Establishing the Enabling
Conditions For Ecosystem-based
Governance
Stephen B. Olsen
Change Island
August, 2006
Management or Governance?
Management is the process by which human and
material resources are harnessed to achieve a known
goal within a known institutional structure.
Governance addresses the policies, laws and
institutions by which a set of issues are addressed.
Governance questions the fundamental goals, the
institutional processes and the structures that are the
basis for planning and decision-making. Governance
sets the stage within which management occurs.
Ecosystem-based Governance
FROMTOIndividual speciesEcosystemsSmall spatial scaleMultiple scalesShort-term per
From: Lubchenco (1994) in Sherman and Duda (1999)
The Governance Cycle
Formalization
Implementation
Program
Preparation
Issue
Assessment
Evaluation
Begin with a Governance Baseline
• What is the long term trajectory of ecosystem
change?
– A timeline (pressure, state, response)
– Trends in the condition of important resources and
society
– What have the issues been?
– What was the response?
– What were the results?
– How did we get to where we are today?
– What are the issues today?
The Two Threads of
Adaptive Governance
The Two Threads of
Adaptive Governance
The Two Threads of
Adaptive Governance
What About the Outcomes?
• What are the most critical results that
bridge the gap between planning and
implementation?
• What is the evidence of success when
implementing a program?
• How do we assess the impacts of
implementing an ecosystem governance
program?
Preconditions for Governance
• Goals that appeal to the values and
desires of the people of the place
• Constituencies that understand and
actively support the program
• Capacity to practice adaptive governance
• Commitment from government as the
delegation of necessary authority and
funds
Implementation Is Behavior
Change
• Changes in the behavior of key institutions
• Changes in the behavior in target user
groups
• Changes in investments:
• Sustained financing of governance
processes
• Necessary infrastructure
• Strengthened capacity
Achievement of Goals
• Targets for selected societal qualities
• Targets for selected environmental
qualities
AND
• Strengthened governance capacity
• Strengthened linkages across scales
• A growing stewardship ethic
Sustainable Forms of Development
• A dynamic balance between human
society and a living planet
• Equity
• The replacement of quantitative expansion
(growth) with qualitative improvement
(development)
The Four Orders of Coastal Governance
Outcomes
National
ale
Sc
Regional
Local
1st ORDER: Enabling
Conditions
Formalized mandate with
implementing authority;
Management plans
adopted;
Intermediate
End
Outcomes
Outcomes
2nd ORDER:
Changes in Behavior
3rd ORDER:
The Harvest
Changes in behavior of
institutions and stakeholder
groups;
Funding secured;
Changes in behaviors
directly effecting resources
of concern;
Constituencies present at
local and national levels.
Investments in
Infrastructure
Some social and/or
environmental qualities
maintained, restored or
improved.
Time
Source: Adapted from Olsen et al. 1998.
4th ORDER:
Sustainable Coastal
Development
A desirable and dynamic
balance between social and
environmental conditions
is achieved.
A Philosophy of
Go to the Participation
people,
live among them,
learn from them,
love them.
Start with what they know,
build on what they have;
but of the best leaders,
when their task is accomplished,
their work done,
the people will remark:
‘We have done it ourselves.’
THANK YOU
The Attributes of a Good
Steward
• Intimately understands, and loves, the
place and its people
• Works for the greater good, not
personal gain
• Takes the long view
• Accepts the risks and responsibilities of
leadership
• Is accountable for her actions