Conclusions
By using social and economic issues as the entry point to understanding change in a rural community, the important but perhaps underlying issues such as sustainable land management can be addressed as an integral part of the community’s overall future. It is important, therefore, to have some understanding of the community and concerns before designing ways in which participation can be ensured.
The multistakeholder approach is a robust way of ensuring that all interests are involved in identifying problems within the community and in developing solutions. However the success of such an approach requires perseverance, commitment by a core group of ‘activists’, a willingness to listen to and take into account the interests of diverse groups within the community, and maintain a long-term perspective. These elements may not always be present.
The multistakeholder approach was shown to be an open, flexible and responsive way of addressing the needs and ideas of the participants. The approach not only reinforces solutions for the specific community but may establish models to allow specific activities and events to be considered ‘in theory’ before they occur or are implemented. These could include:
- development of community decision support models at the catchment or district level to integrate multi-objective development and environmental values;
- identification of how different land management structures respond to environmental andsocial issues;
- development of models for the improved transfer of information to integrate market opportunities with environmental benefits;
- development of models for the improved transfer of environmental information including the interpretation of relevant environmental indicators for farms and the subsequent development of best practice management options;
- development of frameworks to ensure that all interests are fully incorporated into the decision making process; and
- development of monitoring processes to identify the level of voluntary response to incentive assistance for conservation outcomes, and to develop alternative strategies based on the results.
Overall, the project has shown that the multistakeholder approach to issue resolution is an effective method of achieving wide participation on fundamental questions such as ‘what kind of society do we want?’ However, the process requires time and commitment. Without those, decision making, in the future as in the past, may remain in the hands of individual interests and organisations (for example local government, industry, farmers, iwi) who want short-term solutions, no matter whether those solutions are compatible with their own long-term interests or the community’s long-term goals.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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