Sustainability Systems Appraisal for Integrated Coastal Zone Management

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is a process defined in terms of achieving sustainable development. Despite sustainability being accepted by the majority of organizations currently operating on the coast, the integrated approach is seen as the more constructive and beneficial alternative to achieve this state. If 'success' for ICZM means sustainable development, then the question is how it attempts to achieve this, and, more specifically, how effectively it does so? Put another way, how can the management process be evaluated in terms of achieving its aims? Despite several attempts to produce indicator sets, there is currently no established or validated way of assessing the effectiveness of ICZM initiatives and consequently no means by which to judge their strategic performance. This paper attempts to address this by outlining the development and evaluation of a standardised operating mechanism for assessing ICZM initiatives. On the basis of previous work, the 'Coastal Sustainability Standard' was developed around a framework of six principles, namely planning; participation; communication; integration; responsibility; and, balance, with a set of criteria established for each. A scoring system and set of guidelines were then designed to maximise the level of objectivity in carrying out the assessment, with the scoring system reflecting the systems thinking inherent in the design. In order to validate the mechanism, three coastal partnerships (CPs) in the UK were selected against which to carry out a detailed application of the Standard. These were the Exe Estuary Management Partnership (EEMP); Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum (TECF); and, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum (PCF), all of which scored relatively poorly. That none of the three CPs achieved the pre-requisite standard raised a number of considerations relating to the efficacy of the Standard and its operation, as well as to the nature of ICZM in the UK. Conclusions drawn from this evaluation identified that the current operation of ICZM exhibits a disjointed approach to achieving its long-term goals as a result of its voluntary nature. The voluntary approach employed can be seen to be at the root of a number of problems facing the successful development of ICZM. In terms of resources, it has implications for the skills, knowledge and training of coastal managers, as well as the funding available to develop and implement effective plans. The voluntary approach also does not 'encourage' appropriate cultural changes within or between stakeholder organizations, and does not impart joint responsibility or collective liability upon stakeholders to achieve sustainable development. The development and application of the CSS has been shown to have some efficacy and, given the number of relevant policy initiatives currently underway, contribute to the topical debate about way forward for ICZM. Furthermore, it is seen as a way of initialising a debate relating to professional skills and competencies required of ICZM; of adding value to the management process of individual initiatives; and of providing a mechanism for a strategic review process.