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SIF3: Salinity Investment Framework III Beginner's introduction |
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What is it? |
SIF3 is a framework designed to assist with decision making
about public investment in management of dryland salinity. For example, for
investment in on-ground works to prevent salinity, SIF3 gives priority to highly
valued assets, that are highly threatened with salinity, with high technical
feasibility of avoiding that salinity if appropriate works are adopted, and high
adoptability of those works by relevant land managers. It has been developed to
work nationally and has been successfully piloted in two regions, with current
interest from a number of additional regions across Australia. Two pager (59K pdf)
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The need for a new approach to salinity investment and policy |
We face a difficult dilemma: there are limited public resources for addressing dryland salinity, but the level of response required to protect any particular asset is large. In many situations, perennials are needed on over 50% of a sub-catchment, while in others, within-catchment targeting is possible, provided the technical information is available. Even in the latter cases, the area of perennial vegetation required is usually large compared to the current situation.
There is scope to increase the net benefits from public investment considerably through more thorough and systematic use of scientific, economic and social information in NRM planning and prioritisation. Two pager (10K)
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Applying SIF3 in practice – what is involved? |
The core aim of
SIF3 is to help natural resource management (NRM) investors to achieve the
highest value NRM outcomes that are possible with the available resources. To
that end, we are aiming for more rigorous and systematic decision making about
their investments, while at the same time making it as easy as possible for
them. There is a well-defined series of steps that includes: identifying the
assets that may warrant investment; collecting specific information; applying
the SIF3 decision tree; producing a short list; and conducting detailed
feasibility assessment. Three pager (16K)
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Main Changes from current approach |
The approach is squarely focused on achieving NRM outcomes cost-effectively. SIF3 requires environmental managers to be more explicit in identifying the highest-value assets, the degree of salinity threat they face, the technical feasibility of reducing that threat, and the adoptability of relevant works by land managers. This information is integrated to identify case-specific recommendations that are consistent with existing scientific research. This is done using an innovative “public and private net benefits framework”. Three pager (35K)
The framework recommends a broader and different mix of policy tools with extension and incentive payments being targeted to cases where the relevant land-use changes are highly adoptable. Localised and dispersed assets are treated differently.
The implementation
of this process in the North Central region of Victoria has fundamentally
shifted the CMA’s process for priority setting.
Two pager (49K pdf)
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Implications for policy |
Our experiences in applying SIF3 at the grassroots level have generated a
number of lessons and implications for the design of NRM policy.
Seven pager (61K pdf)
For example, policy needs to adopt a more outcome-oriented approach, including
by strengthening accreditation processes to ensure that investment plans are
developed in a more systematic and thorough way. Plans need to make best use of
science and of economic and social information, integrated well with local
knowledge and local values. Guidance to regional bodies needs to go beyond
principles and processes.
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Capacity gaps in regional NRM bodies |
The project has highlighted a number of key issues where
improved capacities of regional NRM bodies are needed for technical analysis and
decision-making. Two pager (272K pdf)
These include:
• making better use of science and socio-economic information to underpin strategic decisions,
• commissioning research based on strategic needs,
• integrating information from a range of scientific/technical areas,
• having staff with the ability to work across disciplines,
• incorporating research into decision making,
• becoming a more critical purchaser of research and extension, and
• strengthening monitoring and evaluation processes, consistent with rigorous planning.
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Contacts |
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David Pannell University of Western Australia Albany WA 6330 08 98420820 |
Anna Ridley Department of Primary Industries Rutherglen VIC 3685 02 60304581 |
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