The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970 required public input in any federal planning process or action. Consequently, natural resource planning can be characterized as more of a complex situation in recent years due to the increasing involvement of the number of constituents who want to be heard. Likewise, the public wants to know their ideas have been heard and considered. Unfortunately, there is very little information available which identifies how the BLM handles and analyzes public scoping comments that are required under NEPA. The purpose of this research is to identify the handling and analysis methodology used by BLM employees in large-scale natural resource plans, as well as gain insight into the experience and satisfaction of BLM employees in recent planning processes. The information gleaned from this study illustrates that through adjustments to the handling and analysis process, it is possible to maintain a supportive and accommodating relationship with the public by listening to their concerns and encouraging continued participation in natural resource planning, as well as adding credibility to the planning process overall through consistent handling and analysis.

The American system of governance includes a network of state and local units identified as either general purpose or special purpose governments. The latter are often aligned with, but operate independently of, general purpose governments. Even as these special purpose or special district governments have shown extraordinary growth relative to their general purpose counterparts, there has been little interest in them or the structural characteristics that distinguish their systems for maintaining order and assuring accountable behaviors. In the meanwhile, the literature regarding accountability has been expanded materially in the last several years leading to debates about its form, component parts, objectives, and the preferred means for achieving accountability as an end state. While these concepts may have application to special districts, inquiry has yet to extend to the particular devices required to monitor or control these governments. This research effort closes the knowledge gap by linking this little studied form of government with recent ideas about accountability and the role that citizen participation plays in developing or advancing accountable behaviors. The analysis applies an adaptation of the well known model developed by Romzek and Dubnick (1987) to create an accountability framework and documents the role that public participation plays in influencing accountable behaviors. The analysis culminates in a multivariate model that examines the role of pubic participation in the context of competing influences that might also force accountable behaviors. The research concludes that participation can be an important influence in shaping specific forms of accountable behavior but that other factors are also essential to sustaining accountability. Most notable among these other factors is the role of the workplace environment, defined here in terns of employee interaction, ethics training, purpose, overall sense of commitment and other attributes.

This dissertation examines the public participation activities of State Departments of Transportation (SDOTs) in the United States. A review of existing literature and legal frameworks suggests that an "authentic" public participation results when dimensions of representativeness, use of public inputs, interactiveness, and quality of citizen inputs have been achieved. The study sought to identify conditions that serve as measurements that must presumably be satisfied for authenticity to exist in public participation. The result was a Model of Authentic Public Participation that served as the basis for creation of a new four-tiered methodology to assess the performance of these districts relative to authenticity requirements. This study also sought to identify the key determinants that lead districts to achieve Authentic Public Participation in District public involvement programs. A Predictor Model for Authentic Public Participation was created to test whether the key internal and external determinants are responsible for districts achieving authenticity in their public participation programs. The data for this study came from a mail-back survey that was administered to senior district administrators in 380 State Departments of Transportation districts in the United States. A total of 233 surveys were returned for a response rate of 61.3 percent. The results of the study suggest that most SDOT districts struggle to implement public participation programs that achieve high levels of authenticity. The increased use of public participation tools, specifically those active tools that allow for increased interaction between district staff and the public, can assist districts in achieving higher levels of authenticity in their programs. Of key importance to achievement of authenticity is the willingness of district staff to adopt new ideas and innovation learned from dealings with the public. District public participation programs benefit from training that increases the individual's acceptance of public participation as a valid mechanism for serving the public. Recommendations were made for SDOTs to work toward: • The creation of increased opportunities for the occurrence of Authentic Public Participation • The creation of individual ownership of authenticity in public participation • The creation of community partnerships to foster authenticity in public participation

This thesis is a case study in Marrakesh of Morocco's Green Mosque Program, whose objective is to use solar energy and other green technologies in Morocco's numerous mosques. Focuses of the thesis include how the Green Mosque Program came about, the roles of women within the program and the social effects of the program. The research for this thesis was done during late spring and summer of 2018, and included observations and semi-structured interviews. This thesis found that the inclusion of women could be greater at all phases of the Green Mosque Program. Additionally, the researcher observed a nascent environmentalism within the city of Marrakesh, and that almost all Marrakesh residents interviewed for this thesis were in favor of environmental action, including the use of solar energy. This paper intends to contribute to greater understanding of how governments can work together with civil societyin the realms of clean energy and energy security in the face of climate change. In addition, this thesis provides greater understanding regarding the role of women in energy campaigns and the effectiveness of government efforts toward the inclusion ofwomen. This thesis also intends to contribute to research about energy and environment in Morocco.

In this thesis I develop a critical theory of public participation and deliberation in post-communist Romania. Primarily, this theory is developed from a critical assessment of two intermediate-level Romanian institutions: the deliberative system that has formed to debate the authorisation of a proposed gold mining project in Ro¿ia Montan¿, Romania and the legitimacy claims of the series of hybrid forums that were convened as part of that project¿s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The hybrid forum legitimacy claims were assessed based on a standard of hybrid forum legitimacy developed in this thesis from deliberative democracy theory and practice. Grounded in new institutionalism theory, this thesis describes the historical and contemporary socio-economic conditions that have shaped Romanian public participation and deliberation. / American Fulbright Commission

Continued water scarcity, flooding, pollution and urbanisation, especially in developing countries, have signified the necessity of renewed exploration of the most appropriate approach to water management. This approach should aim to meet the water requirements in the changing world in a sustainable way. Reviewing the different water approaches that have emerged in the developed countries during the last decades suggests that Adaptive Water Management (AWM) could provide a sustainable route to address the existing complex problems of urban water management through the future. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AWM could be applied to Greater Tehran in order to maximise sustainability and deal with the future uncertainties. The AWM characteristics of polycentric governance, institutional flexibility, and public participation were used to assess the adaptability of the existing water management. The research findings showed that, despite the lack of adaptability in the current Greater Tehran water management, there are positive attitudes towards adaptability among water professionals and the public. The research findings emphasised that the AWM application could be promoted by more participation in various levels of institutional structure. This thesis suggests that if the concept of AWM is applied to Iran, it has the potential to have a significant influence in the current/future water management by promoting technical and institutional performances simultaneously.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023 / The process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims at identifying the significant environmental, social, and economic impacts of a proposed project before a decision is made of whether a project should commence. The Public Participation Process (PPP) should occur throughout all phases of an EIA process and forms an integral part of successful EIAs. It allows for input from stakeholders and subsequently contributes to sustainable development. This process is however often viewed as a “box-ticking” exercise negatively impacting the intended effectiveness thereof. This study therefore aimed to assess the perceived effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes of the Matseke filling station project in the Capricorn District of Limpopo from the perspective of various key stakeholders. The study was descriptive and exploratory in nature and a qualitative research approach was considered pragmatic. Two key informant interviews were undertaken with the environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) and government official that was involved in the EIA processes. Furthermore, a total of 16 Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) were identified to participate in the study. Different methods of qualitative analyses were used to analyse the objectives of this study. The methods include thematic analysis and descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 24.0 software was used to analyse the data. The study findings show that the identified I&APs indicated that they were not involved in project planning and design. It further shows that only one I&AP commented during the process. Education, language, gender and methods of communication were identified as key factors in determining level and effectiveness of public participation processes. The study recommends that potential I&APs need to be educated by EAPs and government officials as to the role they play in ensuring effective public participation

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