Systemic and Adaptive Governance Research Program

• Program overview
• Core activities
• Contact
• Publications

Program Overview

The Systemic and Adaptive Governance Program within MSI, led by Prof. Ray Ison, began in late 2008. It explores the practical and theoretical robustness of current water and climate change governance regimes and develops new models and strategies to make future governance fit for purpose in a climate-changing world. The program includes projects on water governance, climate change adaptation, social learning, the purposeful creation of communities of practice and systems thinking.

Projects in progress or completed

Water Governance Research Initiative

The Water Governance Research Initiative is a theme of the NCCARF Water Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity Adaptation Research Network. Our objectives are to create a community of conversation about water governance in Australia, build collaborative research links, create opportunities for co-researching and information sharing, and provide opportunities for early-career researchers to participate in a national network of researchers and research-users.

The outcomes of the Water Governance Research Initiative to date are available below:

• Briefing Paper 1 (pdf, 172 kb) - Strengthening Water Governance in Australia
• Briefing Paper 2 (pdf, 197 kb) - Water Governance Research Priorities
• Briefing Paper 3 (pdf, 197 kb) - Perspectives on Water Governance Research
• Briefing Paper 4 (pdf, 176 kb) - Water Governance Research for Transformation
• Workshop presentations, November 21-22, 2011 (login required)
• Special issue of Water Resources Management: Water governance in a climate change world

VCCCAR Framing Project: Exploring Local Narratives

The 'local narratives' work package of the VCCCAR Framing Project seeks to explore the narrative settings and the historical institutional basis which major stakeholder groups bring to their engagement with climate change adaptation.

Contact

For more information about the Initiative, please contact: Ray Ison or Philip Wallis.

Publications

Books and Chapters:

• Hubert, B. & Ison, R.L. (2011) Institutionalising understandings: from resource sufficiency to functional integrity, In Kammili T., Hubert, B. & Tourrand J.-F. (eds). A paradigm shift in livestock management: from Resource Sufficiency to Functional Integrity pp. 11-16. Cardère éditeur, Lirac, France.
• Blackmore, C.P. & Ison, R.L. (2012) Designing and developing learning systems for managing systemic change in a climate change world. In Wals, A. & Corcoran P.B. eds. Learning for sustainability in times of accelerating change. pp. ? Wageningen Academic Publishers, Education and Sustainable Development Series, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• Ison. R.L. (2012) A cybersystemic framework for practical action. In Murray, J., Cawthorne, G., Dey, C., and Andrew, C. eds. A Teacher's Guide to Sustainability. (In press)
• Ison, R.L. (2012) Systems practice: making the systems in farming systems research effective. In Ika Darnhofer, David Gibbon and Benoit Dedieu (eds). The farming systems approach into the 21st century: The new dynamic. Ch.6 Springer, Berlin. (In press)
• Blackmore, C.P., Cerf, M., Ison, R.L. and Paine, M. (2012) The role of action-oriented learning theories for change in agriculture and rural networks. In Ika Darnhofer, David Gibbon and Benoit Dedieu, (eds). The farming systems approach into the 21st century: The new dynamic. Springer, Berlin. (In Press)
• Hubert, B. Steyeart, P. & Ison R.L. (2012) From a "social theory of participation" to a "theory of knowing." In Ika Darnhofer, David Gibbon and Benoit Dedieu (eds). The farming systems approach into the 21st century: The new dynamic. Springer, Berlin. (In Press)
• Ison, R.L. & Wallis, P. (2011) Planning as Performance. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan. In Grafton Q & Connell, D. eds. Basin Futures: Water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin, ANU ePress, Canberra.
• Ison, R.L. & Russell, D.B. (2011) The worlds we create: designing learning systems for the underworld of extension practice. In Jennings, J., Packham, R.P. & Woodside, D. eds. Shaping Change: Natural Resource Management, Agriculture and the Role of Extension pp. 66-76. Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN), Australia. 
• Ison, R.L. (2010) Systems Practice: How to Act in a Climate Change World. Springer, London.
• Godden, L. & Ison, R.L. (2010) From water supply to water governance. In Davis, M. & Lyons, M. eds More Than Luck. Ideas Australia Needs Now. pp. 177-184 CPD, Sydney (Also at: http://morethanluck.cpd.org.au/about/ )
• Ison, R.L. (2010) Governance that works. Why public service reform needs systems thinking. In Davis, M. & Lyons, M. eds More Than Luck. Ideas Australia Needs Now. pp. 215-228. CPD, Sydney. (Also at: http://morethanluck.cpd.org.au/more-than-luck/governance-that-works/ ) 

Refereed journal papers

• Wei, Y.P., Ison, R.L., Colvin, J.D. & Collins, K. (2011) Reframing water governance in China: a multi-perspective study of an over-engineered catchment. Journal of Environmental Planning & Management (DOI:10.1080/09640568.2011.597589). 
• Ison, R.L., Collins, K.B, Colvin, J.C, Jiggins, J. Roggero, P.P., Seddaiu, G., Steyaert, P., Toderi, M. and Zanolla, C. (2011) Sustainable catchment managing in a climate changing world: new integrative modalities for connecting policy makers, scientists and other stakeholders, Water Resources Management 25 (15) 3977-3992.
• Wallis, P. & Ison, R.L. (2011) Appreciating institutional complexity in water governance dynamics: a case from the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, Water Resources Management 25 (15) 4081.
• Iaquinto, B., Ison, R.L. & Faggian, R. (2011) Creating communities of practice: scoping purposeful design. Journal of Knowledge Management 15, (1), 4 - 21. 
• Collins, K.B. & Ison, R.L. (2010) Trusting emergence: Some experiences of learning about integrated catchment science with the Environment Agency of England and Wales. Water Resources Management 24 (4), 669-688.
• Paschen, Jana-Axinja (2010) Book review: Warren D. TenHouten (2009) A general theory of emotions and social life, Emotion, Space and Society, Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2011, Pages 63-64
• Collins, K.B. & Ison, R.L. (2009) Jumping off Arnstein's ladder: social learning as a new policy paradigm for climate change adaptation. Environmental Policy & Governance 19 (6) 358-373.
• Collins, K.B., Colvin, J. & Ison, R.L. (2009) Building ‘learning catchments' for integrated catchment managing: designing learning systems and networks based on experiences in the UK, South Africa and Australia. Water Science & Technology 59, (4) 687-693.

Conference and Other

• Paschen, Jana-Axinja & Ison, R.L. (2011) Local Context, Drivers & Issues Analysis in Port Fairy. A report on the findings of the Port Fairy Social Research Project ‘Exploring local narratives of environmental change and adaptation'.
• Paschen, Jana-Axinja & Ison, R.L. (2011) Narrative Research in Climate Change Adaptation - Exploring a New Paradigm for Research and Governance VCCCAR (Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research) Working Paper.
• Godden, L., Ison, R.L., & Wallis, P. (2011). Water governance in a climate change world: Appraising systemic and adaptive effectiveness, Water Resources Management (Editorial, Special Issue) 25 (15) 3971-3976.
• Colvin, J., Blackmore, C., Collins, K.B., Goss, J., Ison, R.L., Roggero, P.P., Seddaiu, G., & Wei, Y. (2011) In search of system innovation: Learning from a decade of inquiry with the SLIM social learning praxis. Proc 9th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 14th-17th June 2011
• Ison, R.L., Blackmore, C.P. & Iaquinto, B. (2011) Social learning: exploring the revealing and concealing aspects of historical and contemporary metaphors. Proc 9th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 14th-17th June 2011.
• Ison, R.L. (2011) Cybersystemic conviviality: addressing the conundrum of ecosystems services. ASC (American Society for Cybernetics) Column, Cybernetics & Human Knowing 18 (1, 2), 135-141.
• Ison, R.L. & Wallis, P. (2009) Submission to the Advisory Group on the Reform of Australian Government Administration (Available at: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/consultation/aga_reform/pdfs/0074a%20SAGP%20Monash%20University.pdf )
• Ison, R.L., Wallis, P., with Godden, L. (2011) House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia. Reference: Impact of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan on Regional Australia, Wednesday, 2 March 2011, Canberra Hansard RA17-23.
• Collins, K.B. & Ison, R.L. (2009) Living with environmental change: adaptation as social learning. Editorial, Special Edition, Environmental Policy & Governance 19, 351-357.
• Ison, R.L. (2008) Methodological challenges of trans-disciplinary research: some systemic reflections. Natures Sciences Sociétés 16, 241-251.
• Colvin, J., Blackmore, C., Collins, K.B., Goss, J., Ison, R.L., Roggero, P.P., Seddaiu, G., & Wei, Y. (2011) In search of system innovation: Learning from a decade of inquiry with the SLIM social learning praxis. Proc 9th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 14th-17th June 2011
• Ison, R.L. & Blackmore, C.P. (2011) Social learning: exploring the revealing and concealing aspects of historical and contemporary metaphors. Proc 9th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 14th-17th June 2011. 
• Collins, K.B. & Ison, R.L. (2010) The importance of choice: framing the social dimensions of environmental change and governance for climate change adaptation. In: Social dimensions of environmental change and governance Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Berlin, 8-9 October 2010. 
• Ison, R.L. (2008) Reprising "wicked problems": social learning, climate change adaptation and the sustainable management of water. Proc. 2008 ANZSYS (Australia NZ Systems Society) Conference, Perth, 1-2 December. 
• High, C., Ison, R., Blackmore, C. & Nemes, G. (2008). Starting off right: Reframing participation though stakeholder analysis and the politics of invitation. Proc. Working Group 13 ‘The OECD's New Rural Paradigm', XII World Congress of Rural Sociology, Seoul, Korea.
• Collins, K.B., Colvin, J. & Ison, R.L. (2008) Building ‘learning catchments' for integrated catchment managing: designing learning systems and networks based on experiences in the UK, South Africa and Australia. 11th International and Specialised IWA Watershed and River Basin Management Conference, 4-5 September, Budapest, Hungary.
• Ison, R.L., Grant, A. & Bawden, R.B. (2010) Scenario praxis for systemic and adaptive governance: a critical review. VCCCAR Project on Scenarios for Climate Adaptation. Critical Perspectives Workshop, Melbourne, 11th November.
• Paschen, J.-A. & Ison, R.L. (2011) Narrative research for climate change adaptation policy and practice: opportunities and challenges. Proc. Resilient Cities 2011: 2nd World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change, 3 - 5 June 2011, Bonn, Germany. 
• Collins, K.B., Ison, R.L. & Colvin, J.D. (2009) Your epistemology or mine? Social learning as an adaptive form of governance for managing natural resources. Proc. IHDP Conference, Berlin, April. 
• Ison, R.L. & Collins, K.B. (2008) Public policy that does the right thing rather than the wrong thing righter. In Analysing Collaborative and Deliberative Forms of Governance. One-day workshop, 14th November 2008, The Australia National University, Canberra. 
• Ison, R.L., Iaquinto, Ben Collins, Kevin & Floyd Josh (2010) Transitioning Sydney to a water sensitive city. A report based on two day workshop with 119 water practitioners in Sydney in February 2009. Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority, Blacktown City Council, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University & Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Monash University, Melbourne.
• Ison, R.L. (2010) Strategic governance of the urban water sector. Independent review: Topic 10: Organisational and Industry Operation, Culture, Skills and Capacity, The Future of the Urban Water Sector, NWC, Canberra. 
• Ison, R., Grant, A., Iaquinto, B., Floyd, J., Sposito, V. and Faggian, R. (2010) Conceptual and methodological opportunities for the Victorian DPI with systems thinking and practice. Final Report (Phase One) (pdf). Monash Sustainability Institute Report 10/5, Melbourne. Also: Synthesis Report
• Ison, R.L., Russell, D.B. & Wallis, P. (2009) Adaptive water governance and systemic thinking for future NRM - action research to build MDBA capability (pdf). Monash Sustainability Report 09/4. Monash University: Clayton 68p.
• Ison, R.L., Collins, K.B., Bos, J.J. & Iaquinto, B. (2009) Transitioning to Water Sensitive Cities in Australia: A summary of the key findings, issues and actions arising from five national capacity building and leadership workshops (pdf). NUWGP/IWC, Monash University, Clayton