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Methodological Framework for Research

The researchers in the group all examine aspects of this framework and many compare the progress in the 4 boxes between jurisdictions such as India and Australia, China and Australia Lebanon and Australia.  In addition, much work is done on the water laws and policies between the states of Australia who have the most power over water management. 

The research methods used are those from the social sciences in particular social surveys with techniques such as conjoint analysis, SEM and factor analysis to apply to examine the reactions of the community and the policy makers to water policies and laws. Other frameworks applied include those from policy analysis, institutional analysis and institutional legal theory and institutional economics.  

an image of the framework

The innovative Evaluation by policy actors of policy and Evaluation of law by implementers method of research. 

"It is taking us a long time to learn that changing laws in Canberra doesn't automatically change anyone's behaviour Ross Gittins. Sydney Morning Herald, 16 March 1996". 

Premise - New policies and laws do not always achieve their stated objectives as per Explanatory Memoranda. Any behaviour change may be negligible or indeed perverse as there are interactions with previous laws and pluralistic laws, pluralistic institutions and different modes of behaviour by person with different socio - demographic characteristics.

Application -This method has been devised with the benefit of experience with the literature from Sociology and Geography and Policy analysis and applied to Water Management policies and laws in Australia (McKay, Hurlimann and Pisaniello 2005 and McKay 2006,).  Water management policies and laws in India and Construction laws in Hong Kong and Natural Resources Management policies and laws in Australia, Indonesia, Spain and Brazil. 

Detail of method -The method was to identify the relevant policies and laws from State and federal instruments and from these identify the behavioural changes required. The next step was to design an instrument to evaluate (on an eleven point Likert scale) perceptions, understandings and attitudes to the policies and laws by the key actors. The responses can then be used to evaluate the efficacy of the policies and laws and suggest reform proposals or different approaches to achieve the aims. Some times a different approach is identified because respondents in a certain age group respond in different ways.( Hurlimann and McKay 2004).  This approach is part of the general Evidence based policy movement but are bottom up subsets called Evaluation by policy implementers and Evaluation of law by implementers.

McKay 2006.  Issues for CEOs of Australian water utilities with the implementation of the integration and ESD requirements in Australian water laws.  Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education.
Special edition on integrated water resources management [IWRM]: lessons learned from practice; tools to improve governance; new institutional arrangements; national and regional case studies of successes and failures; future directions. This journal is a peer-reviewed journal of the Universities Council on Water Resources (USA)[ www.ucowr.siu.edu ]

Five tools have been generated :

 

The Four Paradigms in Australian Surface and Groundwater Management

an image of the four paradigms in australian surface and groundwater management

Extract: Amman, Jordan May 15, 2007: In a concerted effort to assist the Government of Iraq in developing its institutional water management capacity, the Iraq office of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is organizing an extensive three-day conference in Amman, Jordan that will establish a vision for the water sector in the country.

The principal aim of the conference is to spotlight the major challenges to the water sector in Iraq and propose a course of action that includes identifying a long term strategy, strong coordination mechanisms and sound policies for water resource management.

 

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