Browsing by Subject "collaborative process"

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Open Access
Public Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project
(2010-04-28T12:25:22Z) Gray, Brooke C.
Public participation has become an increasingly important component of effective watershed management over the last twenty years. Conducted by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project is a collaborative stakeholder process that includes interested parties in drafting a federally mandated Nutrient Management Strategy. The Falls Lake Stakeholder Project worked to improve the stakeholder process by responding to issues recognized in a prior North Carolina Division of Water Quality project, the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project. This master’s project evaluated the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project based on a set of predetermined factors – substantive, procedural, and outcome – to allow for cross-case comparison. Data analyzed was gathered through archival research, stakeholder meeting observation, stakeholder surveys, and convener interviews. The stakeholder survey and convener interview contained questions about five procedural evaluative criteria, including process design, process fairness, process execution, technical support, and predicted outcomes. Results were based on fourteen returned stakeholder surveys and four convener interviews. Analysis of results indicated that technical support in the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project was the criterion with which stakeholders were least satisfied. Lessons learned from the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project were applied in the Falls Lake Stakeholder Project and improved overall stakeholder experiences. Many of these aspects introduced in the process, including a technical advisory committee, subcommittees, and a wiki, may continue to be improved and applied to future North Carolina Division of Water Quality stakeholder processes.
Open Access
Stakeholder Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project
(2008-04-23T23:51:53Z) Wyman, Christine Glendenning
The Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project (JLSP) was a public participation project convened by the NC Department of Water Quality (DWQ) in response to high levels of nutrients found in Jordan Lake, a reservoir in the central piedmont of North Carolina. The DWQ is a frequent convener of such time- and resource-intensive projects, yet lacks methods for evaluating their successes and benefits. This project will give environmental regulators guidance on the use of collaborative processes in watershed management. I evaluated the JLSP based on a framework of substantive and procedural factors and practical outcomes to identify the presence of criteria thought to be indicative of successful collaborative projects. Examples of criteria include process execution, process fairness, and public acceptance. I developed indicators for each criterion and used the presence or attainment of these indicators to denote the existence of the criterion. For example, indicators of process design included a clear impetus for the project, defined project goals and outcomes, and clear expectations of participants. My findings indicate that the JLSP was successful in developing a pollutant load level for the watershed and recommendations for a nutrient management strategy. Concepts such as reductions in nutrient loading from existing development, Adaptive Management, and nutrient-trading were included in the rules proposed by the DWQ, based on the recommendations by the JLSP participants. In addition, the project encouraged communication and partnerships among municipalities in the watershed. However, issues such as the complexity of pinpointing pollution sources and a disproportionate allocation of costs and benefits produced by potential regulations may have been too complex and contentious for stakeholders to reach consensus-based decisions.