Collaborative Tools and Processes for US Water Solutions

Transcription

1 Cllabrative Tls and Prcesses fr US Water Slutins Summary The abut-t-be released SWAQ reprt, A Strategy fr Federal Science and Technlgy t Supprt Fresh Water Availability and Quality in the United States, surveys the challenges facing the United States tday and recmmends federal research twards develping cllabrative tls and prcesses fr slutins t US water prblems. Upn further cnsultatin with experts frm this area acrss the federal water establishment, this prpsal refines that recmmendatin by prpsing that the SWAQ prmte a crdinated federal initiative t develp and advance the integratin f cmputer based mdeling tls within multi-stakehlder public decisin prcesses fr US water slutins. Cmpnents f the prpsed initiative include: A review f current uses and prgrams fcused n the use f cllabrative decisin supprt tls ; develpment f a framewrk fr evaluatin f the effectiveness f cmbinatins f varius cmputer tls and cllabrative interventins acrss f range f water prblems and settings; and targeted pilt r demnstratin prjects, r even experiments, that can be explicitly designed t be studied and evaluated with the intent f develping recmmended appraches and methdlgies. The initiative will directly and cncretely address the gvernment-wide emphasis n increased use f cllabrative prcesses, and bth assist state and lcal gvernments and supprt existing federal water management rles. Federal agencies are well-psitined t cnduct and crdinate interdisciplinary research, and this initiative will prvide the efficiency f a central fcus fr research and knwledge and prvide unified directin and cnsistency ver time. Results f the initiative will include fcused interagency research n the needs fr cllabrative prblem slving f water prblems, crdinated develpment and disseminatin f principles and best practices fr effective cmbinatin f mdeling and multi-stakehlder public prcesses, and, ultimately, reduced level f water cnflict thrugh mre bradly-acceptable, timely and sustainable slutins. What is the Prblem? What s the Objective? Persistent cnflict amng cmpeting interests and needs is increasingly cmmn in water resurces management. T frequently, cnflicts bubble utside f the cntrl f water managers, as individuals illegally pen irrigatin gates, grups rganize mass demnstratins t reject privatizatin f water services, and states sue each ther ver water withdrawals. At best majr water resurces decisinmaking results in gridlck, r a prtracted, inefficient, litigius decisin-prcess that takes t lng, csts t much, and leaves us withut brad cnsensus n the decisins. These cnflicts ccur because f bth the cmplexity and uncertainty in the natural systems and the cnflicting interests and values acrss individuals, and grups. We knw water managers need technical infrmatin t identify and evaluate slutins t water prblems, but federal, state and lcal water managers als need t engage a brad range f stakehlders fr thse same tasks eliciting a brad range f values and lcal knwledge t cllabratively identify and judge ptential slutins. They need t better understand hw t develp trust in bth the analysis and in the prcess fr decisin making. T d that will require an understanding f prcess skills like facilitatin, negtiatin and alternative dispute reslutin. And it will require a better understanding f hw t integrate the technical analysis f water prblems int decisin making prcesses fr public resurces that invlve multiple stakehlders. Hw can water managers wrk with stakehlders and technical infrmatin t jintly structure the prblem definitin and identify realistic slutins? Mdelers will need t mdify existing technical tls, and practitiners will need t mdify hw these tls are used t interact with stakehlders. Water managers need t understand hw t best

2 invlve stakehlder grups nt just nce but thrugh a lnger term prcess f engagement - in discussins f impacts f different management alternatives, f risks and ptential cnsequences. Previus effrts demnstrate the value f applying technically-infrmed cllabrative planning and management methds. These methds invlve pen, cllabrative decisin-making prcesses, supprted by transparent cmputer mdels. Presently, small cmmunities f practitiners are wrking n such methds, ften independent f each ther and with limited sharing f knwledge and techniques. Occasinally, agencies have mdeling capabilities that are used in aiding negtiatins, but very few agencies have the capacity fr near real-time develpment f apprpriate and useful decisin supprt tls fr envisining and evaluating ptins. T help water managers at all levels integrate the technical issues within cllabrative prcesses fr US water slutins, we urge SWAQ t endrse and supprt a federal initiative whse bjective is t develp and advance the integratin f cmputer based mdeling tls within multi-stakehlder public decisin prcesses fr US water slutins. Researchers frm acrss the federal gvernment will need t be engaged, acrss scial sciences, eclgy, hydrlgy, and ther disciplines. What Current and Recent Activities Crdinate this Effrt acrss Multiple Agencies? Very limited frmal interagency activities exist t exchange ideas and facilitate integratin f cmputer based mdeling tls within multi-stakehlder public decisin prcesses. In part this is because the research requires skills frm an array f disciplines that d nt have jint annual meetings r established fra fr interactin. Althugh the advances in cmputer sftware and increasing requirements fr public access t and penness in the technical analysis have led many individual researchers and practitiners t meld the use f cmputer tls with cllabrative prcesses, in mst cases researchers have nt been cnnected t exchange infrmatin and experiences. Belw is a descriptin f sme f the knwn examples f effrts t crdinate research acrss multiple agencies. The US Institute fr Envirnmental Cnflict Reslutin is a federal fcus fr cllabrative prcesses fr envirnmental prblems. A recent (2005) USIECR cnference had a few presentatins and ne sessin n integrating cmputer mdeling int the decisin prcess. USIECR s cnnectin t the prcess cmmunity is a valuable asset t bringing tgether prcess peple and mdelers t jintly craft the integratin f cmputer based mdeling tls within multi-stakehlder public decisin prcesses. The Bureau f Reclamatin recently (2005) spnsred a frum n institutinal and cllabrative appraches t water slutins. While primarily fcused n BuRec, representatives frm the US Gelgical Survey, U.S. Army Crps f Engineers, DOE labs, and universities attended the meeting. BuRec is presently wrking with the USGS s MIT-Science Impact Cllabrative prgram n integrating stakehlder prcesses with transparent decisin supprt tls in a sutheastern Clrad basin. The Executive Order n Cperative Cnservatin (2004) and the CEQ/OMB Jint Mem directed agency heads t increase apprpriate and effective use f envirnmental cnflict reslutin and cllabrative prblem slving appraches. This effrt is fcused bradly n cllabrative appraches and nt specifically n linkages between cmputer tls and public multi-stakehlder prcesses. The Federal Interagency Hydrlgic Mdeling cnference is an interagency frum that brings tgether mdeling experts frm acrss the federal gvernment. Currently the cnference fcuses n technical presentatins, but it may be an apprpriate venue t spnsr a track that wuld emphasize the integratin f multi-stakehlder prcesses with the mdeling tls. In 2006, the U.S. Army Crps f Engineer s Institute fr Water Resurce and DOE s Sandia Natinal Labratry began cllabrating n demnstratin prjects, and have prpsed a interagency center n Cmputer-Assisted Dispute Reslutin. The visin f the center is t bring tgether multiple federal,

3 state and academic partners t fcus n cmputer assisted dispute reslutin techniques, thrugh training, methdlgical develpment, and technical assistance n water prblems. A June 2007 sympsium n Cmputer Assisted Dispute Reslutin fr water slutins is being planned with the emphasis n practitiners frm Federal and state agencies. Internet-based resurce netwrks such as the Ecsystem-Based Management Tls Netwrk, The Glbal Water Partnership s TlKit, Desert Research Institute s Center fr Advanced Visualizatin, Cmputatin and Mdeling (CAVCaM), and the Ecsystem Management Decisin Supprt (EMDS) are increasingly available fr use by the public as well as scientists and managers fr integratin int public multi-stakehlder prcesses. We cautin that many f these effrts fcus n ne aspect f the prblem (e.g. ecsystem mdeling, r primarily the cllabrative prcesses research). The examples f interagency crdinatin f research that explicitly link the use f mdeling within public multi-stakehlders prcesses are very limited. Furthermre, the interactin is frequently peer-t-peer r fcused n a specific water prblem (e.g. Everglades restratin) withut a mre cmprehensive lk at nging federal research and needs. Hw Can We Enhance Crdinatin f Existing Effrts? The examples summarized abve demnstrate that there is nging develpment f cllabrative decisinmaking tls, but this develpment is spradic, and ften agency-specific. The fllwing measures using existing mechanisms may bring fcus t activities acrss the federal research establishment and identify specific research needs and pprtunities fr evaluatin f tls and techniques. Building n the activities identified abve, we recmmend the fllwing actins: Develp a track n integrating cmputer mdeling int the public decisin prcesses at the next USIECR cnference (2008). Develp a similar track within the Federal Interagency Hydrlgic Mdeling cnference. Identify ways within the Cperative Cnservatin Initiative t prmte linkages between cmputer tls and public multi-stakehlder prcesses. Use the upcming June 2007 sympsium n Cmputer Assisted Dispute Reslutin t fcus n research needs and pprtunities fr demnstratin prgrams. Develp agreements (MOUs) t supprt a federal interagency center fr Cmputer-Assisted Dispute Reslutin. Use the center t crdinate research and demnstratin prjects, and prvide linkages t tl bxes and references. What Might Be Majr Initiative Cmpnents? T mve beynd the imprtant stage f sharing experiences and advances, a cmbined federal initiative will bring fcus t specific research questins and identify needs, capabilities and pprtunities (fr pilt studies, etc) acrss federal agencies. The cmpnents f such an initiative wuld include: 1. A review f current uses and prgrams fcused n the use f cllabrative decisin supprt tls in water prblems with a fcus n the integratin f cmputer-based tls with cllabrative prcess design. Highlight successful illustrative case examples. 2. Develpment f a framewrk fr evaluatin f the effectiveness f cmbinatins f varius cmputer tls and cllabrative interventins acrss f range f water prblems and settings. Schlars have develped methds fr evaluating cllabrative prcesses, and a large bdy f research fcuses n prgram evaluatin. We anticipate drawing n this cnsiderable bdy f wrk t cnstruct an evaluatin tl. The tl will prvide subjective and bjective feedback abut the prcess f utilizing cmputer tls in cllabrative prblem slving endeavrs, and the utcmes f thse effrts.

4 3. Using this framewrk, explicitly design targeted pilts r demnstratins t be studied and evaluated with the intent f develping basic principles and best practices t cmputer assisted multistakehlder appraches and methdlgies. The fcus n these demnstratins will be n tangible high pririty needs facing the natin such as TMDLs r mdified peratins frm multi-purpse reservir systems. Recruit teams f experts frm acrss the federal research establishment t jintly apply their expertise t these ripe decisin making situatins. The demnstratins will be used fr learning purpses t imprve methdlgies and prcess design, and highlighted t prmte best practices r pitfalls. 4. Develpment f a fcal pint r center t facilitate crdinated federal research. Use the center t crdinate research and demnstratin prjects, prvide linkages, prmte methdlgical develpment, and enable innvative applicatins f cllabrative decisin supprt tls. Ptential research questins might include: What mdel features r attributes (e.g. ability t d what-if scenaris and sensitivity analysis, transparency, integratin f multiple prcesses) facilitate a cllabrative multistakehlder prcess? When develping mdels, what actins can be taken t assure relevance t decisin? What cmputer technlgy platfrms, designs and capabilities, can imprve public participatin in analytic-deliberative decisin making within large grups? Hw can the effectiveness f different cmputer-assisted techniques in a reducing cnflict be measured? Hw can cmputer mdels be used t establish a cmmn understanding f plicy ptins acrss stakehlders? An example wuld be an agency by agency vs. mre cllabrative mdeling apprach in the Everglades. At what pints in the prcess are different cmputer-assisted representatins f risk (games, graphics, etc) mst apprpriate fr cmmunicating with different segments f the public? What is the Justificatin fr Increased Federal Investment? The federal gvernment is uniquely psitined t address the issue f prviding tls fr cllabrative prcesses invlving water resurces. Many f the decisins t which these tls will be applied include federal interests and resurces, and federal leadership is already an imprtant part f the cllabrative prcess. The benefits and ratinale fr mving frward with a plan t prvide science leadership in the area f prviding tls include the fllwing: This initiative directly and cncretely addresses the gvernment-wide emphasis n increased use f cllabrative prcesses By prviding new understanding and tls t supprt cllabrative slutins t water issues, this initiative will bth assist state and lcal gvernments and supprt existing federal water management rles. An imprtant functin f the clearinghuse will be t bring tgether researchers and practitiners frm a variety f disciplines. The wrk envisined in this prpsal will require inter-disciplinary research, and federal agencies are well psitined t cnduct and crdinate such research n a natinal r internatinal level. This initiative can prvide the efficiency f a central fcus by frming a clearinghuse fr research and knwledge abut melding mdel use with cllabrative prcesses. While universities and the private sectr are likely partners in this endeavr, a federal presence will prvide unified directin and cnsistency ver time. University staff and graduate students may be expected t have the expertise and interest t perfrm sme f the wrk, but the shrt time frames f graduate students and funding realities f university prfessrs lead t the cnclusin that federal agency persnnel

5 shuld prvide the lng term research, develpment, and mnitring capabilities. This is a rle t which federal agencies are well suited (e.g. NAWQA). Federal agencies perate n a public service missin. The prblems f water availability and quality are central t the well being f the natin as a whle, and public servants are able t apply their expertise and service ethic t these prblems. What are the Anticipated Results f the Initiative? Results f the initiative will include fcused interagency research n the needs fr cllabrative prblem slving f water prblems, crdinated develpment and disseminatin f principles and best practices fr effective cmbinatin f mdeling and multi-stakehlder public prcesses, and, ultimately, reduced level f water cnflict thrugh mre bradly-acceptable, timely and sustainable slutins Wh Helped Draft this Initiative? Hal Cardwell, USACE (SWAQ member); William Ellit, USDA-FS; Nina Burkardt, USGS; Mike Eng, USIECR; Jim Dbrwlski USDA-CREES (SWAQ member); Vince Tidwell, Sandia Natinal Lab.