4. An Assessment Framework for resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular (RISC-proof) blue economies in cities and regions
This chapter presents an Assessment Framework for resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular (RISC-proof) blue economies in cities and regions. The framework is a tool for subnational governments to self-evaluate the resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity of their blue economy and the level of implementation of the enabling governance conditions (policy making, policy coherence and policy implementation) to get there. Through bottom-up, multi-stakeholder dialogues, the framework aims to facilitate a comprehensive diagnosis of the blue economy and support a consensus on the governance improvements required over time.
Building on Chapter 3, this chapter presents an Assessment Framework for the RISC-proof blue economy in cities and regions (hereafter RISC Assessment Framework) as a tool for governments to self-evaluate the resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity of their blue economy, and the level of implementation of the enabling governance conditions to get there. The tool can be used to evaluate the state of play of the blue economy and the existence of enabling governance conditions in cities or regions, identify the main gaps and define priorities and actions to bridge them. The process provides an opportunity to collect data on the blue economy and information on the perception of non-government stakeholders to feed into decision making. Ultimately, the assessment could support the development of a local or regional blue economy strategy or feed into other related plans (e.g. coastal management plans, economic development plans, etc.).
The framework builds extensively on the multi-stakeholder approaches developed as part of existing OECD self-assessment frameworks for water governance and the circular economy, namely the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework (OECD, 2018[1]) and the OECD Checklist for Action and Scoreboard on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions (OECD, 2020[2]). The RISC Assessment Framework was pilot-tested in four OECD and non-OECD cities and regions: the region of Los Lagos in Chile, Korle-Klottey Municipal Assembly in Ghana, the city of Porto in Portugal and the city of eThekwini in South Africa. Cities and regions were asked to pilot-test the three-part framework by carrying out the five-step methodology and reporting on its validity, practicality and relevance. Pilot testers found the questions clear and accessible, and all three parts were useful and coherent in terms of sequencing. Their suggestions to finetune the framework have been integrated into the final version.
The RISC Assessment Framework is based on a bottom-up and multi-stakeholder approach rather than a reporting, monitoring or benchmarking perspective since the RISC and enabling conditions of the blue economy in cities and regions are highly place-based, thus requiring a territorial approach. The framework is designed for local and regional governments to engage in multi-stakeholder dialogues that facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the RISC and enabling conditions of the blue economy at local or regional level and support a consensus on the improvements needed over time. It can help governments and blue economy stakeholders identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement, thereby guiding strategic decision making and supporting RISC-proof blue economies.
The RISC Assessment Framework consists of three parts (Figure 4.1) and is carried out using a five-step multi-stakeholder methodology (Box 4.1).
In Part 1, subnational governments are invited to assess the level of resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity (RISC-proof) of the blue economy in their city or region. Part 1 contains:
What? A definition of each dimension (resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity).
Why? A rationale for each dimension and examples of potential benefits for blue economy sectors and ecosystems.
How? Questions for the assessment of the level of resilience, inclusiveness, sustainability and circularity of the blue economy in the city or region, followed by additional questions to foster discussions and examples of indicators from the OECD and other sources to help assess how the city or region is doing on each dimension.
In Part 2, local and regional governments can assess the level of implementation of the enabling governance conditions for a RISC-proof blue economy in their city or region. This assessment consists of nine assessment questions (one for each of the “ways forward” identified in Chapter 3) for policy making, policy coherence and policy implementation.
In Part 3, local and regional governments wishing to build water security into their blue economies can use the “whole of water” checklist as a brainstorming tool. Recognising that water security is often a blind spot of subnational blue economy strategies, the checklist proposes a non-exhaustive list of actions for subnational governments to consider when designing blue economy strategies and policies.
To carry out the assessment, the following steps are recommended (Figure 4.2): i) identify the lead team within the local or regional government to co-ordinate the assessment; ii) define the objectives and scope of the assessment; iii) map stakeholders to participate in the assessment; iv) organise targeted workshops with key stakeholders to perform the assessment; and v) repeat the process regularly.
Identify the lead team to co-ordinate the assessment. To ensure the success of the assessment process, the local or regional government should appoint a lead team (e.g. within a government department or agency) to co-ordinate the process. The lead institution should have the convening power to gather stakeholders and thoughtfully plan and manage the entire assessment process. In addition to having the human, financial and technical capacity to carry out the assessment process, the lead institution should be motivated and able to promote and put in practice the proposals for change resulting from the assessment.
Define the objectives and scope of the assessment. Several objectives can trigger the use of the RISC Assessment Framework, which is intended as a tool for dialogue among stakeholders to see where the government is performing well and where adjustments are needed. More specifically, the assessment can be carried out to promote collective thinking among stakeholders, share knowledge and address asymmetries of information across governments and stakeholders, identify gaps in existing institutional, legal, regulatory, financing frameworks and policies, and establish a consensus on the ways forward with stakeholders.
Map stakeholders. Stakeholder mapping should start with other government departments and agencies with a stake in the blue economy, including departments related to economic development, environmental protection and climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as water agencies, utilities, regulators, basin organisations, etc. Beyond government departments, public, private and non-profit actors in the blue economy can improve the representativeness and legitimacy of the assessment process. Once the lead team has mapped stakeholders and considered their responsibilities, core motivations and interactions between them, the lead team should engage with stakeholders in the assessment.
Organise targeted workshops with key stakeholders to perform the assessment. The workshops bring together blue economy stakeholders to vote on the RISC dimensions and the enabling conditions, share their views and compare them to those of other stakeholders, and build a consensus on the adjustments needed to blue economy policy. The number of workshops may change depending on the opportunities for stakeholders to provide input between workshops and to build consensus on the assessment and actions needed.
During each workshop, the lead team and stakeholders should:
Allow time to present the OECD RISC Assessment Framework and key concepts.
In Parts 1 and 2, respondents should indicate their assessment by ticking the corresponding box in each table with a score. The potential scores range from Levels 1 to 4, listed in Table 4.1.
Collect additional information (e.g. examples and sources) from stakeholders to document the responses further. Consider expanding the scope of data collection by integrating insights from diverse external indicators, such as blue economy sector trends and expert analyses.
To reflect the diversity of opinions, the lead organisation reports the level of consensus among stakeholders during the voting process for each question by selecting the answer that corresponds to the level of agreement (Table 4.2).
Consider repeating this process regularly (e.g. annually). Progress towards a RISC-proof blue economy can be measured using the first RISC Assessment Framework as a baseline against which to compare a second assessment. Repeating the evaluation regularly (e.g. annually) can help engage stakeholders in the blue economy over time. However, it should be noted that changes in the enabling conditions may take more than one year to be implemented and reflected in the assessment results.
The pilot testers flagged three points of attention for subnational governments using the framework:
1. Allow enough time to identify, map and convene blue economy stakeholders adequately since the blue economy involves a plethora of government and non-government actors. Pilot testers suggested involving government entities linked to cross-cutting issues (e.g. regional or local economic development and planning, coastal, basin and water and stormwater management, natural resources and biodiversity, forestry and parks) as well as blue economy sectors themselves (e.g. fisheries, ports, tourism, etc.). Non-government stakeholders would include blue economy businesses and players such as fishers, local communities, Indigenous communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), knowledge and research institutions, academia and media to support transparency and accountability.
2. Involve national governments if possible. Several pilot testers suggested that this would increase the relevance of the assessment given that responsibilities for blue economy sectors and governance are shared across levels of government. According to pilot testers, relevant ministries or departments would include those related to: local and regional development; finance; environment; water and sanitation; science, technology and innovation; transport; fisheries; and related entities (e.g. environmental protection agencies, port and harbour authorities, water authorities and resources commissions, and national statistical services).
3. Allow enough time to collect relevant data and information, which is often scattered across different government entities and non-government actors. Pilot testers suggested collecting data and information from existing policies, strategies and plans, as well as regional and national climate projections (e.g. ARClim and Futuros Territoriales platforms in Chile), geospatial data and other government departments and stakeholders.
Source: Based on OECD (2020[2]), Synthesis Report: The Circular Economy in Cities and Regions, https://doi.org/10.1787/10ac6ae4-en.
A visual representation of the results obtained with the RISC Assessment Framework is provided in Figure 4.3. It allows an overview of the RISC-proof level of the blue economy in the city or region (Panel A) and the level of implementation of the enabling governance conditions for a RISC-proof blue economy in the city of region (Panel B). This helps visually identify on which dimensions the city or region is performing best and where improvements are needed.
The blue economy, which is based in and depends on healthy coastal, marine and freshwater environments, is strongly dependent on good “whole of water” management, an approach that links freshwater and ocean systems with the surrounding human settlements and their accompanying activities and structures. As a result, blue economy activities and infrastructure are particularly vulnerable to water-related shocks and stresses, the cascading effects of which are magnified by climate change. At the same time, blue economy sectors can deteriorate freshwater and seawater quality and disrupt blue ecosystems and the services they provide, thus weakening overall water security.
The “whole of water” checklist (Table 4.3) aims to guide governments in considering both the impacts of water-related risks on the blue economy and the impacts of the blue economy on freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems. By focusing on water-related impacts of the blue economy, the checklist leverages 15 years of OECD work on water governance as part of the OECD Water Governance Programme.
As a complement to Parts 1 and 2, the checklist proposes a list of ten actions that governments and stakeholders can consider to build a resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular blue economy strategy that fosters water security. It can be used as part of the design phase of a blue economy strategy or policy to brainstorm or engage in dialogue and co-ordinate with blue economy stakeholders (e.g. businesses, universities, river basin organisations, local communities, etc).
References
[2] OECD (2020), The Circular Economy in Cities and Regions: Synthesis Report, OECD Urban Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/10ac6ae4-en.
[1] OECD (2018), Implementing the OECD Principles on Water Governance: Indicator Framework and Evolving Practices, OECD Studies on Water, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264292659-en.