Decision Making for Sustainability

Glasgow, United Kingdom
University of Glasgow

The Seminar in summary
Susan will describe a partnership between Auckland University, New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment and Local Government New Zealand which aims to improve decision making in response to sustainable environmental challenges. The Resource Management Act (RMA) is the tool with which the government aims to manage the sustainable use of New Zealand’s national resources. Plans and policies developed within the RMA are administered through consent hearings which are heard by panels comprising elected councillors or independent commissioners. A need to offer a training programme that improved the quality of decision making was identified by the Ministry and work on the project began in 2004. Beginning with an initial conception based on knowledge of the Act the programme was informed by good adult learning principles and by research into decision making. A professional development scheme has been developed and delivered to over 700 decision makers who are recognised as demonstrating the competencies required by hearing panel members or chairs. The project has won awards in New Zealand, Australia and the United States and is a good example of using a research base to design effective learning. It is also an excellent example of an effective partnership between a university and a government agency.

More information can be found through the following link:

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/rma/practitioners/good-decisions/index.html [2]