The municipality of Heligoland was faced with the question of which projects should have priority in the future and how the island wanted to develop strategically. Instead of traditional committee meetings, the mayor deliberately opted for a moderated workshop process outside of the usual political routines. The aim was to develop a common framework, clarify priorities and formulate a resilient perspective for the coming years.
TePm took responsibility for the content and methodology. We developed the workshop design, collected and clustered project ideas and prepared them in comparable profiles. Technical and economic backgrounds were presented in such a structured way that an objective comparison was possible. In addition to moderating the workshop, we contributed our technical assessment and created a sound basis for decision-making for politicians and administrators.
Especially in a politically sensitive environment with different interests, a protected and trusting framework was crucial. Our close ties to Heligoland and our many years of experience with the island’s special infrastructural and technical features had a stabilizing effect here. Our knowledge of local conditions, the constellation of players and historical developments made it possible to classify discussions and conduct them constructively.
The end result is not only an agreed list of priorities as a guideline for action. The process has also strengthened trust between politics and administration and opened up new areas for discussion. For us, the sustainable and sensitive further development of Heligoland’s infrastructure has long been more than just a project assignment. It has become a concern of its own, which we support with professional responsibility and genuine solidarity.
Image source: Falmstudios, Jakob Martens
