Monday 1st June 2026, 13:00 – 14:00 BST
Presenter: Linda Lammensalo (CECAN Fellow)
Webinar Overview:
Robust policymaking requires managing epistemic uncertainty, that is, understanding what evidence decisions are built upon, what uncertainties accompany it, and where critical knowledge gaps lie.
Traditional expert consultations follow the question-and-answer logic of science advice: researchers respond to questions policymakers already know to ask. But what if the questions themselves are wrong, or built on flawed assumptions?
Science Sparring employs policy red teaming
To respond to these challenges, the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters has co-developed, together with ministries, a knowledge brokering model called Science Sparring. It is inspired by red teaming, which has been used in intelligence and foresight. The idea is that a multidisciplinary group of researchers review and comment on early policy drafts from the perspective of scientific evidence and expertise.
Rather than answering predefined questions, researchers are invited to probe the evidence base, expose hidden assumptions, and surface knowledge gaps policymakers did not know existed. The process simulates an adversarial science-policy environment, but in a constructive setting designed to generate policy-relevant insights at the stage when meaningful adjustments are still feasible.
The model has been tested with ten ministries, and Finland’s government consultation guide has recommended its wider adoption in policy preparation processes. It has also been recognised internationally as a promising new knowledge brokering method (Nature, 2024).
Join the conversation
This webinar is an invitation to reflect together on what it means to build more robust policies in conditions of uncertainty and the role knowledge brokering models can play in doing so. Presenter Linda Lammensalo will share what she has learned from organising Science Sparrings in practice, including what works, what is difficult, and what remains genuinely open. There will be room to discuss and explore how the logic of policy red teaming might be adapted to different policy contexts and institutional cultures.
Join us for this session to participate in the conversation on how science-policy collaborations might be reimagined: not as a one-way supply of answers, but as a shared process of questioning assumptions, uncertainties, and knowledge gaps, before decisions are finalised.
Presenter Biography:
Linda is a knowledge broker with a keen interest in improving how knowledge translates into policy and facilitating science-policy collaborations. With a background in sustainability, she focuses on finding innovative and systemic solutions to complex sustainability challenges. She specialises in facilitating dialogues, stakeholder engagement, and project management.
In her current role at the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Linda is responsible for stakeholder engagement initiatives and developing an interactive science-policy concept called Science Sparring. It is a model for policy red teaming designed to address systemic policy issues.
Previously, Linda worked at the University of Helsinki, focusing on the science-policy interface for sustainability transformation. There, she coordinated the work of the Finnish Expert Panel on Sustainable Development, a national science panel that promotes the role of sustainability sciences in policymaking. Her professional experience spans also work with the EU, and various international and non-governmental organisations.
Linda holds a Master’s in Global Sustainability from the University of Helsinki and an MA Honours Degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
How to Join:
This talk will take place via a Zoom Webinar – please click here to register for a place.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Cover image by Aleksi Kylmälahti / Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, used with permission.