Innovative approaches to public participation

in environmental decision-making
Maria do Rosrio Partidrio
SENSU - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Concept

Public participation may be defined as the

INVOLVEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
that are POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY affected by,
or that are interested in, a proposed project, program,
plan or policy, that is subject to a decision-making
process

IAIA Public Participation,

International Best Practice Principles, 2006
(www.iaia.org)

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Citizens participation ladder
Arnstein (1969, Journal of the American Planning Association, 35: 216-224)

Citizens
control

Delegation of
power
Participation

Consultation
Information

Manipulation

Public weight in decision-making

What happens in IA still much scope for improvement

http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/ladder-of-citizen-participation.html
 Shift paradigms
From giving information science is not enough
learning processes
traditional knowledge
collaborative processes
Information
Consultation

Stakeholders Decision-makers
Decisores

to asking for views

for creative development

and mutual learning

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Evolving Co-Management Practice: Community-Based Environmental Monitoring
with Tlazten Nation on the John Prince Research Forest
2004
Deanna Yim1, Chris Johnson1, and Erin Sherry2
1University
EIA process and activities.
of Northern British Columbia, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Graduate Program, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9; 2Integrated Land Management Bureau, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Scotia Bank Building, 1011 4th Ave., Prince George, BC.

EIA applications (sessions 5 and 6)

Tlazten Environmental Monitoring
Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Research Objectives

Community-based environmental monitoring (CBEM) is
an approach to achieving effective co-management that
uses bottom-up, community centered methods to
translate local values and beliefs into formal monitoring
frameworks that contribute to improved management
practices
Through CBEM, First Nation communities can realize
local visions of environmental health and contribute to
the sustainable management of resources through
Photo by John Alexis Photo by George Morris Photo by Isaac Felix Our principal objective is to develop and apply community-
Tlazten environmental measures of co-management success are based methods that will allow us to identify and evaluate
being developed for 5 focal plant and animal species representative Tlazten measures of environmental health and
of traditional use activities. These traditional use activities and sustainability. Through a case study with Tlazten Nation
representative species are: and the John Prince Research Forest (JPRF), we will:
1. develop and evaluate a community-based process for
identifying Tlazten environmental measures of co-
management success;
Photo by Doreen Austin Photo by Michael Aslin

culturally relevant means ! Gathering Photo by Nathaniel Tom

! Trapping 2. identify Tlazten environmental measures for 5 plant and
soapberries Beaver animal species that will contribute to the development of a
CBEM builds communities into the co-management Tlazten CBEM system;
framework as an essential component of the feedback
loop that informs current and future management Photo by Mary-Ann Hanson 3. work with Team members to pilot and evaluate a proposed
decisions Photo by Geraldine Joseph
CBEM framework for select Tlazten measures of
Photo by Gloria Johnnie

CBEM can utilize indigenous and scientific knowledge in ! Gathering environmental health and sustainability; and,
huckleberries ! Fishing Salmon
a complimentary manner; co-production of knowledge can
generate a more holistic understanding of the
Photo by Harry Austin
4. assess the challenges and opportunities involved in
environment with benefits to co-management (Berkes 1999) ! Hunting Moose community-based environmental monitoring and recommend
improvements for future projects.
Photo by Mary Lebrun Photo by Violet Prince

Research Design Participatory Research Framework

Celebration
Second FT Develop a
wrap-up dinner Compare Tlazten environmental
Focus Group & Tlazten set of Develop monitoring
Participatory Research with FT and ET measures with those generated by
individual environmental protocols for a sub-
members other First Nations or co-management
Framework & Tlazten interviews measures from set of recommended partnerships.
Welcome & content analysis measures, including
Environmental Measures In-progress of FT and ET
Present
orientation Third FT methods of data Evaluate and suggest modifications
Development Process session to First FT Focus
Methodological feedback. Focus Group collection, sources
completed
Evaluation community to the methods used to develop
the project Group of data, scale of Tlazten measures of co-management
This collaborative research FT In-progress measurement,
products
(collaborative success.
project with Tlazten Nation Establish In-progress Photovoice Community Methodological timeframes, and
book and DVD)
participant Methodological generation Product methods for
uses participatory research ET Retreat
Development
Evaluation to FT and ET Elaborate a set of criteria used to
teams: Evaluation Workshop reporting to JPRF define good environmental measures
methods and seeks to develop -Forest Team (FT) Workshop with FT partners and
members
from an indigenous perspective.
an integrative, adaptable -Elder Team (ET) In-progress and ET members to stakeholders.
Final
Methodological develop
framework for applying Evaluation collaborative Methodological
Assessment,
indigenous and scientific community products modification,
Evaluation Comparison of environmental
knowledge in community- and verification measures with other studies &
Application of proposed
basedINTERNATIONAL
environmental MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CORPORATE
Development of environmental measures of environmental
measures
environmental measures
methodological evaluation of
environmental measure development
monitoring.
RESPONSIBILITY / Professor Maria do Rosrio Partidrio
Environmental Measures Development Process process

Acknowledgements: The authors thank Bev John, Amelia Stark, Annie Anatole, Theresa Austin, Sue Grainger, Dexter Hodder, Forest Team members, Elders Team members, and the Tlazten Nation for their valuable contributions and support. Research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council of Canada through their Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) program, the BC Real Estate Foundation Partnering Fund Grant, and the John Prince Research Forest. Photos were provided by John Alexis, Michael Aslin, Doreen Austin, Harry Austin, Isaac Felix, Mary-Ann Hanson, Geraldine Joseph,
Gloria Johnnie, Mary Lebrun, George Morris, Violet Prince, and Nathaniel Tom. References: Berkes, F. (1999). Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Management. Philadelphia, PA, Taylor & Francis.
http://cura.unbc.ca/jprf.htm
Potential application:
-EIA
-SEA
-Strategies for
Sustainability
-Local Agenda 21
-Spatial and
Development planning

Who is involved?
Stages and Methods
of PP
Benefits of PP
Austrian Manual on PP, 2007
 Stages and Methods of PP
Future vision
Future workshop or conference

Complex situations
Open space conference
Citizen jury

Activating Opinion
High conflict and
Activating opinion survey
controversial situations
Citizen Panel
Consensus conference
Internet Forum
Mediation
Round Table
Austrian Manual on PP, 2007
Roundtable approach
Austria, PP Manual 2007
Social Analysis Systems http://www.sas2.net/
 Public platforms

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sniffer platform

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sniffer platform

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 ASPIS (Games learning based platform)
Awareness memory game
http://www.aspis-learn.eu/images/memory/color_match.html
The sustainability game
http://aspisgame.i-maginary.com/index.html

The wisdom bank

http://www.wisdombank.org.uk/

Sea (Science, Environment, Arts) Communications, Ltd

(social change design agency)
http://refreshing.sea-communications.co.uk/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sea-communications/sets/
https://vimeo.com/17840636

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Sea Communications

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Recommendations

Recommendations for guidance be specific on:

! identify target groups

Whom? groups hard to reach
groups that may hinder
decision
How?
When? as early as possible
when is that?

Forms of communication
(regional or minority languages)

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Recommendations
Change mental model:

Legislation/regulations set minimum standards.... but

much more can be done

Guidance should help to improve practice, not be limited

to execute legal requirements think outside the box!

PP is to provide ideas, options, not only to validate

proposals (limited to comment on proposals)

Public engagement is one of the best mechanisms for

monitoring, particularly in SEA

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST
 Thank you!
mrp@civil.ist.utl.pt

SENSU - Research Group on Strategic Approaches to Environment and Sustainability - DECivil e Arquitectura, IST