Transparency and Leverage Points for Sustainable Resource Management

Abstract

The phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. There is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aimed to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies on resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggested that transparency in resource management needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for it to serve as an effective leverage point. If these factors are neglected, the credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritising transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules, might be misplaced, and require deeper leverage points.

Behavioural Insights in Corporate Sustainability Research: A Review and Future Agenda

“…However, although legitimacy is created subjectively, it is possessed objectively [68], which means that whether organisational goals and actions are considered legitimate or not depends also on what is observable for others. Gisladottir et al [37] investigated how transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management and concluded that transparency as such cannot be viewed as the silver bullet to counter corruption and ensure accountability. It needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards as well as accountability mechanisms to serve as effective leverage points.…”

Зарубіжні Теорії Корупції З Огляду На Взаємозв’язок З Інтересами Публічних Службовців

“…Transparency International, найвідоміша неурядова організація, що бореться з корупцією, визначає корупцію (Transparency International) як «зловживання довіреними повноваженими особами задля приватної вигоди» (наприклад, див. [2,5] є одними з останніх авторів, які використовують це визначення). Слово корупція стало універсальним терміном для багатьох видів поведінки саме в системі публічного управління, включаючи хабарництво, клієнтелізм, кумівство, незаконні подарунки, послуги, заступництво, неофіційні та неповідомлені контакти, і так далі.…”

Public participation in marine spatial planning in Iceland

“…Kokorsch et al, (2015) studied power dynamics of different stakeholders in Icelandic fisheries policymaking over time and found that the level of power of local communities specifically had decreased after the introduction of the ITQ system. Gisladottir et al (2020) studied corruption in natural resource management and found that in the case of Icelandic fisheries, the regulatory legislation was perceived to be lacking in enforcement mechanisms, leading to transparency issues. Chambers and Carothers (2017) found that small-scale fishermen in remote fishing communities further emphasised their lack of decision-making power in fisheries policy, distrust in institutions and dissatisfaction with decision-making processes.…”