This study examines some of the trends in the theory and practice of public participation processes as an element of policy development. 73 of 1989 EJNF Forum of Environmental Justice Networks IAP2 International Association of Public Participation Integrated Waste Management Plan IWMP.
1 Introduction
- Types of public participation
- Public participation in South Africa
- Reasons for the growth of public participation in South Africa
- The contribution of public participation to governance
One of the reasons for the growing interest and use of; public participation is the increasing emphasis on participatory democracy. Majone raises another important reason for the growth of public participation in his discussion of post-decision arguments.
2 Outline of problem and research question
- Scope of this study
- Difficulties of ensuring meaningful participation
- Outcomes of the study
- Choice of case study
The aim of this study is therefore to generate a theoretical framework that allows the process of public participation to be analyzed and understood in such a way that the. The process used appears to be at different points on the continuum at different times; And.
3 Theoretical framework
- Po/icy
- Policy process
- Policy streams and communities
- Policies
- Political
- Windows
- Interest groups
- Participation and democracy
- The participatory ideal
- Expert vs. popular participation
- Policy space
- Critical discourse analysis
- Discourse analysis as a policy tool
- Criteria for assessing a process
- Narrative policy analysis technique
- Stories, counter-stories and non-stories
- Meta -narratives
- Summary of the approach
An important element of the work done in the political stream is consensus building. One of the most popular decision-making models in the academic literature is discursive (or deliberative) democracy (eg Dryzek, 1990; Benhabib, 1996).
4 Framework for analysis
- The policy streams
- Agendas
- Problems
- Policies
- Political
- Windows
- The interest groups
- Government
- Organised labour
- Civil society
- The narratives
- Dominant narratives
- Metanarrative
- Criteria for assessing the process
- Format for analysis
- CASE STUDY
It will be important to define exactly which elements of the administration have an interest in the waste management issue. In the case of the KwaZulu-Natal Waste Management Policy it will be important to identify who it is and how their 'stories' unfold. In the case of the KwaZulu-Natal Waste Management Policy, it will be important to try to distinguish the role of the KwaZulu-Natal Portfolio Committee on Environment and Nature Conservation.
In the case of KwaZulu-Natal's waste management policy, it will be important to see what impact, if any, organized business had. In KwaZulu-Natal's waste management policy, the role of organized labor must be noted. It will therefore be important in this study to try to assess the extent to which civil society and/or NGOs have played a role in shaping the policy.
It will therefore be important to identify these scenarios and reasoning in the development of KwaZulu-Natal's waste management policy. The process of developing KwaZulu-Natal's waste management policy will be assessed in Part IT using the following framework. It will be important to distinguish the role of each of these in the development of the policy.
5 The KwaZulu-Natal case
Background
- Waste Management as a policy issue in South Africa
- Provisions for public participation in South Africa post 1994
The problems associated with the fragmentation of legislation, assigned responsibilities and competence are captured in the Legislative Review which was prepared as part of the Starter Document for Integrated Waste Management Planning produced by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The Act also authorizes the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to make regulations relating to waste management" (original emphasis) (DEAT, 2000: 27). This new strategic thrust is summarized in Table 6, taken from the National Waste Management Strategy. (NMWS) (DEAT, 1999c: IJ).
To establish mechanisms and processes to ensure effective public participation in integrated pollution and waste management. To develop mechanisms to ensure public participation and community involvement in processes relevant to integrated pollution and waste management;. To make the involvement of the public in waste management decisions mandatory, where people will or may be affected; and.
Recognizing the value and potential of a well-informed and committed citizenry to effect positive change, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism encourages meaningful public involvement in integrated pollution and waste management issues. New ways will also be developed to make information more accessible and relevant to the public, build capacity and raise awareness of integrated pollution and waste management issues (DEAT, I999a). The National Waste Management Strategy, based on the White Paper, requires provinces to develop provincial implementation policies, plans and strategies (DEAT, I999c).
Methods employed
These documents were used to establish the chronology of events during the policy process and as a source of comparison for the verbal stories told by the participants who were interviewed. This included the officials of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs who are ultimately responsible for the policy, and the representatives on the Steering Committee of the various stakeholder constituencies. 8 Kwazulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Provincial Government 9 Kwazulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
The interviews were intended to establish the respondent's perspective on the processes, focusing in particular on the extent to which 'public opinion' influenced the shape of the policy and how this was achieved. A list of questions was drawn up, which was sent to respondents together with the request for an interview. Another copy was provided to them at the beginning of the interview. The questions were intended to provide an overview of the types of areas of interest, and were not intended to limit the range of issues respondents could address.
At the beginning of each interview, respondents were asked what they remembered from the events of the policy process in a conversational style. They were encouraged to use the questions only as a rough guide, providing an overview of the types of areas I was interested in, rather than as a 'script' to follow. Each respondent was asked permission to record the interview, which was later transcribed verbatim.
Constraints
- Fonnal records
- Interviews
Each respondent was encouraged to 'tell their story' with minimal interruptions and prompting on my part. A review of the formal 'paper trail' records found them to be deficient and in some cases missing, particularly those for the 200 I process. Where possible, my own records were used to supplement the missing information, but this they are not official records and are therefore not part of the public record.
The biggest limitation at the beginning was that some of the interviewees were extremely difficult to find or get a response from. This meant that Joften had to reframe the questions to try to open up an area of discussion without putting words in the interlocutor's mouth. Another limitation was that some interviewees did not have a clear idea of the policy development framework in which they were participating.
This led to the frequent statement that "we don't know where it came from or where it was going". Their inability to locate their participation in a wider framework was an obvious source of frustration and disillusionment for many participants. This put some limitations on the insight they were able to provide, but it gave me a rich source of 'critique' of the process.
7 Chronology of events
Origin of the problem
- Sectoral workshops
- Public workshops and consultations
- Draft Policy
- Bureaucratic changes
- Updated Policy
- Political
- Windows
The steering committee held ten meetings and oversaw "the process of public consultation and the preparation of the draft waste management policy" (phelarnanga Projects, I997b: . 2). The government decides to take note of the draft policy document on waste management and that it has been referred to the Portfolio Committee for the Environment and Conservation (DTEA, 1998: 3). The comments were incorporated into a financial report, which was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Directorate: Pollution and Waste Management.
Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Directorate: Pollution and Waste Management and MEC Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (Singh, N. personal communication). In the context of South Africa, this would include members of the national and provincial cabinet. Matters receive legislative attention due to the agenda set by portfolio committees.
A number of different interest groups can be identified in the KwaZulu-Natal waste policy process. While worker representatives attended the workshops in 1997 and Imbizo in 200 I, their participation in process management was minimal. The process was further boosted by the National Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, which promoted an integrated waste management plan that requires the preparation of subsidiary plans in provincial and local government spheres.
The narratives
- Dominant narratives
- Dominant narrative 1
- Counter-narratives
- Counter narrative 1
- Non-stories and counter arguments
- Metanarratives
- Stakeholder views on the process
At the same time, the provincial government was susceptible to increasing pressure in the media and in parliament from the various interest groups. The business and industrial history starts with their perception that industry was growing, especially in the Durban area. This industrial growth meant an increase in the amount of hazardous waste being generated.
And to be able to optimize production costs in relation to the accepted costs in the market. And this whole issue of sustainability in the wider context eludes those driving these issues. Civil society organizations did not believe that self-regulation, especially in the form of voluntary agreements, could work without strong laws and regulations in place.
This willingness to listen to opposing narratives was also demonstrated in the civil society camp. Another representative of civil society, who was deeply involved in the process and highly critical of companies, industry and regulators, expressed a similar opinion. This position represented a significant shift from the position taken earlier by this same interviewee when he stated strongly that his role was in the process.
9 Participation criteria
Evaluation of the participation
The innuence of participation on the final policy
10 Conclusion
- Kingdon's framework
- Agendas
- Problems
- Policies
- Politics
- The window
- Roe's framework
- The contribution of public participation
- Implications for future processes
- Shortcomings of this process
- Successes of the process
- Final word
- Form letter requesting an interview
- Questions used as the basis for interviews
It appears that KwaZulu-Natal politicians in this case were subject to a number of indicators of public sentiment. From the analysis, it appears that 'public opinion' in this study influenced the shape of the policy. This was evident in that the final policy, outlined in section 8.2.4 above, reflected many of the views put forward by civil society.
Thus, the policy itself was the product of the interaction of a range of stakeholders, government and civil society organisations, as well as 'ordinary' members of the public. Therefore, it appears that the policy process can best be understood using a combination of the frameworks developed by Kingdon (1995) and Roe (1994). Many respondents, while convinced of the value of the process and its importance, expressed disappointment that the government had not yet formally adopted the policy and thus the process was incomplete.
Furthermore, it is necessary for those responsible for the process to ensure that the fate of the policy is communicated to the stakeholders who participated in the process. As part of the research project (which is required as part of the fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Social Sciences in Policy and Development Studies at the University of Natal) I am investigating public participation in the development of policy using the KwaZuJu-Natal Waste Management Policy Process as a Case Study. As you have been a participant in the KwaZulu-Natal waste management policy process, I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to discuss your perceptions of the process with you.
Bibliography
Institute for the Study of Public Policy, Department of Political Studies, University of Cape Town. Citizens in action: citizenship and community development in the context of Southern Ireland', Community Development Journal, Vol.
