and governance of water resources | Download | Download | Download | |
| Alterra – Air quality and energy | Download | Download |
Sufficiency of Evidence Cases
Staged cases with evolving scenarios. Participants are given sections of the case study at different points in the workshop. Discussion takes place after each section is handed out.
It is recommended NOT to let participants see the case study in advance.
Simulation Cases
These are longer form cases with unique game-play mechanisms.
IMPORTANT: These simulation case studies are made up of several files, so make sure you download all the files for each case study.
Simulation Case Studies
| English | |
| World Build – INGSA-GESDA Quantum Technology Simulation Game – Governance of Revolutionary Technology | File 1 – Background File 2 – Facilitation Guide File 3 – Workshop Resources |
Historical Cases
Real world examples of complex issues where science advice played a critical role – for good or bad.
Enable participants to engage with a situation they might be familiar with in order to explore complexities or perspectives they might not have previously considered
Historical
| English | Español | Français | |
| Shale Gas/Fracking – In Pursuit of Solid Ground: Understanding the evidence on shale gas extraction in Canada Case Study by: The Council of Canadian Academies. | Download | ||
| HIV/AIDS – Duesberg, Mbeki and AZT: When contentious science meets contentious politics. | Download | ||
| Glyphosate – Regulating glyphosates amidst health, economic, and public concerns about Genetic Modification | Download | ||
| Fukushima – What can be learned about regulation, planning, and communication in an unfolding emergency? | Download | ||
| Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Transferable model or cautionary tale? | Download | Download |
