A Concept for Testing Decision Support Tools in Participatory Processes Applied to the ToSIA Tool

Diana Tuomasjukka, Marcus Lindner and David Edwards
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Diana Tuomasjukka: European Forest Institute, Torikatu 34, 80100 Joensuu, Finland
Marcus Lindner: European Forest Institute, Torikatu 34, 80100 Joensuu, Finland
David Edwards: Forest Research, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY, UK

Challenges, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: ToSIA (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment) offers a transparent and consistent methodological framework to assess impacts of changes (technological, policy, management, etc .) in the forest-based sector. This tool is able to facilitate the decision making process within and between diverse groups of stakeholders (e.g., forest managers and policymakers) as it provides a neutral, transparent and data-driven platform for stakeholder interaction and communication. To test these capabilities of ToSIA, a practical approach to test if a decision support system is suitable for participatory processes was developed based on a set of evaluation criteria for participatory processes. ToSIA’s performance was assessed and discussed in different categories against a selection of criteria for successful participatory processes: six criteria were fulfilled by ToSIA, in nine, ToSIA is potentially helpful, in two, criteria ToSIA has no influence, and for three criteria, no experiences exist until now. As a result, ToSIA’s conceptual suitability as a participatory decision support system was confirmed for two interlinked roles: as a decision support system to assess alternative scenarios, and as a communication platform for stakeholder interaction.

Keywords: ToSIA (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment); pDSS (participatory Decision Support System); decision defence; stakeholder interaction; participatory process; science-policy interface (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 C00 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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