Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
stakeholders to identify what is important about the decision at hand. The
outcome of such an effort may produce a wide variety and often extensive list
of objectives that will need to be simplified to focus on things that matter and
the direction they need to move (e.g., maximize deer harvest or minimize
erosion). It is important to note, that unlike goals or targets, objectives do not
have specific quantitative outcomes (e.g., 50% increase), but are meant to define
the preferred ends and the direction of change to meet that ends.
Once a list of objectives has been defined, it is important to separate the
objectives into fundamental objectives (which reflect the ultimate goals) and
means objectives (which are ways of achieving the ends) to ensure that manage-
ment actions really effect the defined problem. For example, “maximize
sandbars” may be an important objective for the management of a river like
the Missouri or Platte, but if the river system is being managed for wildlife,
sandbars are primarily important because they increase breeding habitat for
threatened and endangered terns and plovers. “Maximize sandbars” is thus
a means objective toward reaching the fundamental objective of “maximize
tern and plover population size.” Clearly, there are other means objectives that
would also facilitate this fundamental objective (e.g., minimize nest predation,
maximized food availability, etc.). The benefit of the process of distinguishing
objectives is that the identification of means objectives can help lead to alterna-
tive management actions (e.g., build sandbars, release reservoir water), while the
identification of fundamental objectives gives a basis for evaluating and com-
paring alternatives (annual tern and plover population size). Keep in mind,
however, that the status of fundamental or means is not an innate quality of an
objective, but rather is highly context dependent. Thus, what was a means
objective for one decision, in the example “maximize sandbars,” may be
a fundamental objective for another if the decision problems shifts from say
“wildlife management” to “aesthetics” or “flow.”
After developing a careful list of objectives, it can be useful to develop
a hierarchy or means-ends diagram to group similar objectives and clarify the
links and relationships between means and fundamental objectives. An
objectives hierarchy can help clarify the context of each fundamental objective
by identifying all the important elements that are affected by the decision
process and demonstrate to stakeholders the importance of all objectives even
those that are not “fundamental objectives.”
3.
Identify Management Alternatives -
Management success is only as likely as the
creativity and diversity of possible management alternatives. Unfortunately,
management paralysis, “pet” management actions, and staying with the status
quo too often limit managers and policy makers to few options and thereby
impede management success. The process of identifying management
alternatives, like the process of identifying objectives, starts with brainstorming.
Identifying alternative management actions is a process that should be addressed
iteratively, as knowledge of best practices and the creativity to develop novel
ideas should not be expected to develop instantaneously. The key is bringing the
“right” people together. It
is important
to have a group with a set of
