Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned (2007) by Christina Dian Parmionova

Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned (2007)

Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11868.html DIVERSITY OF ASSESSMENTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

short-lived as other more pressing issues replace it. In addition, when the issue is being considered in the decision-making process, the ability to make progress becomes a question of (1) the level of disagreement over actions or decisions to be taken and (2) if there is disagreement, the source of such. In particular, to what extent are actors basing their policy arguments on scientific claims? At this point, assessments will be required that not only advance the consensus in the basic understanding of the process and its impact but also analyze potential policy options and response options. FOUR TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS AND CONSEQUENCES FOR DESIGN CHOICES The type of assessment to be undertaken depends largely on the science and policy context, which in turn limits many internal design choices at the inception of the assessment. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that some key dimensions of an assessment are established by conditions external to the assessment at its inception. Conditions Established at the Assessment’s Inception The Institutional Setting and Authorizing Environment This first dimension concerns issues such as: Who asked for the assessment or gave permission to do it? What organizations have provided official sponsorship and on what terms? Who is funding it? To whom is its output addressed? Although these issues may appear similar to the types of factors that define the assessment’s policy context, it is important to distinguish them. Whereas the policy context of an assessment concerns historical conditions around the relevant issues at the time the assessment is established and conducted, which one cannot choose, the issues presented here are established at the inception of a particular assessment. For example, there are many variants in the institutional setting of assessments, some of which can be identified according to their degree of official connection to international policy-making bodies: • Assessments conducted under the auspices of an official policy aking body (e.g., World Meteorological Organization stratospheric ozone m assessments); • Assessments sponsored by international or intergovernmental bodies that do not have direct decision-making authority and those sponsored by multiple national bodies (e.g., IPCC assessments);