Collaborative Spatial Decision Making: An Empirical Study of Geographic Information Technology Use in Water Resource Planning

Summary  |  Results  |  Researchers  |  Publications  |  Acknowledgements  |  Related research projects

Project summary

The increasing involvement of stakeholder groups in solving spatial decision problems has created a need for information technology capable of supporting collaborative spatial decision making. Such information technology has developed in recent years for the support of groups engaged in solving business problems. Similar information technology is now being developed to support group decision making aimed at solving place-based decision problems, such as site selection, choice of environmental and economic development strategies, and community planning. However, our understanding of the benefits (or costs) of such technology is limited by the shortage of empirical studies of its use. This empirical study provides insights into the dynamics of collaborative work involving true stakeholders in a realistic decision problem of water management planning in the Boise River basin in southwestern Idaho.

Our research team developed a participatory geographic information system called WaterGroup designed to support collaborative decision making among stakeholders tasked with developing recommendations for a water management plan for the Boise River basin. WaterGroup integrates maps, satellite imagery, scenario building tools, dynamic visualizations of scenario impacts, and voting tools. The goal of this study was to evaluate WaterGroup by examining how its use influences the dynamics of group interaction during collaborative decision process. In collaboration with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, we conducted a field experiment. The stakeholders who took part in the experiment included a mix of participants representative of common-pool resource decision problems, included elected officials from local (county) and state government, water district representatives, irrigation district representatives, municipal water provider representatives, and the representatives of private ground water users (irrigators and commercial water users). The experimental design involved two groups of stakeholders – a control group and an experimental group. For the control group, decision agenda activity and WaterGroup software operation were conducted by a facilitator-chauffeur. The WaterGroup display was projected on a large public screen, viewable by all stakeholders. For the experimental group, decision agenda activity was directed by a facilitator, but WaterGroup software operation was up to participants working in pairs, in addition to viewing the facilitator display on a projected screen. Each groups had between 10 and 12 participants representing five stakeholder perspectives. The human-computer-human interaction process during the experiment was captured using professional video cameras and computer activity logging. A tested social-behavioral science technique called “interaction coding” was employed to interpret and summarize the raw data. Exploratory sequential data analysis techniques were used to analyze the coded data. Parametric and non-parametric statistical procedures were used to test research hypotheses. The project results expand our knowledge about collaborative decision processes that engage diverse groups of stakeholders. Moreover, the project helped us to develop and share a better understanding of integration needs for information technology that involves GIS, decision models, and group support systems.

 

Project results

Software usability comparisons between 2001 and 2002 experiments, based on questionnaire responses:

Analysis of technology-supported group decision-making process and outcomes (2002 experiment):

Analysis of the research design we used to study technology-supported group decision-making process and outcomes:

 

Researchers

Principal researchers

Piotr Jankowski, Ph.D.
Department of Geography
San Diego State University
piotr@geography.sdsu.edu

Timothy Nyerges, Ph.D.
Department of Geography
University of Washington
nyerges@u.washington.edu

Research collaborator

David R. Tuthill, Jr., P.E., Ph.D.
Idaho Dept. of Water Resources
Dave.Tuthill@idwr.idaho.gov

 

Research assistants

Kevin Ramsey, M.A.
Department of Geography
University of Washington
kramsey@u.washington.edu

Steve Robischon, M.A.
Department of Geography
University of Idaho
(Currently at IDWR)
Steve.Robischon@idwr.idaho.gov

David Yarnell
Department of Geography
University of Idaho

Guirong Zhou, M.A.
Department of Geography
University of Washington
grzhou@u.washington.edu

 

Publications
(click to read abstracts)

Design Considerations and Evaluation of a Collaborative, Spatio-Temporal Decision Support System. Jankowski, P., Nyerges, T., Robischon, S., Ramsey, K., and Tuthill, D. Paper submitted to Transactions in GIS.

Participatory GIS Support for Collaborative Water Resource Decision Making: Results of a Field Experiment. Nyerges, T., Jankowski, P., Tuthill, D., and Ramsey, K. Paper submitted to Annals of the Association of American Geographers.

A Data Gathering Strategy for Evaluating Technology-Supported Collaborative Decision Making Processes. Ramsey, K., Nyerges, T., and Jankowski, P. Paper submitted to Behaviour & Information Technology.

Use of PGIS in Water Resources Planning: Evolution from a State of Idaho Experiment to a Multi-State Approach in the Conjunctive Administration of Surface and Ground Water. Tuthill, D., Jankowski, P., Nyerges, T., and Robischon, S. 2003. 2nd Annual Public Participation GIS Conference, July 20-22, 2003, in Portland, OR .

Participatory GIS in Collaborative Water Resource Decision Making: Results of a field experiment. Nyerges, T.L., Jankowski, P., Ramsey, K., and Tuthill, D. 2003. 2nd Annual Public Participation GIS Conference Proceedings, July 20-22, 2003, in Portland, OR.

Design Considerations for Participatory GIS. Robischon, S., Jankowski, P., Nyerges, T., and Tuthill, D. 2003. 2nd Annual Public Participation GIS Conference Proceedings, 20-22 July 2003, in Portland, OR.

Techniques and Measures for the Evaluation of a Participatory GIS: An Interaction Coding System for Collaborative Water Resource Decision Making. Ramsey, K., Nyerges, T.L., Jankowski, P. 2003. 2nd Annual Public Participation GIS Conference, 20-22 July 2003, in Portland, OR .

Utilization of Emerging Geo-Spatial Technologies in the Implementation of Conjunctive Administration of Surface and Ground Water. Tuthill, D. 2002. dissertation, Civil Engineering, University of Idaho, Boise.

 

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant No. SBR-0111481, funded jointly by the Geography and Regional Science Program and the Decision, Risk and Management Science Program.

 

Related research projects

Many of the research team members are currently engaged in this related research project:

Participatory Geographic Information Systems for Transportation (PGIST)
The PGIST project is studying how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Internet technologies can improve public participation in transportation decision making. We are working with regional agencies and stakeholders to develop and evaluate on-line tools for expanding public participation in transportation improvement programming for the central Puget Sound region. We aim to improve people's ability to express their views and expand their knowledge, in order to come to a shared understanding about transportation related concerns, and then voice choices about project recommendations.