POLICY PROCESS IN COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT by Isaac Boateng
ACAMP 17th ASSOCIATION FOR COASTAL AND MARINE POLICY
1. DEFINITION
Coastal and marine policy: is a set of goals, directives and intentions formulated by administrative persons having some relationship to the marine and coastal environment including all activities relating to the use of the coast and ocean, how decisions are made, and how they are organised to make their decisions. (Centre of Ocean Management Studies 1981)
2. Models of policy process
2.1 The Linear Model Agenda phase
Decision phase
Implementation phase Successfully implemented
Decision for reform On agenda
Unsuccessful
Source: www.kalajoki.fi/ympansto.htm
Strengthen
Problem
institution
2.2 The structural model
Source:Ghana home page.
Not on
Decision against Time line
Assumptions
Fortify Political will
Policy makers (authority)
Scientist
Source: Grindle and Thomas (1990)
problems
(Natural & Social)
•Policy makers approach issues rationally
Stakeholders Media
Problem identification
•Each logical stage of the process is followed •All relevant information are carefully considered before decisions are made
Analysis of cause & Reponses to problem identified
•Unsuccessful policy is caused by lack of political will, poor management or shortage of resources.
Source: www.kalajoki.fi/ympansto.htm
Placing issue on public agenda/Alternative responses compared
CASE STUDY
Assumptions
3. INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT POLICY - GHANA
•Policy as exercise of authority to achieve Collective purpose
Background: Ghana lies between longitudes 3° 15’ W and 1° 12’ E, and latitude 4° 44’and 11° 15’ N. The country is bordered on the east by the Republic of Togo, to the west by La Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso to the North and to the South by the Gulf of Guinea. The total land area of Ghana is 238,533 km2 and has a coastline of 550km. The country is under the influence of the tropical humid climatic conditions and experience two major seasons, namely the wet or rainy and dry or harmattan seasons. The coastal zone in Ghana represent only about 6.5% of the land area and it’s home to 25% of nation’s total population. Find below the map of Ghana. 4. Policy process
•Policy as the pursuit of goals
Choice of policy
•Policy process as a sequence of stages in
Implementation
Development and pursuit of this goals
evaluation
•Stages as a circle not a line •Circle implies natural progression from one stage to the next.
Review
Source:Ghana home page.
Identification of problem
5. Nature of Policy
•Environmental degradation of coastal areas was identified in the early 1990’s as a key issues in Ghana. •Scientific findings, Agenda 21 and media hype on the issue lead to public Punic
•ICZMP was internationally motivated (recognise by: governments, international agencies & donor community)
•Demand for sustainable interventions and projects in the coastal zone that improve the prospect of human development
•Consistent with government development plan (vision 2020)
Consideration of cause and intervention options •Highly participatory approach was adopted in problem, planning and intervention identification •Input was sought from stakeholders at the national, regional, district and community level in a series of workshops under the auspices of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana •Based on stakeholders input a draft report was made identifying priorities and potential intervention to remedy them Choice of policy •Cost effective analysis was used to identify the least cost intervention •Sustainability of identified intervention was considered •Preliminarily findings were submitted for discussion to a rage of stakeholders including those at local level. •Final report incorporating comment of stakeholders was release by the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) at a national work shop in Accra in June 1997 •ICZM was selected as the policy for implementation Implementation •Government provide direct investment which may comprise capital, education and finance
•Based on clear understanding of the complexities of the relation between coastal resources and coastal population that subsists on them •Relate to how specific economic, political, social and technical parameters link 6. Case study and the models relationships Linear Model •The policy process in the case study relates to the linear model in a sense that it indicates that policy process followed a logical stages/phases. However the case study is different from the linear model because it does not follow a linear pattern. It doesn’t have a time line (the time line implies policy begins and end). It also does not apportion praise or blame for the success or failure of policy. Structural model The policy process in the case study is almost the same as the structural model for the following reasons: •Policy process as a cycle but not a line •Policy process as a sequence of stages
•MEST and EPA supervise the implementation and provide expertise and consultation
•Policy as exercise of authority to achieve collective purpose
•Local authorities, traditional chiefs, developers, NGO’s and unit committees are partners for implementation
•Recognise scientist, media and stakeholders involvement
Evaluation and review •Evaluation of the Policy after 6 years of its implementation indicate improvement in the management of coastal resources •However, the policy is schedule for review this year. Policy collectively •National committee for the implementation of agenda21 of the MEST •Steering committee of the Gulf of Guinea Large marine ecosystem Though a broad based participation of stakeholder were in the policy process the contribution of the two groups above were overwhelming. The two groups came out strongly and purposely to ensure formulation of policy that will conform to agenda 21 How the case study relate to the models.
Consideration of policy option
Source:Ghana home page.
8. Agenda 21 The case study has contribute to the achievement of the objectives of agenda 21 in the these ways · Integrated policy and decision-making approach used in the case study is one of the objectives of agenda 21-policy document. · Agenda 21 identifies the interactions of coastal resources, which the case study effectively considered. · The case study used participatory approach planning and policy process, which is a requirement of agenda 21. · Sustainable development and interventions considered in the case study was the back borne (bases) of Agenda 21
•Development direction of policy
7. Policy objectives. The objectives of the policy can be summarise by 4 key words 1. Policy (national &international)– development plan policy (vision 2020) and agenda 21 2. Development – combat poverty, improve the quality of life and standard of living of people in the coastal zone 3. Sustainability – ensure that development above meet the need of both present and future generation. Hence make integrated decision making 4. Science – sea level rise, reduce green house gasses, bad health environmental degradation contribute to a vicious circle that inhibits human development in the coastal zone
Source:Ghana home page. Contact Author: Isaac Boateng No: 214286 E-mail:
[email protected] Coastal and Marine Resource Management Department of Environmental Design and Management University of Portsmouth
