Countering the "loading Dock" Approach to Linking Science and Decision Making: a Comparative Analysis of Enso Forecasting Systems

This paper provides a comparative institutional analysis between ENSO forecasting systems in the Pacific and southern Africa with a focus on how scientific information is connected to the decision making process. With billions of dollars in infrastructure and private property, and human health and well-being at risk during ENSO events, forecasting systems have begun to be embraced by managers and firms at multiple levels. In contrast to traditional models of "getting the science right and giving the information to decision makers", the study suggests that such systems instead need to consciously support the co-production of knowledge. A critical component of such co-production seems to be managing the boundaries between science and policy, across disciplines, across scale, and across knowledges to create information that is salient, credible, and legitimate to multiple audiences. This research suggests institutional mechanisms that appear to be useful in managing such boundaries, including: mechanisms for structuring convening, translation, collaboration and mediation functions.