The FST has three tiers: (1) a stakeholder prioritization; (2) development of a beneficiary profile; and (3) identification of key environmental attributes, with each tier feeding into the next (Fig.2a). Because the FST has three objectives— prioritizing the stakeholders, the beneficiaries, and the key attributes—each of the MCDA steps is run through three times in succession in a tiered MCDA approach, Table 1 The MCDA steps in each of the three parts of the FEGS Scoping Tool. The colored boxes indicate how the output of one tier is used as an input in the next. The output from Tier 1 (red box) is used as an input in Tier 2 (red box). The output from Tier 2 (black dashed box) is used as an input in Tier 3 (black dashed box). (modified fromSharpe and Jenkins2018)
MCDA Steps Tier 1:
Stakeholders
Tier 2: Beneficiaries Tier 3: Attributes
1. Objective Prioritize stakeholders Prioritize beneficiaries Prioritize environmental attributes 2. Decision
criteria
Used when prioritizing stakeholder groups – supplied by the tool
Used when prioritizing beneficiaries –the stakeholder groups themselves are used as these criteria (i.e., which beneficiary groups are relevant to stakeholders)
Used when prioritizing attributes –the beneficiary groups are used as these criteria (i.e., which attributes are relevant to beneficiaries)
3. Metrics &
Value functions
Used to score each stakeholder group for each criterion – supplied by the tool
Used to score each beneficiary group for each stakeholder group –this is done in the Beneficiary step of the tool when users are asked to identify those beneficiary categories found within each stakeholder group
Used to score each attribute for each beneficiary group –this is done in the Attribute step of the tool when users are asked to identify attributes of concern for each beneficiary group
4. Alternatives Stakeholders identified by tool users
Beneficiary list from the FEGS Classification System and NESCS Plus
Attribute list from the FEGS Classification System and NESCS Plus
5. Weighting Done by users in the first step of the tool
Stakeholder MCDA values from the output of Tier 1 are used as weights in this step
Beneficiary MCDA values from the output of Tier 2 are used as weights in this step
6. Score alternatives
User input at the Stakeholder step
User input at the Beneficiary step User input at the Attribute step
7.Calculate value
Output at Stakeholder step
Output at Beneficiary step Output at Attribute step
with the output from Tier 1 feeding into Tier 2 and the output from Tier 2 feeding into Tier 3 (Fig. 2b and Table 1). Specifically, the output from the stakeholder prioritization (Tier 1, Step 7) is used to weight the influence of those stakeholder groups in the development of the beneficiary profile (Tier 2, Step 5). Continuing that approach, the output from the beneficiary profile (Tier 2, Step 7) is used to weight the influence of those beneficiary groups in the identification of key environmental attributes (Tier 3, Step 5).
The FST was designed to be relatively simple for decision makers to incorporate in their existing decision-making processes. It does not require decision makers to Fig. 2 Overview of the FEGS Scoping Tool. The FST has three tiers (a)—stakeholder prioritiza- tion, development of a beneficiary profile, and identification of key environmental attributes. Each tier feeds into the next. MCDA weights and scores decision alternatives on a range of criteria and uses the combination of weights and scores to prioritize those alternatives. In this schematic (b), circles are the user inputs and squares are the tool outputs. In thefirst tier, users weight and score the prioritization criteria to rank the decision alternatives (the stakeholder groups). In the second tier, the stakeholder prioritization (first tier output) is used as the weights and users score each of the stakeholder groups as to their beneficiary roles. These weights and scores are used to prioritize the decision alternatives (the beneficiary groups). In the third tier, the beneficiary profile (second tier output) is used as the weights and users score each of the beneficiary groups as to key attributes needed to realize those benefits. These weights and scores are used to prioritize the decision alternatives (the environmental attributes)
collect specific data about the stakeholder groups beyond knowledge of the com- munity and familiarity with the stakeholder groups. The more iterative and partic- ipatory a process is structured, the more likely the process will lead to results that are defensible and well-founded. The intent of the tool is to provide a simple, transparent process for prioritizing stakeholder groups and letting that inform a prioritization of the benefits they receive from the environment and the elements of the environment necessary for receiving those benefits. It is anticipated that tool users will often be the decision makers, but this is not necessarily the case. Non-decision makers, such as those interested in evaluating or analyzing a decision made by others, mightfind the FST valuable as well.
3.2.1 Stakeholder Prioritization
During the stakeholder prioritization, decision makers are asked to review and weight the stakeholder prioritization criteria found in Table2. This is a question of values. In this step, decision makers must ask themselves which of these decision criteria are most meaningful to them when looking at the stakeholder groups they are prioritizing. Criteria weighting is a key element of MCDA and the FST. Priorities
Table 2 Stakeholder prioritization criteria used in the FST Stakeholder prioritization
criteria Definition
Level of interest The amount of interest a stakeholder group has in the decision- making process or the decision outcome
Level of influence The amount of influence a stakeholder group has over the decision-making process
Magnitude of impact The degree of potential impact to the stakeholder group as a result of the decision
Probability of impact The likelihood of potential impact to the stakeholder group as a result of the decision
Urgency/temporal immediacy
The degree to which a stakeholder group would like to see a decision made or an action taken
Proximity How frequently a stakeholder group comes into contact with the environment for which a decision is being made
Economic interest Whether a stakeholder group’s livelihoods or assets could be impacted by the decision outcome
Rights Whether a stakeholder group has legal, property, consumer, or user rights associated with the decision-making process, the decision outcome, or the environment for which the decision is being made
Fairness Whether the exclusion of a stakeholder group from the decision- making process would lead to the process being viewed as unfair by the community
Underrepresented/under- served populations
Whether a stakeholder group includes any underrepresented or underserved populations