Erica J. Brown Gaddis

Effectiveness of a participatory modeling effort to identify and advance community water resource goals in St. Albans, Vermont

Natural resource managers face complex challenges in addressing non-point source water pollution. A participatory modeling approach was applied in the St. Albans Bay watershed to identify the most effective phosphorus control options to achieve the load reductions required by the Lake Champlain Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Stakeholders participated in the collection of data in the watershed, model creation, development of policy scenarios, and interpretation of model results. The participatory modeling approach employed in this study led to the identification of new solutions to an old water resource problem regarding phosphorus loads to streams and St. Albans Bay. The modeling process provided a perceived neutral atmosphere for discussing water pollution issues that have historically been divisive and provided participants with greater understanding of local environmental issues and reduced historic conflict among actors. This study highlights the importance of considering the dynamics of social and technical factors in the use of modeling in natural resource planning processes. The approach led to stakeholder agreement about problems and potential solutions generated in the modeling process. As the process ended, local decision makers were moving forward to implement solutions identified to be most cost-effective.

Bridging the gaps between design and use: developing tools to support environmental management and policy

Abstract Integrated assessment models, decision support systems (DSS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are examples of a growing number of computer-based tools designed to provide decision and information support to people engaged in formulating and implementing environmental policy and management. It is recognised that environmental policy and management users are often not as receptive to using such tools as desired but that little research has been done to uncover and understand the reasons. There is a diverse range of environmental decision and information support tools (DISTs) with uses including organisational and participatory decision support, and scientific research. The different uses and users of DISTs each present particular needs and challenges to the tool developers. The lack of appreciation of the needs of end-users by developers has contributed to the lack of success of many DISTs. Therefore it is important to engage users and other stakeholders in the tool development process to help bridge the gap between design and use. Good practice recommendations for developers to involve users include being clear about the purpose of the tool, working collaboratively with other developers and stakeholders, and building social and scientific credibility.

Values in Participatory Modeling: Theory and Practice

In this chapter, we reflect on some of our experiences as modelers engaged in participatory modeling by outlining some of the lessons we have learned. Specifically, we outline best practices for modelers seeking to engage in the process, identify trade-offs in evaluating model results, and present a call for future research to explicitly incorporate values in the process.