Collaborative Resource Management

Abstract

Collaborative resource planning has become the preferred model of resource management in many jurisdictions. It delegates responsibility to stakeholders who engage in face‐to‐face negotiation to develop plans by consensus. Empirical evaluations show that collaborative resource management is more likely to result in plans that are in the public interest and successfully implemented when compared to more conventional scientific‐based planning models that rely on experts to develop plans. Collaborative planning also produces additional “social capital” benefits such as improved stakeholder relations and management skills. While there are challenges in using collaborative planning, these can be overcome by using best practice guidelines.