Evaluation of Collaborative Planning Models: The British Columbia Experience in Land Use

Dr. Thomas Gunton
Associate Professor and former Director of the School of Resource
and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada

Recent literature over the last several decades proposes the use of innovative collaborative planning models to resolve planning disputes. In Canada this collaborative approach has been used to resolve land use conflicts in the province of British Columbia, which is one of the few jurisdictions that has used collaborative planning in a systematic way to prepare land use plans for the entire provincial land base. Consequently, the British Columbia experience provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of collaborative planning and alternative dispute resolution.

The purpose of this research is to assess the effectiveness of the collaborative approach used to develop the B.C. Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs). Based on a literature review of dispute resolution and collaborative planning a comprehensive evaluation methodology for assessing collaborative planning processes is developed including 14 "process criteria" and 11 "outcome criteria". The evaluation model is then applied to the British Columbia experience by reviewing LRMP documents and a surveying over 800 participants in 17 completed LRMPs covering over three-quarters of the province.

The results show that the LRMP process was successful in meeting both the process and outcome criteria. Almost all land use plans achieved a consensus outcome on major changes in land use allocation after decades of intense conflict between stakeholders. The study identifies the key factors that led to consensus. The research also identifies key strengths, weaknesses, and ways of improving collaborative planning processes to better meet multiple resource objectives in a manner that reflects the interests of all relevant stakeholders