The €4,000 in funding will support the expanded use of the Sustainable Decision Finder (SDF) in university settings. This methodology is closely linked to the ECOOPx research project and is designed to improve cooperation and transform conflicts.
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra funds a new development phase of the Sustainable Decision Finder
The Sustainable Decision Finder (SDF) is entering a new phase of development and implementation in the university environment through a two-year project supported by €4,000 in funding awarded under Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s Teaching Innovation Recognition and Support Programme. The project was selected by the UPF Teaching Innovation Committee through a particularly competitive call for proposals.
The SDF is recognised and presented by Universitat Pompeu Fabra as an innovative practice. It is a methodology closely linked to the ECOOPx research project, which focuses on analysing and improving cooperation in diverse contexts, particularly where differences, resistance or potential conflict situations arise.
Over the next two years, the funding will make it possible to expand the application of the SDF in real learning, decision-making and teamwork situations, gather further evidence on how it operates and continue refining the tool.
Applied research and teaching innovation
The project will make it possible to analyse the application of the SDF in the university environment and generate evidence regarding its capacity to improve cooperation, decision-making and conflict management within diverse groups.
This new phase strengthens the connection between the applied research developed through ECOOPx, the work of G-LAB-2B, an independent applied research lab, and teaching innovation at Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
At the same time, the development of a mobile application has begun to facilitate the administration and management of the SDF. The application is expected to become available during the 2026–2027 academic year.
The methodology is also linked to the course Intercultural Cooperation and Transformational Change, taught within UPF’s International Programs.
A different way of making decisions
The Sustainable Decision Finder has been designed to improve decision-making in diverse groups, foster cooperation and reduce the conflicts that may arise when several people need to reach a shared agreement.
Unlike traditional voting systems, which generally focus on identifying the option preferred by the majority, the SDF introduces a different perspective: it asks not only which option each person prefers, but also the degree of resistance each option generates.
In this way, resistance is no longer interpreted solely as an obstacle, but becomes relevant democratic information. This perspective makes it possible to identify tensions that might otherwise remain unnoticed, reveal objections concealed behind a majority decision and detect individual or collective resistance before it develops into conflict.
The objective is not simply to identify the option receiving the most votes, but to determine which option generates the least friction within the group and therefore has the greatest likelihood of being accepted, sustained and implemented cooperatively.
