Participatory Resource Management: Working with Communities and Stakeholders

This is an intensive course. In 2026, the face-to-face component will be delivered 23 Nov – 4 Dec. There is increasing recognition of the need to actively involve different stakeholders and communities in the process of making decisions about natural resource management (NRM). Almost every NRM professional is asked to 'consult' or 'involve' the community when drawing up management plans for resources such as national parks, forests, fisheries, water or mining activities, amongst many others. This course provides a critical review of participatory resource management (PRM) approaches, exploring when and why different PRM processes succeed and fail to resolve conflicts between stakeholders. Students learn both the theories underpinning different PRM approaches, and practical skills such as group facilitation, stakeholder analysis and how to design and manage participatory processes. A series of guest speakers discuss recently-implemented Australian and international participatory processes, and the class evaluates the factors that affected the success or otherwise of these processes. The course assessment, much of which is based on group-work, is designed to ensure students apply the facilitation skills being taught, and that students can explore topics of particular interest to them in the field of PRM.