Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Rachel Turner, Dr Johanna Forster, Angelie Peterson, Professor Clare Fitzsimmons
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Cambridge University Press, 2020.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation. Summary: Poor connectivity between diverse resource users and complex wider governance networks is a challenge in environmental governance. Organizations that 'broker' interactions among these relationships are expected to improve governance outcomes. Here, we used semi-structured interviews and social network analysis to identify actors in positions to broker coral reef-related information to and from resource users and to assess the performance of these brokers. Representatives (n = 262) of actor groups were interviewed, including local and national government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations and resource user groups from 12 communities across four Caribbean countries, to map information-sharing networks and to identify brokers. Broker performance was assessed through separate interviews with coral reef resource users (n = 545). The findings show that marine NGOs were the highest-functioning brokers. Where such local-level organizations were absent, government agencies in reef management roles acted as brokers, but their performance was lower. Actors in brokerage positions did not always effectively share information, with broker performance being positively correlated with network brokerage scores. The results further our understanding of the roles of brokers in different governance contexts. Identifying those in brokerage positions and supporting their roles in connecting local resource users to wider governance networks could encourage functional brokerage and enhance reef management outcomes.
Author(s): Turner RA, Forster J, Peterson AM, Mahon R, Fitzsimmons C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Environmental Conservation
Year: 2020
Volume: 47
Issue: 4
Pages: 284-294
Print publication date: 01/12/2020
Online publication date: 06/10/2020
Acceptance date: 09/09/2020
Date deposited: 16/12/2020
ISSN (print): 0376-8929
ISSN (electronic): 1469-4387
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892920000351
DOI: 10.1017/S0376892920000351
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
