Abstract

AbstractA need for evaluating maritime spatial planning (MSP) has become more important as countries are preparing and implementing their MSP. Evaluations are opportunities to foster learning and to accumulate knowledge in order to improve the processes and effectiveness of MSP. Empirical evidence has shown that MSP processes are run in different ways and for different purposes. To address this diversity, this chapter presents a methodology for designing a flexible and context-specific evaluation of MSP. This chapter introduces a theory-based evaluation approach that aims to explain how and why the evaluated planning process or plan works or fails to work. It scrutinises how MSP produces intended and unintended effects, for whom and in what contexts and what mechanisms are triggered by the MSP.

Highlights

  • Marine/Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is an increasingly common approach to manage the use and protection of the resources, the ecosystems and the space of seas (Douvere 2008; Jay et al 2013)

  • An often-cited definition states that ‘Marine [or maritime] Spatial Planning is a public process of analysing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that usually have been specified through a political process’ (UNESCO-IOC 2010)

  • Spatial planning often operates in complex contexts where several factors have an influence at the same time

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Summary

Introduction

Marine/Maritime spatial planning (MSP) is an increasingly common approach to manage the use and protection of the resources, the ecosystems and the space of seas (Douvere 2008; Jay et al 2013). Knowing whether the plan will help society to achieve all or any of the objectives requires specific attention This is the evaluative question that is the focus of this chapter. Within the Baltic SCOPE project the author developed an evaluation and monitoring framework for cross-border collaboration in MSP (Varjopuro 2017). For the purpose of preparing the evaluation and monitoring framework, the author and his colleagues followed the Baltic SCOPE process and conducted individual and group interviews to identify factors that influence the success of transboundary collaboration. The work on developing monitoring and evaluation approaches is continuing in the Pan Baltic Scope project (http://www.panbalticscope.eu/). The chapter starts by presenting approaches and concepts of evaluation of policies and spatial plans This is followed by a presentation of the progress gained in evaluation of MSP.

Purposes of Evaluation
Alternative Evaluation Approaches
Evaluation Can Target Impacts and Processes
Evaluation
Evaluation of MSP
Evaluation of the organisational performance
A Theory-Based Evaluation Framework for MSP
Theories of Change
Using Theories of Change in Evaluation
Testing of Theories of Change
Organisation of Evaluation
Targeting the Evaluation
Financial and Institutional Resources for Evaluation
Stakeholder Engagement in Evaluations
Define evidence and indicators for
10. Communicate evaluation results
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