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Sit down, look back: reflections on adaptive management in south eastern Australia

Sit down, look back: reflections on adaptive management in south eastern Australia. Researcher Catherine Allan BAgSc, Melb; MNat Res, UNE. Principal Supervisor Dr Allan Curtis. overview. context adaptive management how can we better use adaptive management? research method

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Sit down, look back: reflections on adaptive management in south eastern Australia

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  1. Sit down, look back: reflections on adaptive management in south eastern Australia

  2. Researcher Catherine Allan BAgSc, Melb; MNat Res, UNE Principal Supervisor Dr Allan Curtis

  3. overview • context • adaptive management • how can we better use adaptive management? • research method • findings • policy and management implications

  4. context • natural resource management (nrm) • regional scale • command and control • “Silent Spring” • Rio Earth Summit • change from harvest to sustainabilty

  5. complexity • uncertainty • management gridlock

  6. adaptive management Learning from implementing policies and strategies

  7. “Strategic planning for environmental management is increasingly common at the local and regional scale in Australia… Most of these strategic planning processes make use of the adaptive management approach.” State of the Environment Report 1998

  8. passive adaptive management • implementation focused • review • conventional management

  9. active adaptive management • learning focused • implementation designed to test hypotheses • ecosystem experiments • multi-player / participatory • paradigm shift from conventional

  10. promises of active adaptive management • manage despite uncertainty • manage despite complexity • efficient learning • flexibility • democratic

  11. But… practice theory

  12. How can the outcomes of adaptive management be improved at the regional scale? • Is adaptive management achieving its potential? • Is adaptive management possible / feasible with • current social norms and institutional frameworks? • What can be done in a social / institutional • context to use adaptive management more • effectively?

  13. the research • qualitative approach • case studies • Adaptive Management Areas • in the Pacific North West, USA • North East Salinity Strategy • Heartlands (Billabong)

  14. data creation • document review • semi-structured interviews • focus group • participant observation • transcriptions • data handled using NVivo

  15. categorical content analysis

  16. metaphor analysis • sporting metaphors • a team player • lift our game • win-win situation • competing • on-side • playing the game • scoring points

  17. Metaphorical concepts • nrm is like a game • projects are like games • politics is like a game

  18. Is adaptive management achieving its potential? No

  19. passive adaptive management (NESS) • review / evaluation • tacked on • poorly resourced • audits take precedence • separate implementation and research • poor mechanisms for using learnings

  20. active adaptive management (Billabong) • Simmons Creek constrained by • funding type • short term project • rest of project good implementation • reports equal audits • evaluation tacked on, but • developing mechanisms for sharing learning

  21. Is adaptive management possible / feasible within current social norms and institutional frameworks?

  22. Got to keep moving nrm is like a journey projects are like journeys activities are like journeys

  23. Got to sell communication is like selling

  24. Got to have control nrm is like a building with doors communities are like ladders money is like a stream information is like a stream “The Government wants to keep an eye on what’s being spent. The pressure is on you guys.”

  25. Got to see well nrm is a picture projects are pictures

  26. Got to maintain institutions politics is like war projects are like military campaigns projects are like boats projects are like living things • NESWG vs Implementation Committees

  27. Got to be comfortable • self deception • defensive routines • comfort of spurious certitude

  28. implications • learning is cessation of movement • selling needs confidence, not questioning • control requires demarcation and narrow focus • complexity requires reduction to promote clarity • institutional management has top priority • ways will be found to avoid learning

  29. What can be done in a social / institutional context to use adaptive management more effectively?

  30. adaptive management? yes no passive? active? informed decisions

  31. improve passive adaptive management • foster reflection • improve evaluation • plan for it • evaluate as well as audit • information systems • value different ways of knowing • use learning in planning

  32. adaptive management? yes no passive? active? informed decisions

  33. improve active adaptive management • commit • increase understanding • information, networks • broaden metaphorical basis of nrm • examine assumptions

  34. share learning and knowledge • foster learning institutions • encourage social learning

  35. let go • more flexibility in activities • place targets in a broader context • reward learning and sharing • accept that things may not be known • manage systems, not parts

  36. Policy is an experiment: learn from it

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