Supporting stakeholder analysis within iczm process in small and medium-sized mediterranean coastal cities with the use of Q-method

Abstract

Stakeholder engagement is considered essential in Integrated Coastal Zone Management. In this context, detailed stakeholder analysis can provide a useful support for decision-making. Such an analysis can be particularly useful when there may be capacity limits in terms of stakeholders and loose institutional structures, such as in the case of small and medium-sized coastal cities. This analysis utilizes the Q-method as a basic tool for stakeholder analysis within the context of ICZM in small and medium sized cities. The method is applied in Kavala and Heraklion (a small and a medium-size city) in Greece, where local stakeholders involved in waterfront activities and related decision making were asked to sort statements evaluating the socio-economic, spatial and environmental role of urban waterfront in their city. The results of the analysis were useful in the sense of identifying potential complementarities and synergies among groups of stakeholders on the basis of their perceptions towards the waterfront by using Q-method. This approach provides o more than a typical mapping of the cooperation channels among stakeholders and institutions. Finally, the method proved to be notably effective in small samples of stakeholders that usually participate in the decision-making process in small and medium sized cities. © 2019, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services,cademy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. All rights reserved.