2,637 research outputs found
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Public policy that does the right thing rather than the wrong thing righter
Motivated by the reprisal of âwicked problemsâ in Australian public policy discourse we make the case for understanding climate change adaptation, water and river managing, and other complex, uncertain, natural resource issues as âwicked problemsâ. This âframingâ of social planning dilemmas dates back 40 years yet public policy practitioners still do not seem well equipped in terms of understandings and practices to engage with these situations and to effect systemic improvements. Drawing on a decade of research in Europe we make the case for investing in social learning as an alternative governance mechanism and as a form of praxis for managing in âwicked problemâ situations. We outline our main research findings to explain how we understand and enact social learning. In doing so, we also draw on the Open University UKâs 35 years of experience of teaching systems thinking and practice for managing âwicked problemsâ. We conclude by opening up an invitational space to explore the commonalities and differences in research on social learning with that on deliberative practices and governance
Dare we jump off Arnstein's ladder? Social learning as a new policy paradigm
Participation is now a central consideration of policy discourses at EU; national and local levels, particularly in relation to environmental resources. As it becomes a social expectation so the form, meaning and purpose of participation has diversified. While Arnsteinâs ladder of citizen participation (Arnstein, 1969) revealed that much âparticipationâ does little to broker a reassignment of power, this paper argues that it is perhaps time to jump off the ladder. In doing so, we suggest that an emphasis on social learning constitutes a paradigm shift in the thinking and practices of policy-making.
Our rationale is based on findings from several research projects on social learning for water resource management in the EU and UK. These suggest conventional policy responses to environmental problems (regulation; fiscal instruments; information) are only effective where there is pre-existing agreement on the nature of the problem and its resolution. In practice, many resource management issues are best described as âmessesâ (Ackoff, 1974), with high degrees of interdependency; complexity; uncertainty; and multiple stakeholding.
These characteristics challenge notions of participation because no single group can pinpoint with confidence the nature of the problem and its solution. We explore how the term social learning rather than participation more accurately embodies the new kinds of roles, relationships and sense of purpose which will be required to progress complex, messy issues. The discussion leads to the conclusion that social learning can be understood as an emerging governance mechanism to promote concerted action, thereby enabling transformation of complex natural resource management situations
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River basin planning project: social learning (Science Report SC050037/SR1)
This report documents the findings of a 12-month Environment Agency science project on social learning for river basin planning. Our aim was to use social learning approaches and soft system methods to inform the development of the River Basin Planning Strategy and improve the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's Water Framework Directive (WFD) Programm
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Supporting Water Governance and Climate Change Adaptation Through Systemic Praxis
Understanding and working with multiple perspectives on issues of change is an essential part of managing âcommon poolâ water resources. In uncertain and complex situations arising from changes in human settlements and climate, both lives and livelihoods can be at stake. One individualâs or groupâs choices can adversely affect others and traditional processes of participation and legislation are often inadequate. Discourse on environmental law recognises that noncompliance with legislation is associated with weak national governance structures. A systemic approach to managing change is required to appreciate interconnections among issues at various levels and to mediate different stakeholdings. Yet there are no blueprints for effecting systemic transformations of complex situations. This paper explores how the implementation of climate change adaptation can be supported when grounded in situations, such as water governance. It draws on the authorsâ experiences of systemic praxis in the water sector
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Partnerships for action in river catchment governance. A case study in the Irwell, UK.
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