In 2019, the Dutch nitrogen crisis emerged after the Dutch legislation on nitrogen pollution (PAS) was dismissed by the Dutch Raad van State. The crisis resulted in large scale demonstration by farmers and lingering uncertainty in the Dutch business sector. From an ecological perspective the current policy approach is limited as it focusses primarily on reducing the inflow of nitrogen to Natura 2000 areas. Widening the policy approach to better represent the ecological side of the nitrogen crisis provides alternative ecological solution avenues to resolve the crisis. To this end, a System Dynamics model is constructed that encompasses the nutrient cycles of N and P, as well as a level of ecological complexity. To investigate the model’s behaviour under circumstances of deep uncertainty an Exploratory Modelling and Analysis (EMA) approach is used. The results indicate a large potential for cost reduction and increase of ecological performance by aiming policy at ecological compensation instead of emission reduction. The implementation of ecological measures requires scientific substantiation to be accepted into the regulatory framework. The potential economic and societal benefits of an ecological policy approach should be a strong incentive for policy makers and scientists to develop the empirical knowledge for ecological engineering.

In 2011, Adaptive Delta Management (ADM) was introduced in the Dutch Delta Program as a policy development method to incorporate uncertainty in decision making transparently. Currently, little is known over the functioning of ADM in practice, while this is determining its success. The study explores the application of ADM in Dutch practice. Starting from the scientific foundation of ADM is being researched how ADM is shaped in practice using interviews with actors on the strategy level and the implementation level. The results are analyzed to explore what they mean for the adaptiveness of coping with sea-level rise by Dutch delta management. The research shows that the application of the greater part of the instruments of Adaptive Delta Management (ADM) is not coherent with how they should be applied according to theory. The first difference observed is that adaptation pathway maps in practice are far simpler than prescribed in theory; they only contain the preferential strategy instead of multiple strategies, and no signposts and transfer stations are defined. Secondly, adaptation tipping points are more flexible in practice than is prescribed in theory. The final difference observed is that evaluating strategies in practice has a fixed rhythm, while according to theory, continuous evaluation and recalibration should occur whenever new information comes available. The main implication of these differences is that ADM in practice provides less guidance to policymakers on when and which adjustments of strategies are needed than in theory. Based on the analysis of the similarities and differences between theory and practice, the research found that currently, the governance of ADM in practice in the Netherlands does not enhance adaptation to sea-level rise. The study stresses the importance of taking action to keep the Netherlands safe from sea-level rise now and in the future. Therefore, several recommendations inspired by the theoretical foundation of ADM are proposed to ensure adaptation to sea-level rise is enhanced. The first recommendation aims to ensure that policymakers get insight into the solution space to cope with sea-level rise and understand what measures need to be taken today to keep the long-term solutions open. Furthermore, actors involved in the implementation of strategies (such as regional water authorities, municipalities and water utility companies) should obtain insight into the possible consequences of sea-level rise for their area and know how to incorporate this in decision making.

Scandals in which governmental ADM tools played a role, have recently brought
about political and societal debate about the potential harms to citizens that such automated systems potentially bring. This thesis focuses on ADM systems which contain an AI component. Based on the knowledge gaps perceived,
the main research question for this study is: In public sector AI systems, what are emerging vulnerabilities for citizens and how do these translate into
governance requirements for decision-makers? The approach to answer this question is an adjusted form of Theory Building from Case Study. A layered ’onion model’ presents four relevant contexts to consider for AI System vulnerabilities specifically in the public sector: AI model, Model deployment, Political-administrative, and Societal. The case study results demonstrate that dealing with vulnerabilities in one of the four model contexts often complicates dealing with vulnerabilities in the other contexts. Hence, the vulnerabilities model points to so-called governance requirements dilemmas.

This Master Thesis project was the last assignment in obtaining a MSc degree in Science Communication at the Delft University of Technology. The focus of the project was on finding fitting leadership styles, structures, or behaviors that stimulate learning and help develop a learning mindset in a transdisciplinary collaboration context.To deal with the increasing complexity and urgency of societal issues – such as the aging population, climate change, and the energy transition – a new collaboration revolution has taken shape. This revolution, also referred to as convergence, is still very new. Articles available on what convergence, and the transdisciplinary collaboration as the new collaboration type therein entail, are rather vague and abstract. The HOW of the matter is not yet clear. Learning is inextricably linked to transdisciplinary collaboration due to its novelty. However, explicit attention has not been given to building in learning and a learning mindset in relation to transdisciplinary collaboration. Leadership and learning have had an existing link in literature, but have not been regarded in a setting of transdisciplinary collaboration. Taking leadership into account will enable the formulation and implementation of more concrete actions to move away from a still rather vague idea of transdisciplinary collaboration and towards actionable steps. Therefore, the combination of transdisciplinary collaboration, learning, and leadership is not only interesting and relevant from a research point of view but it will also directly influence the effectivity of convergence endeavors of the Erasmus Medical Centre (EMC), Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR), and Delft University of Technology (TUD) that are currently taking place. Research on the relation between transdisciplinary collaboration, learning, and leadership has not been conducted, and thus forms the main focus of this Master Thesis project. The main research question therefore is: What leadership styles, structures, or behaviors, suited for the transdisciplinary collaboration context of the Digital Twin project of the Health & Technology branch of the Convergence Agenda of the Erasmus Medical Centre, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, and the Delft University of Technology, stimulate and facilitate learning and help develop a learning mindset?Based on an extensive literature study, a qualitative study composed of semi-structured interviews with people involved in My Digital Twin – one of the flagships of the Health & Technology theme of the Convergence agenda of the TUD, EUR, and EMC – and analysis of the qualitative data using structural coding in Atlas Ti 9, core elements of transdisciplinary collaboration and core elements of learning in a transdisciplinary collaboration context were found. Based on these elements, a long list of appropriate behaviors for leaders to portray to stimulate learning or work towards transdisciplinarity was established. Appropriate leadership styles and structures were concluded to be rotational distributed leadership consisting of formal and informal leaders. The discussion shows ideas for tools to stimulate learning and help develop a learning mindset, discusses the quality of the research, and provides recommendations for future research.Key words: transdisciplinarity, transdisciplinary collaboration, learning, leadership, duality, distributed leadership, convergence

To provide insight into factors that play a role for DT in the humanitarian sector, a combination of literature and expert interviews was used to identify relevant criteria for the humanitarian sector. In accordance with prevailing literature, these factors have been categorised in people, process and technology factors. People factors include leadership, human resources, culture, organisational structure. Process factors were: alignment operations & IT, long term commitment Management, long term commitment network, long term commitment donor, crisis response, Legal issues. Finally, technology factors included both data and digital. The identified critical DT factors were translated into an assessment framework making use of the CMMi Maturity Model approach. For each factor and maturity level combination, there is an explanation of what a humanitarian organisation has to comply with, before advancing to the next level. This ensures that national societies can generate an overview where they currently are and what steps to take to advance. To adequately deal with the barriers and increase practical applicability of the framework, separate barrier-overcoming-strategies have been formulated.

Disinformation is a problem that has become more relevant over the past years. Also the European Union tried and is trying to deal with this problem by introducing multiple policy actions. However, the impact and usefulness of these policies is not clear. This thesis uses a combination of stakeholder analysis, interviews and systems thinking to assess the impact of current policies the reduce the spread and production of disinformation. This assessment serves to further improve current and future policy actions. Results from the analysis indicate that current policy actions are not focused on the root causes of the production and spread, and can be improved, among other things, by introducing regulation, making policies more goal-oriented and being more clear about policies in terms of content.