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AdaptNRM > Adaptation Planning > The NRM Adaptation Checklist

Implementation Planning & Action

Implementation planning and action is where you start to make more detailed decisions about the targets and actions you might take to achieve the strategic objectives and visions.

Traditionally, this more detailed planning is done separately for different domains (e.g. water, agriculture, biodiversity, etc.) and in many cases this may involve the development of separate sub-strategies and/or implementation plans – a segregation that may itself be a challenge to climate adaptation.

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Planting in Exeter; Source: NRM South; Photographer: Rob Burnett Images

This section helps you to think about how you might implement actions In the face of uncertainty  (multiple futures) and dealing with the key challenge of considering which actions are appropriate at what points in time as the climate changes, and to explicitly plan to switch as the need arises.

The following eight questions have been designed to help you to approach these relatively new challenges.

  • GeneralDo you assess whether our current high priority targets and actions are still likely to be your top priorities under future climates?

    If you answered yes

    You will have begun to develop action plans in accordance with your future objectives and vision. Consider how your funding and resources may need to be organised to support these altered priorities.  You are able to start considering innovative actions together with your stakeholders.

    If you answered no

    An example of how prioritisation was applied to adaptation options for seabirds and marine mammals is available from Alistair Hobday from CSIRO. It might provide you with some ideas on how to take into account competing priorities and multiple decisions. The document is still in press, but you can contact Alistair for more information about this.

    • Hobday, A. J., Chambers, L. E. & Arnould, J. P. Y. in press Methods to prioritise adaptation options for iconic seabirds and marine mammals impacted by climate change. In NCCARF Adaptation (ed. J. Palutikof, J. Barnett, S. L. Boulter & D. Rissik).
    Have limited resources?

    This is intended to be a quick assessment to help focus subsequent implementation planning effort. Thus, reflection on the future priority of actions can be done through internal discussions and expert opinion.

  • GeneralDo you use a creative brainstorming process involving community and stakeholders to identify potential actions you might take?

    If you answered yes

    You are likely to have considered new options and outcomes not previously considered. You are also likely to have built strong connections with stakeholders and developed community buy-in to your plan.  You can now start to consider how these actions fit with a pathways approach.

    If you answered no

    Brainstorming is quite different than the structured decision-making that is more common in NRM. A variety of tips and techniques are available on the web, including:

    This video provides an entertaining look at how creative processes can be used to achieve new and effective end results:

    Have limited resources?

    This may actually be the most cost-effective way to generate new ideas as it could be as simple as getting people together for a workshop.

  • GeneralHave you considered taking an ‘adaptation pathways’ approach - explicitly planning to switch actions over time?

    If you answered yes

    You will be well prepared for future decisions, with existing infrastructure or resources aligned for these decisions. This will also feed from flexibility built into your plan (See Strategic Planning for more).  You can start to consider how your actions can be modified in the future if need be.

    If you answered no

    Anna Moss and Suzanne Martin summarise a range of adaptation pathway projects underway globally.

    See also Figure 7.4 in Lowe’s report for one of the first adaptation pathways, identifying staged actions over time to protect the Thames estuary if and when sea levels rise different amounts

    Have limited resources?

    The adaptation pathways concept is relatively new* so there aren’t set processes to implement it yet and it’s still unclear how resource intensive it might be. One way to begin is to try to do just one pathway for a particular domain or type of decision you need to make, potentially enlisting the help of an expert in adaptation decision-making. A number of these types of example projects are currently underway, and are likely to result in some suggested processes or rules of thumb to follow, as well as a better understanding of the resourcing requirements.

  • GeneralDo you consider implementing actions in such a way that they can be modified in the future?

    If you answered yes

    You are in a position to undertake actions that are fit for purpose now and probably cost effective, but you have options to change these or build on them further without starting again if the need arises. Ensure these options are well documented and fed into the reflection process so future planners in your organisation will know you made these provisions.

    If you answered no

    It is worthwhile reading the following paper which shows how various options on the Thames Barrier in the UK have been considered and how time and cost have been considered to identify the best most cost effective options that can be expanded on over time. It should be noted that sometimes actions still need to start from scratch and community consultation and stakeholder engagement is a lengthy process that must be accounted for.

    Have limited resources?

    The resources to do this form of planning will depend on the types of actions being implemented. Where high costs may be involved, careful consideration is required about when the best time is to invest in the action and about the consultation required. Sometimes it may be appropriate not to implement actions and to wait until more information becomes available, or different approaches are identified.

  • GeneralWhen deciding which actions to take, have you thought about using a decision-making approach that considers uncertainty and risk in addition to cost and effectiveness?

    If you answered yes

    You will have a broad understanding of the risks involved in decision-making and an improved comfort level with dealing with uncertainty. Continue to ensure you reflect on these in your decision-making processes.  Your monitoring approaches will support the decisions you make in this step.

    If you answered no

    The European Commission funded a project that reviewed decision support tools to see which were most compatible with the challenges posed by climate adaptation, particularly dealing with risk and uncertainty. The summary report provides a great overview of methods and there are more detailed reports for a range of individual methods, all downloadable from:

    Alan Randall led a team to compare common decision-making approaches in Australia and their ability to handle key challenges posed by climate adaptation. Their practitioners handbook and online guide to choosing a decision-making framework can be accessed from here:

    Have limited resources?

    A few summary documents are available that are quick to read and explain different formal decision-making approaches and how well they meet the challenges of climate adaptation (see the Adaptation Campus Tools and Case Studies). A number of these approaches do not necessarily require many resources to implement – they just suggest a different way of thinking about decisions.

  • GeneralAre your sub-strategies or implementation plans strongly coordinated across domains and scales?

    If you answered yes

    You have a strategic hierarchy by which to adapt to climate change, which means your region is likely to have an effective response to the challenges of adaptation. You will also be able to engage well with stakeholders and select the most cost effective options.  You can now implement a range of actions to determine which achieve the best outcomes.

    If you answered no

    Some spatial modelling platforms are designed to allow you to combine multiple different types of data to plan the best outcomes across domains. These could also be used to assess whether plans for one domain lead to undesirable consequences for another. The landscape futures analysis tool https://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/lfp/research/afl/lfat/ developed by Wayne Meyers and colleagues and EnSym from the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries are both specifically designed with climate change in mind. MCAS-S http://www.daff.gov.au/abares/data/mcass was developed by ABARES and is a multi-criteria analysis framework that isn’t inherently focused on climate adaptation, so climate change would need to be incorporated in the way an analysis was structured and the data used.

    Have limited resources?

    Coordination across domains and scales could take many forms. While landscape-scale models that allow you to consider a number of actions and their consequences across domains may give the greatest confidence that perverse outcomes can be avoided and appropriate scales of implementation are being achieved, these are inherently resource-intensive. Regular communication between staff responsible for different domains, focused discussions on synergies and conflicts, and use of expert opinion and rules of thumb may be less resource-intensive ways of accomplishing some level of coordination.

  • GeneralDo you deliberately implement multiple different actions to address a given objective in order to ‘experiment’ and see which is most effective?

    If you answered yes

    You are following an approach that will enable you to determine the most effective outcome. Note that you will need to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the various approaches you are experimenting with to ensure you select the best.

    If you answered no

    Consider your alternative options for addressing a management issue or action. Consider how you might resource a program of complementary actions to experiment with management options. Look to the monitoring section of this guide for approaches to monitoring and evaluating different practices in order to determine effective solutions.

    It may be worthwhile looking at one of the original papers that put forward the idea of adaptive management, as it highlights the need to try and compare multiple options. For example:

    Have limited resources?

    This doesn’t necessarily require more resources for implementation just a willingness to spread those resources across a range of approaches, and consider that ‘best practice’ can incorporate a range of potential approaches.

  • GeneralDo you partner with the community and your stakeholders in both developing implementation plans and taking action?

    If you answered yes

    Your community will have good buy-in for planning actions and improved adaptive capacity in your organisation. Ensure that you maintain these partnerships into the future.  You can now start to think about how you and your partners can monitor the outcomes of the actions you are implementing.

    If you answered no

    Consider how you might partner with your community and stakeholders. Consider the process undertaken by the Mornington Peninsula Shire.

    In 2006 the Shire commenced a serious discussion with the community about Climate Change at the forum Your Community Your Future. This was followed in 2008 by a series of climate change ‘Community Conversations’ supported by an information kit titled “Climate Change: what are we doing about it” which presented scientific evidence from a study of the climate change impacts on the Western Port Region, and gave credibility to the Conversations.

    Have limited resources?

    As with all stages in the planning cycle stakeholder and community engagement processes can sometimes be time-consuming and expensive, but the outcomes are crucial under climate adaptation. To reduce time and costs, it may be possible to identify key representatives to work with on a regular basis who are also community leaders and can serve as champions for climate adaptation throughout your region.