Structured Decision Making

Humans are not naturally good decision makers: we overly rely on our emotions and habits and we're subject to biases such as myopia and overconfidence. However most adults think they are pretty good at making choices, whether in their personal life or at work.  A common response is along the lines of: "Well, I've made it this far, haven't I?" Yet tumbling along is not the same as recognizing and being curious about decision opportunities or making choices that reflect who you are. 

A decision-focused approach to environmental management is structured according to common-sense rules of decision making. For example, first steps are to make sure the problem frame and the important concerns (i.e., what might change, for better or worse, as a result of the decision) are well understood, and to clarify these before starting to think about alternative choices. This makes sense: How can you think about alternatives if you're not clear about the issue you're dealing with versus what you want? But it's not usual practice: both individuals and groups typically begin discussions by thinking about actions (what can be done) without first clarifying what matters and why. Because people are often passionate about environmental issues, the decision-aiding process also must leave space for emotions and stories and history as it incorporates the full range of perspectives on an issue.

Robin's work on environmental management issues digs into the creative and messy evaluation process of making decisions that need to be responsive to multiple concerns and, ultimately, supported by multiple parties who may hold quite different perspectives on the world. The work is applied and practical: abstract concepts such as encouraging deliberation or accounting for uncertainty are brought into the qualitative and quantitative process in ways that reflect both sound theory and the views of participants.