Stakeholder involvement in the decision making for development projects using 'educated trade-offs'

Abstract

The premise of this research is that unless stakeholders are able to engage in educated (technically, economically, environmentally informed) trade-offs between the different uses/issues of a common resource, the stakeholder involvement in decision making will be emotional and not rational. The objectives of this research study are to develop and validate a decision making methodology based on 'Educated Trade-offs' for effective stakeholder involvement through participation and consultation, in development projects. The term 'Educated Trade-offs' means that stakeholders are able to engage in technically, economically and environmentally (including socially) informed (educated) decision-making between the critical uses/issues (trade-offs) of a resource. The research hypothesis is that with improved access to technical, economical and environmental information stakeholders can make rational decisions based on 'Educated Trade-offs' on competing resource uses/issues that affect them as interests of the multiple stakeholders for a resource is complementary than conflicting. The theoretical component of the research study involves the development of the five step 'Educated trade-off framework and two methods (models) for the stakeholder consultation sessions required in -the application of the framework for decision making in development projects. The case study application of the framework to a development project of the Ma Oya River Basin in the North Western Sri Lanka showed that the developed framework in application was robust and the methodology was validated by accepting the research hypothesis at 95% level of significance. The first step of the framework identified resource uses, impacted sections and stakeholders effectively. The second, third and fourth steps educated stakeholders in technical, economical and environmental spheres to make rational decisions, on development projects. A significant association was found in the responses of stakeholders between 'Pre' and 'Post' stakeholder education sessions concluding that the education session using 'Educated Trade-off framework is an effective tool in improving stakeholder decision making ability.