The purpose of this research is to use a discourse analysis of the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs to understand the role of environmental consultants in the political processes that underpin municipal environmental decision-making. The focus of this research is to interpret the role of environmental consultants and to understand the environmental policy process in the context of the challenges that local authorities face.
INTRODUCTION
- Introduction
- Aim and Objectives
- Structure of the Thesis
- Conclusion
The chapter introduces the methodology of this research as an interpretive, qualitative approach to policy analysis. The purpose of this research is to use discourse analysis as an interpretive approach to understand the role of environment.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Introduction
Philosophical Framework
- Social Constructivism
- Interpretive Approaches
In contrast, interpretive policy analysis attempts to understand the policy process in terms of both content and structure. In contrast to the positivist approach, interpretive approaches to policy analysis attempt to uncover the meaning embedded in the language that shapes the environmental policy process.
Discourse Analysis
- Approaches to Discourse Analysis
- Argumentative Discourse Analysis
- Hajer’s Three-Dimensional Analytical Model
- The Discursive Dimension of Policy Making
- The Performative Dimension of Policy Making
- Environmental Discourses
In the context of this research, practice refers to the execution of the policy process through which discourse is produced, reproduced and transformed. One of the varieties that falls within the second strand is the 'environmental justice' discourse.
Actors in Environmental Policy Making
- The Modern State
- Environmental Consultants
- Key Stakeholders
2003) uses the concept of core and periphery to explain how and why the state works. The fundamental imperatives and structure of the state determine the extent to which environmental issues and non-state actors influence environmental policy processes.
Environmental Policy Making
- Environmental Policy Challenges
- What is Environmental Policy Making?
The first challenge facing contemporary environmental policy is the creation of new political spaces. This is the reason why the shift in policy making is linked to a strong discourse on sustainable development.
Conclusion
The emergence of these approaches is largely in response to the emergence of three challenges facing contemporary environmental policymaking. A consequence of these challenges is the opening of political spaces for non-state actors, such as environmental consultants, and the redefinition of environmental policy-making.
BACKGROUND
Introduction
The section describes approaches to mainstreaming environmental considerations at the local government level, environmental management in South Africa and environmental management tools such as SEA.
Study Area
- Rustenburg Local Municipality
- KwaDukuza Local Municipality
KwaDukuza Municipality is one of four local municipalities that make up the Ilembe District Municipality and is considered the hub and commercial center of the district. The high pace of development in the municipality puts a strain on the natural environment (KLM 2006).
Local Government
- Spheres of Government
- Developmental Local Government
- Local Government Capacity
- Local Government Legislation
The ability to carry out tasks effectively is one of the biggest challenges for local government. The first set consists of legislation that outlines the role and structure of local government. The second set consists of legislation that sets out the environmental management responsibilities of local government.
The importance of the White Paper on Local Governance (1998) is its emphasis on involving civil society in working towards sustainable development at the local level (RSA 1998d). RSA only requires a basic assessment, while activities in the second list, such as "use, recycling, handling, treatment, storage or final disposal of hazardous waste" (RSA requires a more extensive assessment in terms of scope or an EIA.
Integrating the Environment into Local Government
- Environmental Institutional Arrangements
- Integrated Environmental Management
Therefore, the planning process is the driving force behind SEA practice in South Africa and SEA practice is shaped by the country's decision-making system. 2007a) identified two broad types of SEA practices in South Africa. This is the most common application of SEA practice in South Africa, representing 64% of the 50 SEAs surveyed by Retief. This is because an SEA requires a variety of policy-making skills that are often unavailable or fragmented across government departments, industry or in institutions (DEAT 2006; Sowman a: 51). We found that environmental consultants play a leading role in an SEA and that “the extensive use of external consultancies suggests that the majority of SEA expertise lies within the private sector”.
Legislation is therefore one of the biggest drivers of EIA practice in South Africa, despite EIA being voluntary and officially illegal. Based on these indicators, many of the surveyed VSMs in South Africa were found to be relatively ineffective (Retief at al. 2007b).
Conclusion
METHODOLOGY
- Introduction
- Interpretive, Qualitative Analysis
- Discourse Analysis
- Data Sources
- Oral Evidence
- Sampling
- Data Interpretation
- Challenges
- Conclusion
This research uses a social constructivist approach because one of the objectives of this research is to interpret the language used in KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEA. Although the increased role of the researcher in the collection and interpretation of data introduces what Robinson (1998) refers to as 'interviewer's bias', this interpretive approach to research considers subjectivity as an essential component of qualitative research. The master categories or themes were 'what is an SEA?', 'the need for an SEA', the
For example, the main category of 'what is a VSM?' included the subcategories 'EIA as a decision-making tool', 'sustaining capacity of the environment for development', etc. The second stage of classification focuses on the performative dimension of the EIA policy process.
THE DISCURSIVE DIMENSION OF POLICY MAKING
Introduction
The Discourse of ‘Ecological Modernisation’
Story Lines
- What is a SEA?
- The Need for a SEA
- The Need for Consultants
- The Role of Actors in a SEA
Many of the respondents believed that the status quo assessment of KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEA was a way for the municipality to "take stock of" the environmental resources they have in the area (Interview 4, KwaDukuza). The final story line in the 'need for an SEA' theme is the story of 'the environment is marginalized in policy and planning processes'. A number of respondents supported this story line as there is "the lack of capacity" (Interview 1, Rustenburg 1; Interview 5, KwaDukuza) in local authorities or local authorities "don't have the capacity" (Interview 1, KwaDukuza; Interview 2, KwaDukuza) .
A respondent from KwaDukuza SEA describes this situation as “constraints by officials” (Interview 6, KwaDukuza). However, one respondent believed that certain public officials “wanted to lead” the SEA.
Concrete Policy Vocabularies
- The ‘Developmental’ Policy Vocabulary
- The ‘Management’ Policy Vocabulary
- The ‘Environmental’ Policy Vocabulary
The concept of 'development' is one of the most frequently used concepts in KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEA. The concept of 'economic' is another concept in the vocabulary of 'development' policy that was prominently used in the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs. The concept of 'planning' is used a total of 768 times in KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs.
The most common way in which the concept of "planning" is used is in the phrase "management plan" (108). This concept is used a total of 159 times in the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg ESMs and includes the term policy.
Conclusion
The three SEAs therefore reflect an 'environmental' policy vocabulary as they emphasize the management of the biophysical environment. Policy vocabularies consist of sets of concepts that are used conspicuously by the actors to frame a specific policy. The 'development' policy vocabulary consists of the terms 'economic' and 'development' and reflects the economic emphasis of the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs.
This vocabulary reflects the way in which the municipality intends to manage the environmental impacts of development. It was found that certain concepts in the vocabularies were prominently used in the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs and therefore significantly influence the way SEAs are designed.
THE PERFORMATIVE DIMENSION OF POLICY MAKING
Introduction
Scripting
For example, the interest group committee of the KwaDukuza SEA consists of various individuals and organizations from civil society. Two of the most prominent stakeholders in the KwaDukuza SEA are Simon Bundy and Di Jones. The writing of the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs is largely determined by the SEA process outlined in the IEM SEA Guidelines and each project's Terms of Reference (TOR).
For example, the TOR for the Rustenburg 2 SEA outlines the SEA policy process to be followed by consultants and specific project deliverables (See Appendix B). The SEA scripting of KwaDukuza and Rustenburg is thus largely determined by the SEA process.
Staging
One of the respondents indicates that the municipality and the environmental advisors have a. According to one of the respondents, “the consultants, (as) the service providers, have actually submitted a tender, a proposal to say that (they) are going to do this specific work, at this specific price, (and) within this specific time”. However, one of the respondents states that there is indeed a division between civil servants and environmental advisors (Interview 2, Rustenburg 2).
This is in contrast to the organization of the Rustenburg EIA 1 where the NWPG and Rustenburg Municipality were relatively passive in the policy process. In contrast, one of the respondents felt that the main stakeholders “were all supportive of the project” (Interview 1, Rustenburg 2).
Setting
The availability of the meeting for public participation was an important consideration in the KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEAs. The props used in the physical framework of the political process are an important aspect of the framework concept. The staging of KwaDukuza and Rustenburg SEA is therefore heavily influenced by the physical setting of the political process.
This is because the physical setting of the political process affects the power relations between the actors. Setting up meetings for public participation also affects the effectiveness of the discussion between the state, consultants and key stakeholders.
Performance
The technocratic nature of the script did not support deliberation between the key stakeholders and other actors on the environmental issues covered in the SOAs. The technocratic setting of the public participation meetings contributed to the lack of involvement of the key stakeholders in the policy process. One of the respondents felt that this point in the process arose because some of these stakeholders began to trust the environmental consultants (Interview 4, Rustenburg 2).
A key moment in the performance is when a stakeholder from the local community approached one of the environmental consultants and said. For example, in the Rustenburg 2 SEA, some of the key stakeholders began to trust the consultants and a more equitable power relationship developed between the consultants and specific stakeholders.
Conclusion
The interactions in the Rustenburg SEAs are deliberately organized to follow the technocratic script of the SEA process. In the Rustenburg 1 SEA, the civil servants strengthened this power relationship as they limited their involvement in the policy process. The ward councilors in the Rustenburg 2 SEA have been identified as a symbol of the new democracy that has emerged in South Africa.
The technocratic nature of the SEA process is defined by two features that determine the appropriate behavior of actors in the political process. District councilors were used as a symbol in the Rustenburg 2 SEA to attract key stakeholders to public participation meetings.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The themes are 'what is an SEA?', the 'need for an SEA', the 'need for consultants' and the 'role of actors in an SEA'. In the context of 'institutional ambiguity', actors cannot assume what the role and responsibilities of each actor should be in the policy process, but develop the rules through consultation in the process. 1993), Policy Discourse and the Politics of Washington Think Tanks, in Fisher F. Eds.), The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning, UCL Press, London.
1993), Learning from Practice Stories: The Priority of Practical Judgement, v Fisher F. Eds.), The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning, UCL Press, London. 1993), Planning Through Debate: The Communicative Turn in Planning Theory, v Fisher F. Eds.), The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning, UCL Press, London.
Biodiversity rich granite koppies in Rustenburg Municipality
Development in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality
Focus group public meeting
