Looking for some suggestions about a suitable framework for environmental public policy analysis. Basically, I want to identify to what extent the current adaptation responses are tackling the core issues of "social vulnerability".
Multiple streams? Discourse? Networks? Other?
Thanks for your valuable comments.
A human rights framework will help address vulnerability. There are many articles and reports that have applied a human rights framework to climate change. A couple of starting points:
- UNHCHR: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/HRAndClimateChange/Pages/HRClimateChangeIndex.aspx
A practitioner guide: http://globalinitiative-escr.org/new-practitioners-guide-on-human-rights-based-approach-related-to-the-environment-and-climate-change/
Hello Evelyn
I am currently looking for a framework that tackles core issues as well. One site that I am looking at is Thwink.org. The site advocates Root Cause Analysis (RCA) as a way to uncover the core or root cause of the global environmental sustainability problem. However, I believe RCA can be applied to uncover the root cause of many other complex social problems. The site may give you some ideas to further develop a framework that might help in your work.
William E. Quarles
Reference
Thwink.org. Finding and resolving the root cause of the sustainability problem. Retrieved from: http://thwink.org/
Hello Evelyn,
Given your criteria of evaluation is social vulnerability, I would suggest considering a constructivist framework. The extent of adaptation and the degree of vulnerability alleviated as a result are socially constructed phenomena in that social vulnerability tends to be mediated through policy and polity as much as it is presented in objective terms.
Evelyn –
there’s been a lot of interesting work done in the environmental policy sector using streams/agenda setting/policy entrepreneurship related frameworks. A select bibliography is attached for your reference.
It also strikes me that you might usefully be able to incorporate aspects of both an HR framework and an RCA analysis within a broader streams framework – HR within the policy stream and RCA within the problem stream.
With respect to your specific research objective, a streams approach would, I think, be of most use in identifying barriers to the adoption of adaptation policies addressing social vulnerability – more of a ‘why’ answer than a ‘to what extent’ answer.
Thank you for all your comments. I really appreciate your suggestions. I am exploring the HR approach as I find it definitely useful in this case.
Framing is often difficult, However, HR framework is vague. Why not think about CPR. with sustainability as a point of departure.
This is a global problem. In the courses on sustainability and public policy I've taught, I have found Wallerstein's capitalist world system model useful. It gives a framework for talking about international inequalities, a series of propositions (some more realistic then others) on how to overcome them, and a causal mechanism for talking about the global ramifications of what are often local decisions. It also informs the use of other frameworks; i.e. why are human rights so often honored in the breach when environmental issues arise?
But, of course, this depends on the scope and focus of the course. If what you are planning is a process oriented, locally or nationally bound course, then a process oriented framework is what you need and Wallerstein's ideas won't be as useful.
You might find the Narrative Policy Framework useful for this project. Others have fruitfully used the NPF to explore environmental issues. You can get an overview of the NPF here
http://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/sites/liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/files/economics/jones31oct2013a.pdf
and here
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SPA/researchandoutreach/Buechner%20Institute%20for%20Governance/Centers/WOPPR/Documents/Crow%20Presentation.pdf
http://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/sites/liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/files/economics/jones31oct2013a.pdf
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SPA/researchandoutreach/Buechner%20Institute%20for%20Governance/Centers/WOPPR/Documents/Crow%20Presentation.pdf
Consider the work done by Mark McBeth (and contributors). He has a great article from 2007 titled, "The Intersection of Narrative Policy Analysis and Policy Change Theory." Also consider another article he published with Michael Jones titled, "A Narrative Policy Framework: Clear Enough to Be Wrong?" In short a narrative policy analysis framework is an excellent approach to assess policy change.
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