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TRANSCRIPT
Developing enabling
rangelands policies
- a West Australian context
Greg Brennan
Grazing Innovation
Geraldton, WA
Current rangelands scenario in WA
Policies can inadvertently discourage sustainable rangelands management – kangaroos?
Regenerative rangelands management is not commercially attractive (Wang and Hacker 1997)
Degraded rangelands – a characteristic of the ecosystem and a social construction
Rangelands could be socially re-constructed through a process of collaborative policy development
Traditional rangeland governance:
Traditional governance employs regulation, market forces and extension processes
Regulation relies largely on expert knowledge without other stakeholder input and sustains the costs of non-compliance
Market forces frequently fail to deliver desired outcomes
Extension practices have not prevented long-term rangelands degradation
Do we need to begin thinking and acting differently?
Traditional knowledge making by experts
Linear processes with little input from the full range of stakeholders
Ison et al (2011)
Rangeland degradation is a ‘wicked problem’
Rangelands degradation meets the criteria of wicked problems:
Complex
Uncertain
Interdependence between stakeholders
Multiple perspectives leading to conflict
Wicked problem management demands non-traditional processes
Natural resource dilemmas everywhere
Natural resource management dilemmas are being faced everywhere – e.g. climate change
Multiple ecological approaches to managing these dilemmas all demand a people focus with local context
‘Social learning’ can meet the demands for a collaborative people focus with local context
Social Learning for policy development
Social Learning in a policy development context:
• develops knowledge during the act of ‘doing’
• productively harnesses the emotional powers of enthusiasm, collaboration and conflict management
• can engage the collaborative energy of policy makers, researchers and ‘grass root’ implementers
Collaborative knowledge making during
the act of doing with Social Learning
Ison, R., Collins, K., Colvin, J., Jiggins, J., Roggero, P. P., Seddaiu, G., ... Zanolla, C. (2011). Sustainable
catchment managing in a climate changing world: new integrative modalities for connecting policy
makers, scientists and other stakeholders. Water Resources Management, 25(15), 3977 - 3992
Characteristics of Social Learning
Requires a thorough framing of the problem
Expects the unexpected consequences of change
Expects a continuous improvement process
Requires effective dialogue and hence skilful facilitation
Has high front-end costs but is cost-effective long term
Could socially reconstruct rangelands developing
policies to support regenerative management practices
Social Learning can engage multiple
stakeholders in processes of:
Thoroughly framing the problem or issue
Participating in data collection and interpretations
Collaborating in developing recommendations
Adopting the opportunities for Continuous
Improvement and Innovation over time
Socially ‘reconstructing’ the rangelands
with collaborative policy development
If we begin to think differently and act collaboratively
maybe we can socially reconstruct rangelands
by developing enabling policies that support, rather than discourage regenerative management practices
Social Learning can be a threat and an
opportunity for professionals
Social Learning can be employed to socially reconstruct rangelands and:
processes will be messy and confusing and unattractive to rigorous professionals
professionals need to choose between rigour and effectiveness in a people focussed, local context
Social Learning procsess similar to Bestprac process
for Continuous Improvement and Innovation
After Clark et al (2001)
http://www.regional.org.au/au/pdf/asa/2001/clark.pdf
al Learning processes similar to Bestprac process for
Continuous Improvement and Innovation
Opportunity to merge Social Learning
and Bestpac processes
Bestprac employed in Australian rangelands for
two decades
Merge Social Learning with Besprac processes to
develop improving policies with stakeholders
Best implemented at a district level with strong
local context
Will customers drive innovative policy
development?
Customers of quality grass-fed meat are demanding audited animal and land management excellence
Social Learning /Bestprac processes can develop localised Voluntary Codes of Practice
Voluntary Codes of Practice can complement existing rangelands governance; and
Provide access to premium markets demanding premium animal and land management
An imminent threat and opportunities
provide a catalyst for change
Threats of Climate Change and Opportunities for
developing high eating quality, grass-fed meat
provide a catalyst for rapid change
Demands a collaborative approach to policy
development, best initiated at a local level
Combining Social Learning and Bestpac
processes capitalises on current and past
investments in R,D&E
Enabling rangelands policies are
beckoning……
