Integrated Assessment

Keuzevak in Maastricht. Integrated Assessment (IA) combines knowledge from diverse scientific disciplines together with public values and beliefs about a problem and makes this information available for decision-making

Instelling: Maastricht Graduate School of Governance / Maastricht University / International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development (ICIS)
Periode: 8

Voor wie:
Students from the Master of Public Policy

Beschrijving:
Due to mutual interactions between social, economic and ecological processes, we face an increase in the complexity of sustainability issues. In today’s world, policy problems can no longer be addressed from a disciplinary viewpoint. The complex dynamics of strongly interacting processes force scientists and decision makers to think and act in a more integrative manner. Therefore, new methods and tools are being developed for scientific research on and decision making for sustainable development.

To that end a new approach has emerged during the last decades: Integrated Assessment. Integrated Assessment (IA) combines knowledge from diverse scientific disciplines together with public values and beliefs about a problem and makes this information available for decision-making. IA can, therefore, be defined as ‘a multi- or interdisciplinary process of structuring knowledge elements from various scientific disciplines in such a manner that all relevant aspects of a complex problem are considered in their mutual coherence for the benefit of decision-making’.

Integrated Assessment has an explicit participatory dimension, both through participation by scientists from various disciplines as well as through participation of stakeholders, policymakers and societal actors in the assessment process. Participatory methods are needed to structure this interactive process. In addition, IA also includes analytical methods. Integrated models are used as heuristic tools that amplify our insights into the present and future driving forces behind the complex structures in our society. The ultimate ambition of models is to serve as tools in integrative planning. Other analytical IA approaches include scenario analysis, and methods to address critical uncertainties.

This course focuses on the different integrated scientific methods and tools for addressing the complexity of sustainability issues.

Website:
www.governance.unimaas.nl/ / www.icis.unimaas.nl

Contactgegevens:
Dr. Maud Huynen, M.Huynen[at]icis.unimaas.nl, 043-3884840