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The generic approach of the 'ideal' frame Frame of reference combined with the procedure to define the information need, may yield a very complex picture that can be difficult to apply in practice, although it has been shown to work (cf. Mulder et al., 2001; Willems, 2002; Wierda, 2003). To make the 'ideal' approach somewhat more applicable in practice, we need a 'basic' frame Frame of reference containing a limited set of elements that seem to recur in management situations where physical system behaviour presents a threat to values and interests. In line with the reasoning set out in the previous sections, we conclude that in order to make essential (technical) components of ICM decision making processes explicit, a 'basic' frame Frame of reference should include the following elements (see Figure 4.7):
- a strategic objective;
- an operational objective; and
- a decision recipe containing a foursome of elements, viz.:
- a quantitative state concept;
- a benchmarking procedure;
- an intervention procedure; and
- an evaluation procedure confronting the operational as well as the strategic objective.
The 'basic' frame Frame of reference, derived in an iterative problem driven manner, provides a useful tool in support of decision making as well as a target for specialist improvement. As such it provides a communication tool supporting efforts to rationalise the use of specialist knowledge in coast related decision processes, as intended in Section 4.3.
Strategic management objective
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The operational objective expresses our vision on how to handle the interactions between the natural and the socio-economic system. As such it is a concrete implementation of the strategic objective. Operational ICM objectives are in this thesis assumed to be related to the status of values and interests in the coastal zone. As such the operational objective should include an explicit indication regarding the temporal and spatial scales involved. It may take many operational objectives to cover all scales intended in the strategic objective. Simultaneous management of different operational objectives can easily lead to conflicts. What is good for one objective might harm another. What works on the short term could adversely affect the long term. As a result, evaluation of management activities should not be restricted to the operational objective but include a critical review with respect to the strategic objective. Evaluating the interaction between different operational objectives and minimising the amount of conflicts are crucial elements of an integrated approach to
coastal management.
Decision recipe
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