Framing up the “Stretching” of Co-Management

Abstract

Collaborative management, or co-management, is recognized as best practice for protected area management. A vast literature explores the benefits and challenges of implementing co-management, but more literature is not always better. We propose that the term co-management has been uncritically “stretched”, losing its original framing of actors working together collaboratively. Co-management has become a facade under which traditional hierarchical and market-based management regimes can occur. Conceptual stretching inhibits the capacity to critically articulate variations within models of collaborative governance. We investigate this stretching through a nuanced framework of co-management models with varying intensities. By considering participating actors, institutions and delivery objectives, the theoretically informed and empirically tested framework highlights the stretched implementation of co-management, enabling protected area managers an opportunity to align their practice with the promise of co-management.

Keywords:

• Australia
• collaborative management
• environmental governance
• natural resource management
• protected areas

Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank the constructive and informative comments provided by reviewers, participants at the 2013 ANZSEE conference and colleagues. This work would not have been possible without the assistance of Caroline Sinclair, and the tireless time that people gave freely to answer our questions.

Notes

1 See http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/file_manager/NSW2021_WEBVERSION.pdf

2 See http://www.canberra.edu.au/murray-darling-crn/projects/sustainable-communities

3 See http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-10/booligal-national-park-questions/3822338

4 See http://www.stockandland.com.au/news/agriculture/agribusiness/general-news/yanga-station-sale-fires-community/11059.aspx

5 See http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NPWS/AdvisoryCommittees.htm

Additional information

Funding

This work is partially supported by Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis seed funding and the Murray-Darling Basin Futures Research and is supported through the Australian Government’s Collaborative Research Networks (CRN) Program.