Date of Award
1994
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Abstract
Conflict is inherent in resource management. To effectively alleviate or eliminate interest incompatibilities, public policy processes must provide adequate opportunities for the representation of interests by concerned parties. The difficulty lies in ascertaining successful means of incorporating various interests into the decision-making process. Yet, to date, there has been little attention to what works, where, and why.;Evaluation may serve to remedy this problem by serving the dual functions of generating knowledge and improving practice. Models of the evaluation of interest representation were reviewed. None were found adequate to present needs. A new evaluative framework was developed that incorporated the properties of interest representation into the framework through the coupling of responsive evaluation and grounded theory. Interviews were held in an initial field season (Summer 1992) in the Yukon with prominent stakeholders in environmental decision-making to identify criteria for the assessment.;The model was applied to evaluate the conduct of interest representation within environmental assessment in Yukon. Three case studies were selected at the second level of screening performed by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Data were collected on each through the use of interviews with those involved in the conduct of the review complemented by written data sources concerning the cases.;The research found that information exchange is central to the success of a public participation process through its effects on other characteristics. Thus the key to effective interest representation is to maximise the amount, distribution, and functionality of information exchange with resources that provide an accountable balance between equality and efficiency. Recommendations are provided to aid in the improvement of the process under study.
Recommended Citation
Prystupa, Mark Vincent, "Evaluation Of Yukon Environmental Assessment Interest Representation" (1994). Digitized Theses. 2405.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/2405