226 identifying and prioritising adaptation actions lgsa.docx) › files › imce-uploads › 35 ›...

Module 4 – Identifying and Prioritising Adaptation Actions

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Workshop facilitation Module preparation Module output Useful references Delivery checklist Expected outcome Resources

1 Expected outcomes of this module

Climate change risks can be managed through actions which reduce the

likelihood and/or consequences of climate impacts. The purpose of this

module is to prioritise adaptation actions that adequately manage Council’s

important climate change risks.

The expected outcomes of this module are that:

� Adaptation actions will be identified prior to the workshop through a

literature review and at the workshop through brainstorming

� Risk statements will be re-analysed by workshop participants to

determine the potential effectiveness of adaptation actions

� Adaptation actions will be prioritised by workshop participants using risk

management effectiveness and multi-criteria analysis (MCA)

Above: Blayney Wind Farm courtesy of The Wellington, Blayney and Cabonne

Strategic Alliance

2 Resources required for module delivery

Delivery

schedule

Complete following module 3 “Assessing Climate Change

Risk”. The outputs from this module should feed into

Council’s climate change action plan (module 7)

Time At least 3 hours

Participants All members of the Climate Change Action Planning Team

(including the Working Group and the Steering

Committee) or alternatively the Working Group

Materials • A computer (ideally with internet access)

• Module 4 PowerPoint presentation template

• Risk Assessment Tool (includes MCA tool)

• Large sheets of paper (e.g. A1 size paper)

• Adhesive or thumb tacks to display paper

• Marker pens

• Stickers (for facilitation of 3.2.4) (optional)

• Adaptation action templates

• Researched adaptation actions

• Workshop Briefing Paper from module 3

• Evaluation Forms (template available)

Assistance An assistant is required to transcribe the data from each

completed Adaptation Action Template into the Risk

Assessment Tool

Resources Expected outcome Module preparation Workshop facilitation Module output Delivery checklist Useful references

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3 How to complete the module

The following tasks should ensure that the expected outcomes of the module

are achieved:

� Research a list of adaptation actions relevant to priority risks (prior to

the workshop)

� Estimate the likely effectiveness of adaptation actions

� Evaluate the quadruple bottom line potential of adaptation actions using

MCA

� Prioritise actions using risk management effectiveness and MCA

3.1 Module preparation

3.1.1 Researching adaptation actions

Adaptation actions are adjustments made in response to climate change that

lead to reduction in risks or realisation of benefits. Adaptation actions can

involve technological and infrastructure measures, planning, research and

education or a combination of actions. Adaptation usually involves treating

risks through strategic planning and the allocation of resources, rather than

short term, reactive adjustments. The purpose of this task is to compile a list

of adaptation actions which may be suitable to address priority risks. Key

sources of information include:

� Climate Change Adaptation Actions for Local Government (DCC, 2009)

� Climate change adaptation action plans from various local councils

(Australian and International)

Such resources have been made available on the LGSA website

(www.lgsa.org.au).

Table 1 provides an example of the different types of adaptation actions

available to Council. It should be noted that single actions in isolation may not

be effective but rather it may be best to address risks using a suite of

strategies in an integrated approach.

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Resources Expected outcome Workshop facilitation Module preparation Module output Useful references Delivery checklist

Table 1: Adaptation action types and examples (AGO, 2006)

Action Type Description and examples

Spread risk Insurance and diversification strategies:

• Use of financial products that off-lay the risk

• Geographical diversification

Structural and

technological

Prevent effects through engineering solutions and

changed practices:

• Increase reservoir capacity

• Implement energy demand management measures

• Scale up coastal protection measures

• Change design of stormwater systems

• Build more resilient structures

• Install more efficient irrigation systems

• Create wildlife corridors

Regulatory and

institutional

Prevent or mitigate effects through revised

regulations and planning:

• Adopt integrated planning approaches

• Amend local planning schemes for flooding risks

• Revise guidance notes for urban planners

• Amend building design standards

• Increase resources for coastal planning

• Factor climate change into criteria for designation of

species or ecosystems requiring increased protection

• Improved contingency and disaster planning

• Lengthen strategic planning horizons (from say 5-10

years to 20-30 years)

Action Type Description and examples

Avoidance Avoid or exploit changes in risk:

• Migration of people away from high risk areas

• Change location of new housing developments

• Improve forecasting systems to give advance warning

of extreme climate events

Research Research to improve understanding of relationship

between climate change and risk:

• Improve knowledge of relationship between past and

present variations in climate and performance of

economic, social and environmental systems

• Improve modelling of regionally based climate change

impacts

• Improve knowledge of the probability of frequency and

magnitude of changes to extreme climate events and

other climate variables under climate change

• Improve understanding of the relationship between

changes to frequency and magnitude of extreme

events and critical thresholds for individual risks

Education,

behavioural

Educate and inform stakeholders about the risks of

climate change:

• Increase public awareness about the potential impacts

of climate change and about climate change

adaptation measures

• Educate and inform management and personnel

about climate change risks and adaptation measures


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The facilitator should:

� Consider the priority risks when reviewing documents and adaptation

action plans to identify relevant adaptation actions

� Compile a list of possible adaptation actions and the risks they address

3.1.2 Preparing workshop materials

This task involves preparing materials for the workshop, which include:

� The module 4 PowerPoint presentation (template available from the

LGSA)

� The Risk Assessment Tool (available from the LGSA)

� The Adaptation Action Templates (available from the LGSA)

� A plan for which staff members should be grouped together to address

specific risks in the Adaptation Action Templates


� Finalise the workshop PowerPoint presentation by including the chosen

risk evaluation framework

� Familiarise themselves with the workshop materials

� Prepare printed evaluation forms (template available from the LGSA)

� Read Box 2 and be familiar with the operation of the MCA tool

� Complete and print Adaptation Action Templates printed for every

priority risk statement. Each Adaptation Action Template should include

the following information (in the appropriate fields or spaces of the

template):

� The priority risk statement (in field B) and the associated climate

variable (in field A) (from module 3)

� The likelihood (field C) and consequence (field D) of that risk

statement (from module 3)

� An example adaptation action identified from the research

activities (in field E). Further adaptation actions will be identified

in the workshop and added to the remaining rows for field E

� The fields labelled F and G should be left blank (they will be

completed by the Working Group in the workshop)

� Identify which service areas (or business units) the priority risks relate

to and ensure there will be staff members from each of these service

areas present at the workshop. Prepare a plan for grouping staff

together in groups of 3-4 based on their service area and categorise the

risks that relate to their service area which they will address (in the

exercise under 3.2.1). Try to ensure each group has an equal share of

the risk statements assigned to them (if possible). Where a risk relates

to more than one service area, try to include staff members from both

service areas in a group that will be assigned to address that risk.

Above: Mouth of Lake Cakora, June 2009 by Reece Luxton, Clarence Valley Council

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Expected outcome Resources Module preparation Workshop facilitation Module output Delivery checklist Useful references

3.2 Workshop facilitation

3.2.1 Identifying new adaptation actions

The purpose of this task is to build on the research and identify additional

adaptation actions. Many adaptation actions will be specific to a Council and

can only be developed through the knowledge of Council staff.

During the workshop, the facilitator should:

� Form breakout groups of 3-4 people

� Distribute the pre-prepared Adaptation Action Templates to the relevant

groups

� Ask each group to develop up to 3 adaptation actions for each risk

contained on each template and write them in field E

3.2.2 Evaluating effectiveness of adaptation actions

Effective adaptation actions should change the likelihood and/or the

consequence of climate change risks. To evaluate the potential effectiveness

of adaptation actions, Council should use the Adaptation Action Template to

consider how the implementation of an adaptation action would change the

likelihood and consequence rating of risks.

During the workshop, the facilitator should:

� Recap the risk evaluation framework and distribute likelihood and

consequence scales used for the risk assessment in module 3

� Ask each group to re-evaluate the likelihood and consequence of each

risk assuming the implementation of the relevant adaptation action

� Develop a unique code for each adaptation action

� Ask an assistant to transcribe the data from each completed Adaptation

Action Template into the Risk Assessment Tool (explained in Box 1) (as

Templates are completed or during a break in the workshop)

� Check that participants agree that the new risk rating (calculated by the

tool) is appropriate and realistic

Box 1 – Using the risk assessment tool to determine effectiveness of actions

1. Insert adaptation actions and agreed new likelihood and consequence

following implementation of action

2. The tool will calculate the new level of risk. Evaluate whether this new

level of risk is appropriate and realistic


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3. The tool will also calculate a risk effectiveness score for that adaptation

action

3.2.3 Evaluating quadruple bottom line potential of adaptation actions

The process of developing a robust climate change action plan should

address the challenges and outcomes of implementing adaptation actions.

The process should identify actions that are undesirable because of their

environmental, social or financial impact (regardless of their ability to manage

risk) and ensure actions are consistent with principles of good governance.

The Risk Assessment Tool provided with the Workshop Package contains a

multi-criteria analysis (MCA) tool (explained in Box 2). The tool uses six

default criteria to evaluate the quadruple bottom line potential of adaptation

actions. The criteria and rankings can be customised to suit specific Council

objectives. MCA tools are relatively simple to develop with basic Excel skills.


� Use a data projector to project the MCA tool to the whole Working

Group

� Facilitate a live scoring session with the whole Working Group

Box 2 – Using the MCA in the Risk Assessment Tool

1. Select the MCA tab on the Risk Assessment Tool

2. Insert agreed criteria and weightings into the appropriate cells. The tool

comes with default criteria and weightings. Ensure that weightings add

up to 100%

3. Populate MCA with adaptation actions and their risk effectiveness

scores

4. Score each criteria using drop down menus. Default drop down options

are descriptive of the criteria being analysed

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5. The tool will calculate a total MCA score based on each criteria score

and their relative weightings. Adaptation actions can be prioritised

based on this and their risk effectiveness.

3.2.4 Plotting effectiveness scores against MCA scores

Plotting the effectiveness score and the MCA score for each action will help

develop a priority list of adaptation actions. Figure 1 demonstrates that high

priority actions will be highly effective and perform well against quadruple

bottom line criteria.

To prioritise adaptation actions, the facilitator should:

• Develop a blank chart with appropriate scales on each axis for the

effectiveness score and the MCA score (this can be done on a white

board or large sheets of paper, e.g. A1 size paper)

Figure 1: Prioritisation matrix for adaptation actions incorporating MCA and risk

effectiveness scores

• Use the scores for each action to plot action codes on the chart (the

codes make the process quicker and easier to read). Consider using

stickers as stickers can be moved and are of a consistent size

• Once all codes are plotted on the chart ask the Working Group to define

clusters of high, medium and low priority actions

Medium Priority – High MCA

score but low risk effectiveness.

These actions may be become

higher priority through

modifications to improve

effectiveness

High Priority – High MCA

score and high risk

effectiveness. These actions

should be considered as a

priority for implementation

Low Priority – Low MCA score

and risk effectiveness. These

actions are lowest priority

Medium Priority – High risk

effectiveness but low MCA

score. These actions may be

become higher priority through

modifications to improve MCA

score

High score

Low score

High score Low score Risk Effective Sore

MC

A s

co

re

3.2.5 Administering the evaluation survey

At the end of the workshop the facilitator should:

� Hand out evaluation survey and ask everyone to complete the survey

before they leave

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3.3 Finalising module outputs

Following the workshop the facilitator should:

� Thank participants for their involvement and contribution to the process

� Include the date and version on the documentation. Risk management

activities should be traceable and the records provide the foundation for

improvement. Section 5.7 of the AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 contains

information on creating and keeping records

� File the documentation from the workshop for later reference and

potential inclusion in the action plan

� Collate and analyse the results of the workshop evaluation and

circulate a summary of the results to workshop participants

� Reflect on the strengths of the workshop and areas for improvement in

future workshops and activities

� Follow up on any issues or questions that were raised at the workshop

and not completely resolved or answered

� Make the PowerPoint presentation and any associated materials

available to all staff members

� Finalise and risk analysis and MCA scoring which may not have been

completed in the workshop (possibly involving the Steering Committee)

� Evaluate prioritisation of adaptation actions to ensure that actions are

prioritised appropriately (possibly involving the Steering Committee)

Above: Aftermath of bushfire in October 2009 (near Brooms Head, NSW), courtesy of

Scott Lenton, Clarence Valley Council

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4 The delivery checklist

Following completion of this module, Council should have achieved the

following:

Task Complete

Identified relevant climate change impact adaptation

actions through literature review

Yes / No

Brainstormed adaptation actions and reassessed risk

statements to determine effectiveness of each action

Yes / No

Agreed criteria and weightings for MCA of adaptation

actions

Yes / No

Prioritised adaptation actions using MCA and risk

effectiveness scores

Yes / No

Administered and collected evaluation survey Yes / No

Finalised module outputs (as listed on page 8) Yes / No

5 Useful references

AGO, 2006, Climate Change Impacts and Risk Management – A Guide for

Business and Government.

AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009, Risk Management – Principles and guidelines.

Department of Climate Change, 2009, Climate change adaptation actions for

local government.

Climate change adaptation action plans from various local councils (Australian

and International)

Links to useful resources are provided on the LGSA website (www.lgsa.org.au)

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