Download all Technical Policy Briefing Notes in a single ... - Mediation

Key Messages• There is increasing interest in the appraisal ofoptions, as adaptation moves from theory topractice. In response, a number of existingand new tools are being developed andapplied including methods that addressvarious sources of uncertainty in making adecision.• The FP7 MEDIATION project has undertaken adetailed review of these tools, and has testedthem in a series of case studies. It hasassessed their applicability for adaptation andanalysed how they consider uncertainty. Thefindings have been used to provideinformation and guidance for the MEDIATIONAdaptation Platform and are summarised in aset of technical policy briefing notes.• Social Network Analysis (SNA) analysessocial networks and institutional actors(organizations, individuals, interest groups,etc.) and their linkages (socio-institutionalrelationships), mapping the influence and theexchange of information to assess adaptivecapacity.• SNA explores socio-institutional processes,and identifies the context and governancearound decisions. It highlights institutionalarrangements and structures, the decisionframing of actors, their approach to dealingwith information (confidence and uncertainty),the competence for action, and the laws,regulations, values and norms that are likely toguide decisions.• The approach has high relevance foradaptation. It builds on the growingconsensus that adaptation is a process, i.e.that implementing adaptation involves morethan a set of technical options. There areimportant barriers to adaptation that are partof existing socio-institutional processes andthese can be revealed and subsequentlynegotiated through SNA. It can alsoinvestigate the evaluation of uncertainty, i.e.how decisions are framed and subsequentchoice of appraisal tools.• The MEDIATION review has considered thestrengths and weakness of the approach foradaptation.• The main strength is SNA provides aformalised method to visualise stakeholderand knowledge networks, and in doing so, tounderstand them in the context of futureaction. It provides information on institutionalactors and relationships, their decisionframing, and the influence and exchange ofinformation for progressing adaptation andovercoming barriers. It can also relate these toqualitative metrics and use these tobenchmark progress towards outcomes.Qualitative SNA is quick and relatively easy todo and encourages participation acrossdiverse viewpoints and actors. QuantitativeSNA extends to provide correlations on keyvariables to further understanding.• The potential weaknesses involve thesubjective bias, including participation bias forqualitative SNA, and the high survey size andtime needed for quantitative SNA.• Previous applications of SNA for adaptationhave been reviewed, and Mediation casestudy applications are summarised.• The review and case studies provide usefulinformation on the range of adaptationproblem types where SNA might beappropriate, as well as data needs, resourcerequirements and good practice lessons. Theapproach has wide applicability and isconsidered useful for adaptation planning andthe links to choices of tools. Good practicesuggestions are included, such as the needfor balanced representation in qualitativeSNA, and the need for high sample sizes forquantitative SNA.