In the first phase of the project (2023-2025), the scientists at the Sorbian Institute will lay the necessary content-related and organizational foundations for the language planning process for the Lower Sorbian language. This detailed scientific inventory is based on the experience that there have already been several attempts to institutionalize such language planning for the Sorbian languages, but these have not been successfully completed and have not been implemented in practice. By taking a close look at the social and political mechanisms underlying language revitalization, targeted measures and formats can be developed. In addition, the constellation of actors in Sorbian institutions and committees has changed in recent years due to new appointments. The aim of the inventory is to compile basic data and information on the situation of the Lower Sorbian language in such a way that it is equally available to all those involved in the process as a basis for discussion and decision-making. To this end, research on the development of the Lower Sorbian language over the last three decades will be summarized and evaluated. In addition, international examples of successful revitalization efforts will be analysed and the results integrated into the participation process.

The actual dialog process, as part of which the Serbska rěcna strategija is to be developed, will take place from July 2025. It builds directly on the scientific review. The procedure provides for three parallel processes, which on the one hand enable broad participation of the language community and other relevant stakeholders, but at the same time should also take appropriate account of scientific knowledge. The building blocks are the two committees (Strategy Group and Advisory Board), planning and future workshops and an online dialog.

The strategy group meets at regular intervals, approximately once a quarter, and jointly develops the foundations of a Lower Sorbian language plan based on the results of the accompanying research, the workshops and the online dialog. The consultations are prepared, moderated and followed up by the project team. The results of open discussions are documented and prepared in such a way that formulations are produced that can be adopted by the committee. The decision-making rules are determined by the committee itself.

Two further participation formats are also being considered. On the one hand, topic-related planning or future workshops are to be held in which specific problems can be dealt with in more detail (e.g. to improve contact between Lower Sorbian speakers and pupils, to support parents, to further develop adult education, to use the language in business, to create virtual language spaces). This allows specific problem areas to be analyzed with the involvement of those affected, interested parties and experts, and recommendations for action to be jointly developed, formulated and coordinated. The workshops are prepared, moderated and followed up by the project team. The results are documented, prepared as recommendations for action and submitted to the strategy group.

Another tool is the online dialog. This is aimed very broadly at the language community and interested citizens and serves to discuss fundamental positions and gain an opinion. In such a dialog, elements of open debate can be combined with voting. For example, general preferences and positions can be determined and queried. This concerns strategic options such as focusing teaching on a small number of schools and thus creating a small number of better-trained speakers versus spreading out to ensure access. In addition, opinion patterns and typical argumentation patterns can be recorded (e.g. attitudes towards language (“language prestige”) or opinions on revitalization).

In the final project phase (2028-2031), the Serbska rěcna strategija developed by the strategy group in the previous project phase will be implemented. The tasks of this implementation phase include communicating the Serbska rěcna strategija to the public, testing the measures, establishing continuous monitoring and updating the language strategy.