Overview

Prepared by (Name of the experimenter)

Betty Chemier

On date (Day/Month/Year)

14/02/2024

What portfolio does this activity correspond to? If any

Circular Economy / Iniciativa Mercado Basura Cero (Cero Waste Market Initiative)

What is the frontier challenge does this activity responds to?

Solid Waste Management

What is the learning question(from your action learning plan) is this activity related to?

How can we get various actors and interested parties to promote community action around better management of the waste from the San Felipe Neri Market?

Please list the names of partners mentioned in the previous question:

Municipio de Panama (MUPA) -  Markets direction Mercado San Felipe Neri Fundacion Rescate de Alimentos Recicla Pro tu Futuro Fundacion ANCON

Design

What is the specific learning intent of the activity?

How can we promote community action around better management of the waste from the San Felipe Neri Market?

What is your hypothesis? IF... THEN....

If each actor drives actions and promotes participation in favor of the environmental culture of the market, then more sustainable circular economy initiatives will be promoted that will then allow alliances to be strengthened, and greater integration and community awareness.

Describe which actions will you take to test your hypothesis:

Development of the first community fair around the circularity of the San Felipe Neri Market. Organization of a cultural fair in the urban space of the San Felipe Neri Market and include actors capable of exposing, sell and raise awareness about: safety food, food rescue, bazaar products, culinary activities, gardens urban, among others.

What is the unit of analysis of this experimental activity?

Perception of the “sense of belonging”, number of new formal allies and informals, number of new projects and number of clients/visitors.

Please describe the data collection technique proposed

Conducting perception surveys “sense of belonging” of clients and community, creation of new alliances and new projects and possibly counting of pre- and post clients.

What is the timeline of the experimental activity? (Months/Days)

Organization of event 60 days / Event 2 days

Please upload any supporting images or visuals for this experiment.

Please upload any supporting links

What are the estimated non- monetary resources required for this experiment? (time allocation from team, external resources, etc) If any.

Time allocation of lab team for alliances creation, communication team and content production for the event promotional materials and coverage, equipment for event (tents, speakers, etc - provided by municipality) 

Results

Was the original hypothesis (If.. then) proven or disproven?

Proven

Do you have observations about the methodology chosen for the experiment? What would you change?

Measurement surveys on the sense of belonging were not reached. 

From design to results, how long did this activity take? (Time in months)

2 months

What were the actual monetary resources invested in this activity? (Amount in USD)

No monetary resources were provided by the lab. We estimate the total of resources provided by external actors around $7.000 (communication materials, logistics, equipment, transport, etCc)

Does this activity have a follow up or a next stage? Please explain

Other activities and events have been realized in the market since. We are planning to have a second version of the event considering the learning from the first one (see learning brief in links)

Is this experiment planned to scale? How? With whom?

No. 

Please add any supporting links that describe the planning, implementation, results of learning of this activity? For example a tweet, a blog, or a report. 

Learning

What do you know now about the action plan learning question that you did not know before? What were your main learnings during this experiment?

Identity and cohesion between the market and the Santa Ana neighborhood 1. It is necessary to create the conditions to enjoy public space. The infrastructure of the market square does not promote its use due to the lack of shade. Therefore, this space remained empty despite having furniture for people to they could sit down to eat, since they preferred to eat standing in the shaded area. Public-oriented activities children's (jenga, trampoline, face painting) greatly promoted the use of space and that the public present will prolong their stay. However, the market square requires adaptations so that you can enjoy it in the central hours of the day and lots of sun. For now, the space in the plaza located closest to the main entrance of the market and then expand the use of the square, gradually adapting it to the needs of the public. 2. Fill the neighborhood market: a pending task. Some boys and girls, and people from the community visited the event. local environment. However, there was a lack of greater local participation, so it is key reinforce communication towards the target audience. Distribution of pamphlets and direct dissemination in the multifamily housing near the market (and within the Mercado San Felipe Neri) made it easier for more people they understood that the event occurred in the market square, since this is not uses and is not part of the route of people to enter or leave it. I would be beneficial next time to explore popular media such as radio and local influencers. In part, our networks and the profile of people to whom the invitation arrived they do not correspond with those of those who live in that environment and it is something that had already manifested in focus groups with sellers market and community mapping, but not enough adjustments were made. Food rescue, sustainable gastronomy and circular economy 3. Intentionally and strategically link to other businesses in the market. On the day of the event there was very hot and there was no drink offer at the event, collaborate with a chicha, coconut water or raspao stand In that space it would have been a good opportunity to involve more market shops and offer something refreshing to event visitors. 4. Diversify and localize the gastronomic offer of the event. Although the event was free, the consumption of dishes cost $20.00 for the 5 tasting plates. The complement this option with others closer to small prices ($3.00-$5.00) would have attracted more people surroundings of Santa Ana, since the cost of the tasting was too high for the economic profile (and the tastes) of the Santander population. 5. Propose clear incentives for the participation of people in the market, since the participating tenants make available their time, knowledge and practices, everything which must be recognized.  Create and work in a coordinated way from a network in action to articulate and enhance efforts.  6. Integrate (and coordinate) the event considering other parallel events. In the case of the No Waste Fest, which also coincided with the craft fairs that are held every weekend, week in the market, there was the opportunity to link this fair with the event. On the other hand, the event coincided with the last day of BurgerWeek in Panama, another gastronomic event consolidated in Panama that mobilizes thousands of people, which limited the participation in the market fair. 7. Involve other networks of actors. Mappings related to this issue. Actors participated in the event that are generating solutions for the organic circularity, however, there is potential to give more strength to the participation of these actors if they are links to outreach campaigns with more time and coordination.

What were the main obstacles and challenges you encountered during this activity?

Lack of proper infrastructure for shade at the event place. Lack of proper communications method to involve more directly local population. Driving foot traffic to the event place.

Who at UNDP might benefit from the results of this experimental activity? Why?

Climate Promise team, and all team working on circular economy.

Who outside UNDP might benefit from the results of this experiment? and why?

San Felipe Neri market and the wider market administration for the Municipality of Panama. Understanding the potential of using these gathering places and activation of public space to promote Environmntal culture at public markets as a way to drive both local economy and sensibilization on solid waste management and circular economy.  

Did this experiment require iterations? If so, how many and what did you change/adjust along the way? and why?

No, this was the first iteration. 

What advice would you give someone wanting to replicate this experimental activity?

Consider the key objectives of the festival were:  • Promote a space to raise awareness about the good use of waste, in particularly organic waste. • Highlight the importance of sustainable gastronomy with the support of five recognized local chefs and fonderas of the market, offering recipes prepared based on rescued foods and master classes to teach culinary practices and recipes with rescued organic materials from the market. • Inaugurate the first recycling point of the San Felipe Neri Market in alliance with ReciCla for your Future and ANCON. • Promote the market's sense of identity to encourage integration with its barrio Santa Ana, through gastronomy and an inclusive cultural program. • Highlight local initiatives related to the circular economy.

Can this experiment be replicated in another thematic area or other SDGs? If yes, what would need to be considered, if no, why not?

Yes, community participation and actors' outreach is a technique that can be applied in several other SDG fields.

How much the "sense" and "explore" phases of the learning cycle influenced/shaped this experiment? In hindsight, what would you have done differently with your fellow Solution Mapper and Explorer?

A lot, this was the product of almost a year of sensing and exploring in the Solid Waste Management front. The resulting 4 experiments are the output of the collaborative work of the team. See Attached document above for more details.

What surprised you?

Collaboration between chefs and local fonderas, where the entire participation was of woman from the markets stands.