Stephen Olsen

Frameworks and indicators for assessing progress in integrated coastal management initiatives

The fundamental purpose of all integrated coastal management (ICM) initiatives is to maintain, restore or improve specified qualities of coastal ecosystems and their associated human societies. A defining feature of ICM is that it addresses needs for both development and conservation in geographically specific places—be they a single community, an estuary or the coast of an entire nation. The times required to achieve these fundamental goals at significant spatial scales far exceed those of the usual 4–6-year project, the dominant ICM modality in developing nations. This paper offers two simple, but elastic frameworks for assessing progress over the extended time periods involved. The first is the four Orders of Outcomes that grouptogether the sequences of institutional, behavioral and social/ environmental changes that can lead to more sustainable forms of coastal development. The second framework is a version of the more familiar ICM policy cycle. These conceptually simple frameworks are making it possible to unbundle and organize into consistent formats the usually implicit assumptions that underpin project and program designs and then group activities and outcomes along a critical path that leads—or is presumed to lead—to the desired outcomes. Each stepin the ICM p cycle and each Order of Outcomes suggest the indicators by which progress and learning can be assessed. The application of these frameworks to a diversity of ICM initiatives is proving useful in assessing progress across portfolios of ICM initiatives, extracting good practices and teasing out how different governance contexts effect the forces that shape the evolution of ICM initiatives. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eutrophication and management initiatives for the control of nutrient inputs to Rhode Island coastal lagoons

An assessment of developing eutrophic conditions in small temperate lagoons along the coast of Rhode Island suggests that in such shallow, macrophyte based systems the response to nutrient enrichment differs from that described for plankton based systems. The nitrogen loadings per unit area of the salt ponds are 240–770 mmol N per m2 per year. Instead of the high nutrient concentrations, increased phytoplankton biomass and turbidity, leading to eventual loss of benthic macrophytes described for such systems as the Chesapeake, Patuxent and Appalachicola Bay, nutrient enrichment of the Rhode Island lagoons has led to increased growth of marine macroalgae. The increased macroalgal growth appears to alter the benthic habitat and a shift from a grazing to detrital food chain appears to be impacting important shellfisheries. As more extensive areas of organic sediments develop, geochemical cycling changes, resulting in higher rates of nitrogen remineralization and accelerated eutrophication. The major sources of nitrogen inputs to the salt ponds have been identified and a series of management initiatives have been designed to limit inputs from present and potential development within the watersheds of the lagoons.

What Are We Learning from Tropical Coastal Management Experiences

The experience in coastal management in the tropics that is presented in this special issue is considered in light of other coastal management initiatives worldwide. The major challenges confronting those working to promote cross-sectoral, participatory approaches to the management of coastal areas are discussed. Emerging conceptual frameworks are considered. Several factors critical to the design of coastal management projects and programs are identified. The article concludes with a reflection on priorities for furthering the practice of coastal management in the next decade.

Assessing Progress Toward the Goals of Coastal Management

The fundamental purpose of all coastal management initiatives is to maintain, restore, or improve specified qualities of coastal ecosystems and their associated human societies. A defining feature of coastal management is that it addresses needs for both development and conservation in geographically specific places - be they a single community, an estuary, or the coast of an entire nation. The times required to achieve these fundamental goals at significant spatial scales far exceed those of the usual four- to six-year project, the dominant integrated coastal management (ICM) modality in developing nations. Two simple but elastic frameworks are offered for assessing progress over the extended time periods involved. The first is the four orders of outcomes that group the institutional, behavioral, and social/environmental changes that can lead to more sustainable forms of coastal development. The second framework is a version of the more familiar ICM policy cycle. These frameworks are applied to two portfolios of coastal management projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, each of which extended over four to five years with a total investment in excess of U.S.

Educating for the governance of coastal ecosystems: the dimensions of the challenge

15 million. The analysis reveals striking similarities in the assumptions that underpin the designs and the expectations of each project despite major differences in the contexts within which they operated. The results of these eight projects point to a need for operational frameworks to emphasize the linkages between different groups of activities and achievements. Greater care is needed to balance the capacity of the implementing institutions with the complexity of the issues to be addressed. In Latin America there is great uncertainty on how to proceed toward better coastal governance in the absence of either formal national mandates or the prospect of sustained funding for programs of demonstrated effectiveness. The evaluative methods discussed are proving useful in identifying a critical path for each initiative that can lead to the fundamental goals of coastal management and identify the learnings within each project that need to be incorporated along he way.

The Status and Prospects for Coastal Management in Korea

There is a fundamental shift in how the problems confronting a practicing coastal manager are being defined. Coastal zone management began as an expression of an environmental protection strategy and has evolved into a promising vehicle for progressing towards more sustainable forms of development. The contemporary practice of coastal management requires integrating within a curriculum a diverse mix of knowledge and skills that emphasize the two defining features of adaptive management. These are a governance process rooted in the principles of participatory democracy and the application of the scientific principles that can produce reliable knowledge.

Donor evaluations of ICM initiatives : what can be learned from them?

South Korea has entered into the implementation phase of a national coastal management program administered by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The program is authorized by legislation adopted in 1998. Koreas coastal region, particularly its west and south coasts, is intensely utilized and is being transformed by large-scale reclamation projects and industrial centers. The implications of these changes and the forces affecting the programs mandate to institute a new, cross-sectoral planning and decision-making process are reviewed in light of the authority and current capacity of an incipient coastal management program. Principles to guide the current phase of the programs evolution are offered.

Report: A collaborative effort in developing the integrated coastal resources management project for Ecuador

Abstract The experience of 19 donor agencies and international organizations with evaluation of ICM initiatives is surveyed to analyze the differences in the evaluative purposes and methodologies and their relevance to a “learning-based approach” to ICM. We group evaluation into three broad categories: performance evaluation, management capacity assessment and outcomes evaluation. Performance evaluations address the quality of project implementation, and the degree to which project goals are achieved. Management capacity assessments are conducted to determine the adequacy of management structures and governance processes as these relate to generally accepted international standards and experience. Outcome assessments evaluate the impacts of a coastal management initiative upon coastal resources and the associated human society(s). The survey show that most donor evaluations emphasize performance evaluation, but usually combine elements of all three types. There is strong interest among international donors investing in coastal management in learning from and advancing coastal management practice. If donors are to maximize leaning and commit to an adaptive approach to ICM they will need to modify the manner in which project monitoring and evaluations are conducted, analyzed and distributed. A number of modifications to current approaches to evaluation are suggested in the paper.

A Certification Program in the Governance of Coastal Ecosystems

Abstract The University of Rhode Island, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), is beginning a pilot project in integrated coastal resource management in Ecuador. This five‐year effort will be an attempt to develop a problem‐oriented program for a nation that as yet has no coastal management legislation. The initial steps emphasize placing provincial level CRM problems in their historical and socioeconomic context and building consensus on the objectives for a management program. Shrimp mariculture is a dominant concern in Ecuador and is also a focus for initial efforts in problem definition.

Ecuador’s Participatory and Adaptive Approach to Integrated Coastal Management

A certification program has been designed and field tested in Latin America that assesses individual professionals against six competencies defined as central to the effective practice of the ecosystem approach. The program promotes high standards of competence, professional growth, and ethical conduct. It is designed for both young professionals at an early stage in their careers and senior practitioners with wide experience. The program offers additional benefits through opportunities for dialogue among peers, analysis of experience in a diversity of settings, and networking. The first application of the program has resulted in the certification of eight senior and five associate coastal managers from eleven nations. This certification complements the certification for managers of marine protected areas operating in the Western Indian Ocean discussed in a companion article in this special issue.