Ellen M. Donoghue

Social Science Constructs in Ecosystem Assessments: Revisiting Community Capacity and Community Resiliency

This article explores the development of sociological constructs in community assessment components of large-scale ecosystem assessments. We compare the conceptual and operational development of the constructs of community capacity and community resiliency used in three community assessments in the western United States: the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team, the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, and the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project. The policy mandates, research goals, and methodologies of the assessments are considered in order to better understand the evolution of these constructs. We compare the constructs and find them similar in concept but slightly different in application. We suggest further conceptual refinement of community capacity and resiliency by distinguishing foundational assets from mobilizing assets. We present several methodological and theoretical challenges that, if overcome, may increase the effectiveness and relevance of community capacity or community resiliency as constructs in social science research and social assessment projects.

Multiscale Socioeconomic Assessment Across Large Ecosystems: Lessons from Practice

Implementation of ecosystem management projects has created a demand for socioeconomic assessments to predict or evaluate the impacts of ecosystem policies. Social scientists for these assessments face challenges that, while not unique to such projects, are more likely to arise than in smaller scale ones. This article summarizes lessons from our experiences with five socioeconomic assessments associated with ecosystem management projects in the western United States. Progress has been made toward developing appropriate methods to assess socioeconomic conditions at the community level and integrating those data into regional analyses. However, we still lack robust theoretical constructs that link socioeconomic conditions to changes in management policies. Engaging community members, land managers, and policymakers facilitates research and improves the quality of findings. However, inadequate funding and the lack of long-term commitment on the part of natural resource agencies remain key obstacles to integrating socioeconomic assessments into adaptive management efforts.

Contract NGOs in Community-Based Forest Management in the Philippines

Abstract Qualitative research methods were used to assess the effectiveness of contract non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines at providing services, using participatory methods, and building the capacity of community-based forest management (CBFM) groups. The analysis is based on data from four CBFM sites in the Philippines. The findings suggest that contract NGOs have varying degrees of effectiveness at delivering services, using and encouraging participatory methods, and helping build the capacity of CBFM groups. Because the CBFM program was new, it focused on relatively more straightforward technical and planning functions. The high number and technical difficulty of deliverables, coupled with lack of experience in resource management on the part of some contract NGOs, may have contributed to relatively lower performance in service delivery activities. Contract NGOs performed better in the area of participatory methods, reflecting their experience in grassroots and community development. Capacity-building performance was as expected, relative to the participatory and service-delivery categories. Capacity building activities require long-term commitment and unique sets of skills, and are therefore challenging for the NGOs to implement. More attention to designing feasible and effective contracts is needed. Because CBFM is a long-term strategy, we recommend greater levels of support to help groups develop collective interests in forest resource management and build the capacity to satisfy programmatic requirements.