Adaptive Policy Analysis of Mining Policies in Manitoba

The Adaptive Design and Policy Assessment Tool (ADAPTool) is an Excel-based online tool developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and partners as a structured guide through an assessment process that compares existing policies and programs to the characteristics of adaptive policies.

ADAPTool assesses policies or programs in relation to a defined stressor or external change. It produces two kinds of assessments: 1) it gauges the ability of existing policies or programs to support adaptation measures undertaken in response to the specified stressor by the policy target groups; 2) it assesses the general adaptability of the policies or programs themselves, which is to say, whether they are likely to respond well under the influence of the defined changes as well as under unforeseeable changes in the future. ADAPtool builds on IISD-led research on Creating Adaptive Policies.

In this pilot application, ADAPtool for existing policies was applied to a suite of six mining-related policies in Manitoba. IISD and analysts from the Mines Branch of the Province of Manitoba worked together to conduct the ADAPtool analyses, including: initial project scoping (including choice of policies to be analyzed); training on use of ADAPtool; literature review and vulnerability assessments for the forestry-relevant sectors; adaptation analysis, adaptive policy analysis and final reporting on results.

This pilot analysis revealed strengths and weaknesses of the policy around contributions to mining adaptation needs and policy flexibility. All but one policy was ranked as “partially contributing” to anticipated and unanticipated needs. The policies performed relatively well in their ability to respond to unanticipated events. The analysis showed that the policies are adequately decentralized. All policies have a degree of multistakeholder deliberation, through ongoing public consultations and meetings between the Mines Branch, mining companies and the Mining Association; however, there are no formalized tools that enable self-organization under any of the policies. In addition, Mines Branch policies have not had a formal review process since the early 1990s.