%0 Journal Article
%T A Concept for Testing Decision Support Tools in Participatory Processes Applied to the ToSIA Tool
%A Diana Tuomasjukka
%A Marcus Lindner
%A David Edwards
%J Challenges
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/challe4010034
%X ToSIA (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment) offers a transparent and consistent methodological framework to assess impacts of changes (technological, policy, management, etc.) in the forest-based sector. This tool is able to facilitate the decision making process within and between diverse groups of stakeholders (e.g., forest managers and policymakers) as it provides a neutral, transparent and data-driven platform for stakeholder interaction and communication. To test these capabilities of ToSIA, a practical approach to test if a decision support system is suitable for participatory processes was developed based on a set of evaluation criteria for participatory processes. ToSIA¡¯s performance was assessed and discussed in different categories against a selection of criteria for successful participatory processes: six criteria were fulfilled by ToSIA, in nine, ToSIA is potentially helpful, in two, criteria ToSIA has no influence, and for three criteria, no experiences exist until now. As a result, ToSIA¡¯s conceptual suitability as a participatory decision support system was confirmed for two interlinked roles: as a decision support system to assess alternative scenarios, and as a communication platform for stakeholder interaction.
%K ToSIA (Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment)
%K pDSS (participatory Decision Support System)
%K decision defence
%K stakeholder interaction
%K participatory process
%K science-policy interface
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/4/1/34