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The role of environmental managers in knowledge co-production: Insights from two case studies.
- Source :
- Environmental Science & Policy; Feb2021, Vol. 116, p188-195, 8p
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- • Environmental decision-makers are more diverse than co-production processes acknowledge. • Issue definition is science-led, making it hard for environmental managers to contribute. • Environmental managers make important and varied knowledge contributions. • Environmental managers value science and this influences their participation. • Scientist-manager relationships facilitate mutual understanding and use of knowledge. Transdisciplinary collaborative processes like knowledge co-production have been promoted as valuable mechanisms to address complex environmental management issues. Their value is based on epistemic and participatory ideals involving academic and non-academic knowledge and values being elicited and deliberated upon. While idealised processes of participation have been described, the actual nature of non-academic contributions including those of environmental managers has received scant attention. We explore the role and input of environmental managers in knowledge co-production, drawing on two cases from Australia and South Africa. We use an analytical frame based on the co-production idiom which focuses on process legitimacy when involving lay participants in science-informed dialogue. Environmental managers tend to be treated as part of a homogeneous group of 'policy-makers' but our research reveals that this characterisation masks individuals with a diversity of motivations, skills and responsibilities who contribute empirical, pragmatic and normative knowledge to co-production. Our results also suggest that environmental managers were not always able to contribute meaningfully to the critical early step of issue definition. These new insights suggest better conceptualisation of decision-maker expertise and roles, and flexibility in design and implementation of collaborative processes, are required if knowledge co-production is to achieve a participatory ideal and substantively better environmental management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14629011
- Volume :
- 116
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Science & Policy
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 148335889
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.12.001