Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Participatory monitoring and evaluation to aid investment in natural resource manager capacity at a range of scales

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Natural resource (NR) outcomes at catchment scale rely heavily on the adoption of sustainable practices by private NR managers because they control the bulk of the NR assets. Public funds are invested in capacity building of private landholders to encourage adoption of more sustainable natural resource management (NRM) practices. However, prioritisation of NRM funding programmes has often been top–down with limited understanding of the multiple dimensions of landholder capacity leading to a failure to address the underlying capacity constraints of local communities. We argue that well-designed participatory monitoring and evaluation of landholder capacity can provide a mechanism to codify the tacit knowledge of landholders about the social–ecological systems in which they are embedded. This process enables tacit knowledge to be used by regional NRM bodies and government agencies to guide NRM investment in the Australian state of New South Wales. This paper details the collective actions to remove constraints to improved NRM that were identified by discrete groups of landholders through this process. The actions spanned geographical and temporal scales, and responsibility for them ranged across levels of governance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009). Australian farming in brief, 2009: land use. Catalogue number 7106.0. Internet address: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/7106.0Main+Features32009# (accessed 16 February 2010).

  • Beare, S., & Newby, J. (2005). Incomplete markets, excluded goods and natural resource management, Proceedings of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Conference, Coffs Harbour, 9–11 February 2005, ABARE, Canberra. Internet address: http://www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/conference/conference_05/CP05_5.pdf (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Bellamy, J., Ross, H., Ewing, S., & Meppem, T. (2002). Integrated Catchment Management: learning from the Australian experience for the Murray-Darling Basin. Final Report. A Report for the MDBC. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems: Brisbane. Internet address: http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/__data/page/911/ICM_Learning_from_Australian_Experience.pdf (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Bohnet, I. (2008). Assessing retrospective and prospective landscape change through the development of social profiles of landholders: a tool for improving land use planning and policy formulation. Landscape and Urban Planning, 88, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bond, R., & Mukerjhee, N. (2002). Livelihood asset status tracking: an impact monitoring tool? Journal of International Development, 14, 805–815.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P. R., Nelson, R., Jacobs, B., Kokic, P., Tracey, J., Ahmed, M., & DeVoil, P. (2010). Enabling natural resource managers to self-assess their adaptive capacity. Agricultural Systems, 103, 562–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busch, P. (2004). Knowledge management implications of articulable tacit knowledge: case studies on its diffusion. PhD Thesis, Macquarie University.

  • Cary, J. W., Webb, T. J., & Barr, N. F. (Eds.). (2002). Understanding landholders’ capacity to change to sustainable practices. Insights about practice adoption and social capacity for change. Canberra: Bureau of Rural Sciences.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, D. W., Clark, W. C., Alcock, F., Dickson, N. M., Eckley, N., Guston, D. H., et al. (2003). Knowledge systems for sustainable development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100, 8086–8091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, K., & Ison, R. (2009a). Living with environmental change: adaptation as social learning. Environmental Policy and Governance, 19, 351–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, K., & Ison, R. (2009b). Jumping off Arnstein’s ladder: social learning as a new policy paradigm for climate change adaptation. Environmental Policy and Governance, 19, 358–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dampney, C., Busch, P., & Richards, D. (2002). The meaning of tacit knowledge. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, December, 3–13.

  • Davies, J., White, J., Wright, A., Maru, Y., & Laflamme, M. (2008). Applying the sustainable livelihoods approach in Australian desert Aboriginal development. Rangeland Journal, 30, 55–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DECCW (2010). NSW Natural Resources Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting Strategy 2010–2015. Available on the Internet at: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/soc/NaturalresourcesMER.htm [Accessed 14 June 2011]

  • Ellis, F. (Ed.). (2000). Rural livelihoods and diversity in developing countries. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, J. (2001). Vertically integrated policy monitoring: a tool for civil society policy advocacy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 30, 616–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gooch, M., & Warburton, J. (2009). Building and managing resilience in community-based NRM groups: an Australian case study. Society and Natural Resources, 22, 158–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerrera, O. (2008). Ways of adapting to less water on agenda. The Age 10 April 2008. Internet address: http://www.theage.com.au/news/environment/ways-of-adapting-to-less-water-on-agenda/2008/04/09/1207420486462.html (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Hajkowicz, S. (2009). The evolution of Australia’s natural resource management programs: towards improved targeting and evaluation of investments. Land Use Policy, 26, 471–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Handmer, J., & Dovers, W. (1996). A typology of resilience: rethinking institutions for sustainable development. Organization and Environment, 9, 482–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, V., Probst, K., & Christinck, A. (2007). Farmers and researchers: how can collaborative advantages be created in participatory research and technology development? Agriculture and Human Values, 24, 355–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurlimann, A. (2008). Community attitudes to recycled water use: an urban Australian case study part 2. Research Report 56, CRC for Water Quality and Treatment, Salisbury South Australia.

  • Jacobs, B., Brown, P. R., Nelson, R., Leith, P., Tracey, J., McNamara, L., et al. (2011). Monitoring, evaluation and reporting natural resource manager capacity for NSW catchments (p. 76). Sydney: NSW Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, M. (2006). Critical issues in regional natural resource management. (pp. 12. <http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/2006/integrative/brm-issues/index.html>). Canberra: Department of the Environment and Heritage.

  • Lane, M., Taylor, B., & Robinson, C. (2009). Introduction: contested country—regional natural resource management in Australia. In M. Lane, C. Robertson, & B. Taylor (Eds.), Contested Country: Local and Regional Natural Resources Management in Australia (pp. 91–107). Collingwood: CSIRO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauber, T. B., Decker, D. J., & Knuth, B. A. (2008). Social networks and community-based natural resource management. Environmental Management, 42, 677–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leith, P., Jacobs, B., Brown, P. R., & Nelson, R. (2012). A participatory assessment of NRM capacity to inform policy and practice. Cross-scale evaluation of enabling and constraining factors. Society and Natural Resources. doi:10.1080/08941920.2011.637548

  • Liu, J. G., Dietz, T., Carpenter, S. R., Alberti, M., Folke, C., Moran, E., et al. (2007). Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. Science, 317, 1513–1516. doi:10.1126/science.1144004.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, M., Davidson, J., Curtis, A., Stratford, E., & Griffith, R. (2009). Multi-level environmental governance: lessons from Australian natural resource management. Australian Geographer, 40, 169–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loria, M. (2008). A review of the main approaches to knowledge management. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 6, 77–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macadam, R., Drinan, J., Inall, N., & McKenzie, B. (2004). Growing the capital of rural Australia—the task of capacity building. Canberra: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australian Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, T. (2009). Lessons from the Australian experiment 2002–2008: the road ahead for regional governance. In M. Lane, C. Robertson, & B. Taylor (Eds.), Contested Country: Local and Regional Natural Resources Management in Australia (pp. 227–240). Collingwood: CSIRO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Natural Resources Commission (2005). Standard for quality natural resource management. pp. 16. Sydney: New South Wales Natural Resources Commission. http://www.nrc.nsw.gov.au/content/documents/Standard%20and%20targets%20-%20The%20Standard%20and%20targets.pdf (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Nelson, R., Kokic, P., Crimp, S., Martin, P., Meinke, H., Howden, S. M., et al. (2010a). The vulnerability of Australian rural communities to climate variability and change: Part II—integrating impacts with adaptive capacity. Environmental Science & Policy, 13, 18–27. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2009.09.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, R., Kokic, P., Crimp, S., Meinke, H., & Howden, S. M. (2010b). The vulnerability of Australian rural communities to climate variability and change: Part I—conceptualising and measuring vulnerability. Environmental Science & Policy, 13, 8–17. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2009.09.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • New South Wales Government (2006). A new direction for NSW: NSW state plan. pp. 182. Sydney: New South Wales Government. Internet address: http://more.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/stateplan/State_Plan_complete.pdf (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Norton, B. G. (1995). Evaluating ecosystem states: two competing paradigms. Ecological Economics, 14, 113–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom, E. (2010). Polycentric systems for coping with collective action and global environmental change. Global Environmental Change, 20, 550–557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pannell, D. J., Marshall, G. R., Barr, N., Curtis, A., Vanclay, F., & Wilkinson, R. (2006). Understanding and promoting adoption of conservation practices by rural landholders. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 46, 1407–1424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, L. (2008). Ageing farmers unable to retire. ABC Rural News online 18 April 2008. Internet address: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/sa/content/2006/s2221172.htm (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Prager, K. (2010). Local and regional partnerships in natural resource management: the challenge of bridging institutional levels. Environmental Management, 46(5), 711–724. doi:10.1007/s00267-010-9560-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L. (2008). Making capacity building meaningful: a framework for strategic action. Environmental Management, 42, 833–846.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scoones, I. (2009). Livelihood perspectives and rural development. Journal of Peasant Studies, 36, 171–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, J. (1998). Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. New York: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seufert, A., von Krogh, G., & Back, A. (1999). A Vision for Knowledge Networking, Research Center KnowledgeSource. University of St. Gallen. Internet address: http://web.iwi.unisg.ch/org/iwi/iwi_pub.nsf/wwwPublAuthorGer/632F3783D727589BC125719D00229B17/$file/10_Vision.pdf (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Stanley, J., Clouston, B., & Binney, J. (2005). Understanding social and economic influences on natural resource management decisions. Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, Queensland State Government.

  • Strele, M., Holtge, K., Fiebeger, M., Were, J., Schulmeister, A., & Weingartner L. (2006). Participatory livelihoods monitoring. Linking programmes and poor people’s interests to policies experiences from Cambodia. FAO LSP WP 21. Participation, Policy and Local Governance Sub-Programme.

  • Thistleton, J. (2008). The town that refuses to die. The Canberra Times, 30 August 2008. Internet address: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/news-features/the-town-that-refuses-to-die/1258354.aspx (accessed 27 July 2011).

  • Thomson, D., & Pepperdine, S. (2004). Assessing community capacity for riparian restoration. Canberra: Land & Water Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanclay, F. (2011). Social principles for agricultural extension in facilitating the adoption of new practices. In D. Pannell & F. Vanclay (Eds.), Changing land management: adoption of new practices by rural landholders (pp. 51–67). Collingwood: CSIRO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallington, T., & Lawrence, G. (2009). Accounting for performance: public environmental governance in the shadow of the future. In M. Lane, C. Robertson, & B. Taylor (Eds.), Contested country: local and regional natural resources management in Australia (pp. 91–107). Collingwood: CSIRO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao, H., & Smith, S. (2007). The use of tourism knowledge: research propositions. Annals of Tourism Research, 34, 310–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the participants from the workshops for their willing input and wisdom and for the support and collaboration from CBNRM groups throughout NSW. This project was funded by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change MER Strategy and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Peter R. Brown

  2. Office of Environment and Heritage, New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet, PO Box 3720, Parramatta, NSW, 2124, Australia

    Brent Jacobs

  3. University of Tasmania, Private Bag 78, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Peat Leith

Authors
  1. Peter R. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brent Jacobs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peat Leith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter R. Brown.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brown, P.R., Jacobs, B. & Leith, P. Participatory monitoring and evaluation to aid investment in natural resource manager capacity at a range of scales. Environ Monit Assess 184, 7207–7220 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2491-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2491-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation