Framework for a collaborative process to increase preparation for drought on U.S. public rangelands.

We describe a theoretically based framework (C-PMT+HAPA) for designing and evaluating collaborative processes to increase preparation for natural hazards in situations in which preparedness decisions are shared and actions must be taken jointly by more than one party. The framework combines two health behavior change theories from psychology, protection motivation theory (PMT) and the health action process approach (HAPA), with collaboration theory in natural resources management. The framework provides much needed guidance for designing the activities in which participants will collaborate and suggests theoretically supported intermediate outcomes that may indicate a successful trajectory toward the ultimate goal of increased preparation. We used this framework in a collaborative process, with participation by ranchers with grazing permits and U.S. Forest Service managers on the Tonto National Forest, to increase preparation for drought on public rangelands in the Southwestern U.S. Evaluation of intermediate outcomes indicated: (1) improved interactions and relations between parties; (2) improved ability to appraise drought risks; (3) improved understanding of the U.S. Forest Service process for approving practices that increase preparation for drought; and; (4) increased motivation to implement these practices. The strength of the intermediate outcomes suggests that the C-PMT+HAPA framework would be an effective, theoretically supported framework for designing and evaluating collaborative processes to encourage preparation for natural hazards. More generally, the framework could contribute to more transdisciplinary, system- and action-oriented research on disaster risk reduction that is coproduced with multiple stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]