Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) development - Challenges and best practices
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McIntosh, B. S.; Ascough II, J. C.; Twery, Mark; Chew, J.; ElMahdi, Amgad; Haase, D.; Harou, J. J.; Hepting, D.; Cuddy, Susan; Jakeman, Anthony; Hamilton (Chen), Serena; Kassahun, A.; Lautenbach, Sven; Matthews, K.; Merritt, Wendy; Quinn, N. W. T.; Rodriguez-Roda, I.; Sieber, S.; Stavenga, M.; Sulis, A.; Ticehurst, Jenifer; Volk, Martin; Wrobel, M.; van Delden, Hedwig; El Sawah, Sondoss; Rizzoli, Andrea E.; Voinov, A.
Description
Despite the perceived value of DSS in informing environmental and natural resource management, DSS tools often fail to be adopted by intended end users. By drawing together the experience of a global group of EDSS developers, we have identified and assessed key challenges in EDSS development and offer recommendations to resolve them. Challenges related to engaging end users in EDSS development emphasise the need for a participatory process that embraces end users and stakeholders throughout the...[Show more]
dc.contributor.author | McIntosh, B. S. | |
---|---|---|
dc.contributor.author | Ascough II, J. C. | |
dc.contributor.author | Twery, Mark | |
dc.contributor.author | Chew, J. | |
dc.contributor.author | ElMahdi, Amgad | |
dc.contributor.author | Haase, D. | |
dc.contributor.author | Harou, J. J. | |
dc.contributor.author | Hepting, D. | |
dc.contributor.author | Cuddy, Susan | |
dc.contributor.author | Jakeman, Anthony | |
dc.contributor.author | Hamilton (Chen), Serena | |
dc.contributor.author | Kassahun, A. | |
dc.contributor.author | Lautenbach, Sven | |
dc.contributor.author | Matthews, K. | |
dc.contributor.author | Merritt, Wendy | |
dc.contributor.author | Quinn, N. W. T. | |
dc.contributor.author | Rodriguez-Roda, I. | |
dc.contributor.author | Sieber, S. | |
dc.contributor.author | Stavenga, M. | |
dc.contributor.author | Sulis, A. | |
dc.contributor.author | Ticehurst, Jenifer | |
dc.contributor.author | Volk, Martin | |
dc.contributor.author | Wrobel, M. | |
dc.contributor.author | van Delden, Hedwig | |
dc.contributor.author | El Sawah, Sondoss | |
dc.contributor.author | Rizzoli, Andrea E. | |
dc.contributor.author | Voinov, A. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-12-10T23:06:13Z | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1364-8152 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1885/62672 | |
dc.description.abstract | Despite the perceived value of DSS in informing environmental and natural resource management, DSS tools often fail to be adopted by intended end users. By drawing together the experience of a global group of EDSS developers, we have identified and assessed key challenges in EDSS development and offer recommendations to resolve them. Challenges related to engaging end users in EDSS development emphasise the need for a participatory process that embraces end users and stakeholders throughout the design and development process. Adoption challenges concerned with individual and organisational capacities to use EDSS and the match between EDSS and organisational goals can be overcome through the use of an internal champion to promote the EDSS at different levels of a target organisation; co-ordinate and build capacity within the organisation, and; ensure that developers maintain focus on developing EDSS which are relatively easy and inexpensive to use and update (and which are perceived as such by the target users). Significant challenges exist in relation to ensuring EDSS longevity and financial sustainability. Such business challenges may be met through planning and design that considers the long-term costs of training, support, and maintenance; revenue generation and licensing by instituting processes which support communication and interactions; and by employing software technology which enables easy model expansion and re use to gain an economy of scale and reduce development costs. A final group of perhaps more problematic challenges relate to how the success of EDSS ought to be evaluated. Whilst success can be framed relatively easily in terms of interactions with end users, difficulties of definition and measurability emerge in relation to the extent to which EDSS achieve intended outcomes. To tackle the challenges described, the authors provide a set of best practice recommendations concerned with promoting design for ease of use, design for usefulness, establishing trust and credibility, promoting EDSS acceptance, and starting simple and small in functionality terms. Following these recommendations should enhance the achievement of successful EDSS adoption, but more importantly, help facilitate the achievement of desirable social and environmental outcomes. | |
dc.publisher | Pergamon-Elsevier Ltd | |
dc.source | Environmental Modelling and Software | |
dc.subject | Keywords: Adoption; Business challenges; Communication and interaction; Design and Development; Development costs; Ease of use; Economy of scale; EDSS; End users; Environmental decision support systems; Environmental outcome; Financial sustainability; Model expansi Adoption; Decision-making; EDSS; Environmental decision support systems; Information systems; Software development; Use | |
dc.title | Environmental decision support systems (EDSS) development - Challenges and best practices | |
dc.type | Journal article | |
local.description.notes | Imported from ARIES | |
local.identifier.citationvolume | 26 | |
dc.date.issued | 2011 | |
local.identifier.absfor | 050205 - Environmental Management | |
local.identifier.ariespublication | u4279067xPUB723 | |
local.type.status | Published Version | |
local.contributor.affiliation | McIntosh, B.S., Griffith University | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Ascough II, J.C., USDA-ARS | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Twery, Mark, USDA Forest Service | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Chew, J., USDA-FS | |
local.contributor.affiliation | ElMahdi, Amgad, Bureau of Meteorology | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Haase, D, Helmholz Centre for Environmental Research | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Harou, J.J., University College | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Hepting, D., University of Regina | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Cuddy, Susan, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Jakeman, Anthony , College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Hamilton (Chen), Serena, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Kassahun, A., Wageningen UR | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Lautenbach, Sven, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Matthews, K., Macaulay Institute | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Merritt, Wendy, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Quinn, N.W.T., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Rodriguez-Roda, I., Universitat de Girona | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Sieber, S., Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Stavenga, M., Maralte B.V. | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Sulis, A., University of Cagliari | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Ticehurst, Jenifer Lyn, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Volk, Martin, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Wrobel, M., Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research | |
local.contributor.affiliation | van Delden, Hedwig, Research Institute for Knowledge Systems | |
local.contributor.affiliation | El Sawah, Sondoss, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Rizzoli, Andrea E., IDSIA-Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull Intelligenza Artificiale | |
local.contributor.affiliation | Voinov, A., University of Twente | |
local.description.embargo | 2037-12-31 | |
local.bibliographicCitation.issue | 12 | |
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage | 1389 | |
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage | 1402 | |
local.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.envsoft.2011.09.009 | |
local.identifier.absseo | 960799 - Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards not elsewhere classified | |
dc.date.updated | 2016-02-24T10:52:42Z | |
local.identifier.scopusID | 2-s2.0-84855500151 | |
local.identifier.thomsonID | 000298270300003 | |
Collections | ANU Research Publications |
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