1. Frameworks for
the Processes & Outcomes of MSP
Simplification in a Context of Complexity
Stephen B. Olsen
Director, The Coastal Resources Center
University of Rhode Island

2. Why? For Whom?
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is
A complex, lengthy
process combining Often extending Politically charged,
science, stakeholder over many years often rich in conflicts
participation and policy
making
• Can this complexity be portrayed to
– highlight the most essential features of distinct phases?
– How best to sequence the many actions?
• Can such frameworks encourage transparency and accountability for all
concerned?
• Be applied at a range of spatial scales and socio-political settings?
• And can such frameworks encourage comparison across initiatives and
collaborative learning?

3. Two Frameworks
How Why
The Ecosystem Governance Cycle The Orders of Outcomes
Modeled on the learning cycle Disaggregate the ultimate
goal of sustainable forms
• designed to emphasize of development into a
differences in the nature of each
sequence of more tangible
phase
outcomes
• essential actions associated with
each phase

4. Socio-Environmental Systems
Ecosystem
Governance
Ecosystem
Good & Services
Environmental Societal
Domain Domain

5. Ecosystem Governance
The formal and informal arrangements, institutions,
and mores that structure and influence:
• How resources or an environment are utilized
• How problems,opportunities are evaluated, analyzed
• What behavior is acceptable or forbidden
• What rules & sanctions are applied to affect how
natural resources are distributed and used
Juda and Hennessey, 2007

6. Principle Sources and
Mechanisms of Governance
Market Civil Society
Government
Economic Legal/Political Social
Mechanisms Mechanisms Mechanisms
Human Uses of Ecosystems

7. Progressively larger cycles indicate growth
in scope GESAMP, 1996

8. MSP is an Issue‐Driven Process
• MSP research should be directed at
the problems and the opportunities
(issues) that the plan and policies will
address
• Stakeholders and the public engage in
MSP when it addresses issues that
matter to them
• The perceived importance of
individual issues often shifts with
each step

9. Three Categories of Issues for
Ecosystem Governance
Environmental threats or declines in 1
ecosystem goods and services
Societal needs, desires and conflicts
2
Weaknesses in the governance system
3

10. Good process does not always
generate the anticipated
outcomes!

11. The Implementation Gap
• Appears when issue analysis, planning,
stakeholder involvement, and governmental
mandates
DO NOT
• Produce the changes in behavior that signal
implementation of a policy or plan of action
AND THERFORE DO NOT GENERATE
• The anticipated outcomes

12. The Orders of Outcomes Framework
Assembly of Implementat The Harvest The Ultimate
the ion as Achievement Goal
Enabling Changes in of Selected Sustainable
Conditions Behavior Societal and Forms of
Goals Resource Environmenta Ecosystem
Constituencies users l Goals Development
Capacity Institutions
Commitment Investments
Time

13. The Orders of Outcomes
Global
Scale
Regional
National
Local End Outcomes
Intermediate Outcomes
First Order: Second Order: Third Order: Fourth Order:
Enabling Conditions Changed Behavior Attainment of Sustainable Ecosystem
Program Goals Conditions & Uses
Governmental
commitment: authority, Changes in behavior of Some targets for social A desirable and
funding; institutions and and/or environmental dynamic balance
stakeholder groups; qualities maintained, between social and
Institutional capacity to restored or improved. environmental
implement; Changes in behaviors conditions is sustained.
directly affecting
Unambiguous goals; resources of concern;
Constituencies present at Changes in investment
local and national levels. strategies.
Time
Source: Olsen et al., 2006

14. The Four 1st Order Enabling
Conditions
• GOALS for specified environmental and
societal outcomes
• Supportive and informed CONSTITUENCIES
sufficient to generate political will
• COMMITMENTS that provide the necessary
authorities and resources for implementation
• The necessary CAPACITY is present within
implementing institutions

15. The Frameworks are a Basis for
Monitoring and Evaluation
• Graduated indicators have been developed for
each element of the 5 step governance cycle and
for each attribute of the 1st, 2nd and 3d Order
Outcomes (UNEP, 2006; LOICZ, 2010)
• These indicators can be applied to document
baseline conditions and then periodically track
progress and adaptation
• Designed as “scorecards,” these can
– encourage interdisciplinary engagement
– promote a transparent process to stakeholders

16. Tracking Governance Cycle Actions

17. Ist Order Preconditions: Goal Definition

18. Thank You!
sbo@crc.uri.edu