Learning from stories, and especially from your own story! That’s what Rijkswaterstaat asked us to help them with. Because Rijkswaterstaat understands the power of stories and is passionate about applying them. Rijkswaterstaat is not only serious about spreading the word but also has an active story-learning team. Commissioned by Rijkswaterstaat’s learning and innovation department, we developed a narrative-based learning method for scaling up innovations. There are plenty of innovative solutions for a sustainably safe, livable, and accessible infrastructure in our country, but their large-scale implementation is a challenge. The reasons for this challenge are often human in nature. For example, it can be difficult to navigate the jungle of regulations; policy and implementation are often two separate worlds; collaboration internally and externally is hampered by a complex interplay of forces. Ultimately, it’s always people who are willing to change and initiate that change. Then it’s helpful to build on the experiences of changemakers who came before us. That’s why we’ve modeled the Rijkswaterstaat journey from innovation to implementation on the Journey of all Journeys: Homer’s Odyssey.

With the narrative-based learning method, we uncover human reflexes and patterns. We do this by considering all perspectives. By gathering stories, reflecting together, identifying pain points, and designing a path forward, RWS can learn and adjust. Because when you look in the narrative mirror, a person sees so much more. You see not only yourself, but also what’s happening above, beside, below, and behind you. This broadens your own perspective and fosters greater mutual understanding. That is the gateway to the path of implementation.