Regional Economic Development Planning in New Zealand: Who Owns It?
Professor Paul Dalziel
Professor Caroline Saunders
Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, Lincoln University
Background Paper
Public policy integration and the development of a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA)
Framework to assess regional sustainable development targets from QTL perspectives.
MCA enables the critical factors needed to facilitate sustainable development at the sub national level that is either sectoral or regional to be assessed. The MCA framework integrates the social, economic, environmental and cultural factors in sustainable development and has the strength in that it allows qualitative and quantitative data to be included in the analysis. Thus, the use of MCA will enable all of the factors to be included in evaluating best sustainable development choices. MCA is in use by number of overseas analysts and agencies, including Department of the Environment UK (Pearce et al. 1999); for waste and waste water management (Buchart et al. 2002); sustainable strategies in Italy (Mauro et al. 2002).
An MCA analysis has a number of stages however the main ones are firstly to determine the set of goals and/or objectives and then to identify the trade-offs between these against different methods of achieving desired policy outcomes. The second stage of analysis is to identify best policy by attaching weights to various objectives. (Clearly this second stage is developed with close reference to those involved in policy formation and implementation). Moreover the technique does allow sensitivity analysis against different weights and thus the policy makers can assess their priorities alongside their potential effect.
The Multi Criteria framework will enables researchers not only to integrate the components of sustainable development (socio, economic, environmental and cultural) but also incorporate the impacts of interregional spatial links, and trade offs, different types of criteria and models (eg cost benefit analysis, input/output analysis and qualitative data) under uncertainty. The framework therefore has the capability to assess the socio-cultural influences and existing organisational structures and their interaction in how they influence outcomes and therefore affect the success of different policy/project options to achieve sustainable development.
The AERU aims to evaluate the best practices from both national and international literature on Multi Criteria frameworks and their applicability to the NZ context. This will include both the methodologies and also the relevant software used to assess the criteria. Alongside this the research will review the international implementation and development of policies to facilitate regional development as well as the institutional and socio-cultural structure within which this occurs. This will concentrate upon 'whole management systems' of policy development that emphasise the integration of government at the central and local levels.
In conducting the research, information and input from three sources are required for each example, both to establish the Multi Criteria analytical framework but also so that key factors from international literature relating to policy and its context can be applied. First is through an analysis of the institutional and policy environment. This will involve studying the impact of central government decisions and policies in the case study context, local government policy and implementation, as well as community initiatives towards sustainable development. Secondly, information from the community is of vital importance on their attitudes and aspirations regarding sustainable development. Secondary data sources are important in establishing the socio economic and environmental status of the case study. From this the most appropriate policy and recommendations can be determined.
C.M.Saunders
AERU
Lincoln University
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