1. IW:LEARN
TDA/SAP
Training Course
Module 3: Developing the SAP

2. Section 8: National and Regional
Consultation Processes

3. +
Where are we?
National and
Regional
consultation
Implementing
strategies
Setting
strategic
actions
Drafting the
SAP

4. +
In this Section you will learn about….
 What is the purpose of the consultation
process?
 Economic analysis of options and alternatives
 Political and social analysis of options and
alternatives
 Advice from the field

5. + What is the purpose of the
consultation process?
 The previous steps in the SAP development
process have focussed on selecting ideas and
prioritising them
 These were purposely described as options or
alternatives and not decisions - all countries
involved in the process are at liberty to propose
additional solutions or to discount those coming
from the SAP development teams.

6. + What is the purpose of the
consultation process?
This step involves each country reviewing the
outputs of the strategic thinking process and
conducting a thorough evaluation of the
feasibility of the alternatives from a national
perspective
In particular, the countries should examine
how feasible the options/alternatives are from
an economic, political and social perspective

7. + Economic analysis of options and
alternatives
 The economic analysis of the
options/alternatives should be based on
objective information and widely used
techniques
 However, its results should not be seen as
constituting “the decision” – economic analysis
provides only one form of input to the
policymaker’s final decision

8. + Three general approaches that can
be used….
where each op on is costed and its mul ple benefits listed. This is a rela vely
simple output based approach but says li le about the ul mate outcome.
Further, the judgement on which op on should be implemented is le to the
decision maker.
Cost
Effec veness
is based on the evalua on of all costs and benefits in a common measure,
monetary units. It is a much more complex outcome based approach.
However, it enables all available op ons to be assessed on an equal, objec ve
foo ng so that they can be priori sed rather than relying on the judgement of
a decision-maker as to whether the benefits of a op on jus fy its costs.
Cost Benefit
Analysis
is defined as the a empt to assign quan ta ve or monetary values to the
goods and services provided by environmental resources, whether or not
market prices are available to assist in the process.
Economic
Valua on of
Goods and
Services

9. +
Example of good practice
Strategic Action Programme
for the South China Sea
(2008)
Regional Economic Values and
Cost/Benefit Analysis of SAP
Actions pp 51 – 61

10. + Political and social analysis of options
and alternatives
 In parallel to the economic feasibility analysis, it
is necessary to ensure social and political
acceptability of each option
 This is necessary at both the regional and
national levels

11. +
Why?
At the regional level a given option might not
be particularly attractive to a specific country
But when weighed in against the complex
political agenda that characterizes bilateral or
multilateral relations, may constitute an
important bargaining chip
An understanding of regional relations is
therefore important.

12. +
Why?
At the national level, options may directly
affect a specific sector or community, or may
entail added responsibilities for certain
government agencies
Stakeholders that may be directly impacted by
an option or that will play a role in its
implementation will need to be consulted

13. +
Advice from the Field
Is there a risk that the SAP will be perceived as a ‘wish list’ during the
national/ regional consultation process? Make sure the focus is on
priority issues and try not to present shopping lists.
How will the project convince finance, planning and development
ministries to invest? Prioritisation based on the economic valuation of
environmental goods and services in particular can help convince
these ministries, as they will see a return on their investment.
How important is private sector/civil society commitment and
acceptance for a given option? Without commitment, implementation
will be difficult.

14. +
Advice from the Field
Do key stakeholder representatives have a clear understanding of the
TDA/SAP process and in particular, of the given options developed
during the strategic thinking phase? Do they know what they are
letting themselves in for?
Do stakeholder groups understand the potential benefits and/or costs
of a specific option? Some stakeholders will benefit, others will lose
out. Again, without full understanding and agreement from the
stakeholders, it will make SAP implementation more difficult.
Are there misconceptions based on imprecise or fragmented
information or previous negative experiences regarding a proposed
option?

15. +
Advice from the Field
Have all relevant stakeholders been identified? Perhaps a given
option affects a specific interest group or isolated community that was
not identified in during the project development phase. These would
need to be contacted, and given means for providing inputs.
What sectors are involved? Are there conflicting interests? Are there
mechanisms to address them adequately? Should an inter-sectoral
response/approach be negotiated within the SAP?
Is there a good understanding of gender roles? Understanding gender
roles during the analysis of options and alternatives will lead to
improved buy-in and will help focus the SAP.

16. +
Whole Group Discussion
What are the main challenges in ensuring an
effective national consultation exercise in this
region?