1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Book project: Making sense of research for sustainable land management (GLUES)

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

23/06/2015

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Constellation Analysis is a tool used to clarify perceptions of different stakeholders about critical situations or problems. In workshops, participants visualize interrelationships between actors, as well as the associated natural, technical and regulatory factors.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

The Constellation Analysis method (CA) aims at a transparent, mutually accepted visualization of factors (‘elements’) that are systematically arranged under the method's four categories: actors; rules and concepts; natural elements; technical elements, with the type of their inter-relationships. The process enables consensus to be found between divergent positions, paving the way for better informed decision-making while facilitating a negotiated process of land management with potential changes/techniques.

During brainstorming and/or literature-based approach, different elements are determined and arranged visually on a board. Element categories are actors (e.g. farmers, energy supply company), rules and concepts (e.g. legal framework, plans and programs, regulations), natural factors (e.g. climate, vegetation, water) and technical factors (e.g. fertilizer, wastewater treatment, hydropower plant). Usually this is done by using differently coloured and shaped cards to help articulate ideas within a working group. Then, connections among and between the elements are discussed and the form of these interrelations are visualized as being (a) directed, (b) conflictive, (c) non-existent, (d) contradictory, (e) reluctant or (f) interactive. Through this approach the way towards developing solutions (or follow-up CAs) is guided.

The approach was applied at different scales and with different stakeholders with divergent professional expertise and educational levels, e.g. farmers, fishermen, employees of the government, representatives of indigenous tribes, associations, trade unions, and researchers. People found the methodology promising as it raises awareness and organizes information. Training in the methodology has been carried out amongst interested people at two universities, but not yet local development agents.

The visualization is carried out through an iterative group process. A moderator is needed to initiate the process by inviting the different stakeholders to a conducive location, and to facilitate the process. Exchange among participants is enhanced, and this leads to better understanding of different viewpoints in situations of tension or in the understanding of what has evolved through specific developments in the past. During a second analytical step, the main lessons of the visualization are extracted and documented. Here, missing factors/relationships, and consequently the need for action, are detected. For example, insufficient communication between actors could be uncovered, or it may be detected that planning programs need to be improved.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The approach can be applied at different levels and for different issues or contexts: all perspectives can be represented and discussed. The application in this case was devised to be an iterative process of consecutive workshops first at the local irrigation project level, and then at the municipal, regional and national levels with the aim of analysing the inhibiting and driving forces behind the current situation in water management, in land management, and around production cycles in agriculture and aquaculture leading to action being taken or decisions made. Farmers and fishermen, employees of government, researchers and experts are considered as the relevant target group to be involved in participatory workshops. In the education sector, the approach can be applied for theses, for field work and for projects as an analytical interdisciplinary approach.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	passive	Interviews
planning	none
implementation	interactive	Workshops
monitoring/ evaluation	interactive	Workshops
research	interactive	Data analysis, lessons learnt, etc

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists

Explain:

Constellation Approach is not linked with a specific technology. Can be used in a planning phase in sustainable land management. Various methods, technologies and management approaches can be derived from the applied Constellation CA Approach, and can be specified depending on the SLM problem.

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users
• field staff/ advisers

Form of training:

• workshops

Subjects covered:

detecting knowledge gaps and clarifying positions of players, and role of natural, technical and regulatory elements from multi-angled viewpoints/perspectives as core of the CA-Approach.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

• workshops

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• no

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

No

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• sociology
• economics / marketing
• ecology
• technology

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• < 2,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 100%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

No

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

Attained knowledge on a complex, perhaps previously nontransparent system and established contacts support future decision making. In general CA is a flexible method that can be applied by any group, preferentially mixed stakeholder groups.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Results can be used for the planning of regional development.
Space for interchange of ideas and establishing contacts.
Integrates different views of problems.
Facilitates participation possibilites for stakeholders.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Allows expression and discussion of different views, knowledge integration, both inter- and transdisciplinary, characterised by an iterative and participative nature, able to detect complex situations and questions.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Insufficient space for all to participate, topics covered in too little time. As more than one workshop is needed, the approach does not necessarily provide solutions in the end.	Prepare goal-orientated workshops and finish a workshop by identifying potential solutions and formulating recommendations. I is important to well document and report on the workshops and distribute the reports to stakeholders.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
One workshop cannot manage to convey the dynamics of a situation.	Formulate recommendations for action and distribute a report to stakeholders.
CA only visualizes the current situation. Different future scenarios over a given timespan can be presented only in a series of single CA visualizations.	CA could lay the groundwork for scenario modelling approaches (e.g. Bayesian Networks).
One workshop cannot manage to convey the dynamics of a situation.	Formulate recommendations for action and distribute a report to stakeholders.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

): Rodorff V.et al. (2013a) Driving forces and barriers for a sustainable management of the Itaparica reservoir region - basic milestones towards a constellation analysis.

Available from where? Costs?

Gunkel G. et al. (Eds.) (2013) Sustainable Management of Water and Land in Semiarid Areas. Editora Universitária UFPE, Recife, pp 2

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Rodorff, V., Siegmund-Schultze, M., Köppel, J., Gomes, E.T.A. (2015) Governança da bacia hidrográfica do rio São Francisco: Desafios de escala sob olhares inter e transdisciplinares.

Available from where? Costs?

Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais 36, 30-56.