A brief presentation of SEAN and the SEAN toolbox 

[1. Brief presentation of Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN)] [1.1 Main objectives and background] [1.2 Basic principles of SEAN] [1.3 Main characteristics of Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN)] [1.4 Comparison of SEAN with some other tools / methodologies]

[2. Brief presentation of SEAN toolbox] [2.1 Background] [2.2 Structure and basic contents of the SEAN toolbox] [2.3 How to start when considering to apply SEAN] [2.4 Environmental scan based on SEAN] [2.5 Environmental monitoring]

1. Brief presentation of Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN) 

1.1 Main objectives and background 

Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN) is a comprehensive and practical methodology with the long-term objective to mainstream environmental issues into development planning processes by raising the level of knowledge on the environmental context and its interrelations with the other dimensions of sustainable development. Short-term objectives are:

• to analyse the environmental context of human development, its potentials and constraints,

• to integrate environmental key issues with social, economic and institutional issues of sustainable development

• to support a planning process of sustainable development policies or strategic plans at early stages of decision making.

Brief, SEAN is a tool for integrated environmental analysis and for support to strategic planning.  

SEAN basically deals with the interactions between ecosystems and human society, and it aims to develop insight and generate transparency in these complex interrelations. This is achieved by applying the SEAN methodological steps during a well-structured and participatory process. SEAN is designed for use at early stages of policy-making to allow the relevant environmental issues to be integrated into policy design and strategic planning. SEAN can be applied at various institutional levels, from national to local, to provide strategic inputs for the formulation or design of relatively new policies, or for the adjustment or reformulation of existing policies or strategic plans.  

SEAN is based on existing methods and experiences, of which most important are:

• Environmental Assessment methods (EIA, environmental profiles)

• Pro-poor participatory land-use planning approaches (e.g. Gestion de Terroir, co-management)

• Problem-in-Context theory, matching ecological with social systems, actor-orientedness

• Partnerships in conservation, opportunity-orientedness (e.g. WWF)

The SEAN methodology was developed by the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and AIDEnvironment to allow integration of environmental issues into strategic plans aimed at sustainable area development. While environmental issues had so far been mostly dealt with in a rather sectoral way, the need was felt to address environmental issues in close relationship with other sustainable development issues (social, economic and institutional). SEAN aims to integrate environmental concerns into policies and strategic plans, by providing a set of relevant strategic options for sustainable development. This will form the basis for making strategic choices on concrete projects and programmes (e.g. choice of sectors, regions, partners, target groups). More specifically, it aims to contribute to the formulation of development policies in which environmental issues are fully integrated (mainstreaming environmental care into development planning). 

SEAN has by now been applied 25 times, and in 11 countries, with most applications in Benin, Honduras and Nicaragua. It has been applied mainly to support sub-national Governmental and non-Governmental organisations to carry out an environmental analysis and planning process to define a sustainable development policy or strategic plan (see overview of experiences). These applications are made on a relatively large scale and with a long-term perspective, and an integrated sustainable development focus. Applications have limited external input, variable time, and a variable budget. 

Basically, the SEAN framework consists of :

• An open-ended interactive  and participatory process, consisting of 5 process phases, and

• A structure for analysis and planning, consisting of 10 methodological steps to help analysis and planning.  

SEAN is basically an iterative process, which is as much as possible continuous, by updating results and adjusting the resulting policy plan by results from a monitoring system based on the SEAN insights. During the SEAN process of preparation, implementation and follow-up the methodological steps are applied, as indicated in this PDF-graph.

The 10 methodological steps are the core of the SEAN methodology. Their use is flexible and can vary for each type of application. The methodological steps and the SEAN process phases constitute a logical framework, but the details should not be considered as blue-print instructions. There are many examples of SEAN practitioners adjusting guidelines to better suit their own conditions and needs, and of incorporating other tools and methodologies within the SEAN framework. Users should make selective use of these steps and build onto existing experiences and planning processes in their region or country. ).  Most applications so far give emphasis on opportunity analysis (for poverty alleviation / income generation).

For each methodological step there are guidelines, and reference is made to checklists (as educational cards) and to the booklet with theoretical background.  

If you are interested in environmental planning or designing more integrated and more sustainable development strategies in a participatory way, this methodology will certainly be useful for you. Based on the general framework of the methodological steps and process, there is room for adjustments and adaptations to your own situations. 

1.2 Basic principles of SEAN 

The following are the basic principles of SEAN, which refer to the process and the contents. They can be used to judge whether any application deserves to be referred to as a SEAN. 

• Early in process of adjusting or making new policies;

• Initially open-ended (not limited by existing development policies);

• Involvement of stakeholders and actors of different levels;

• Transparency of choices made and priorities set;

• Attention to guarantee local ownership and commitment among main development actors to implement resulting policy / strategic plan;

• Identification of environmental functions and their changes in 4 categories (production, space, regulation, signification);

• Attention for absent stakeholders (outside communities, future generations, nature / biodiversity values);

• Well-defined environmental problems;

• Identification of root causes of environmental problems;

• Main strategic orientations based on matching opportunities with constraints;

• Integration of environmental issues with socio-economic development goals.

1.3 Main characteristics of Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEAN)  

1.4 Comparison of SEAN with some other tools / methodologies  

Sean differs strongly from many other environmental planning and assessment methods. Hereunder some brief comparisons are elaborated. See for more information the chapter on Other methods.

  1. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA):

• SEA evaluates the environmental impacts of a proposed policy, plan or programme; SEAN aims to contribute to (re)formulation of policies, plans or programmes;

• SEAN is more pro-active than SEA

• SEA normally takes a sector as a starting point; SEAN a geographical region;

• SEA has a well-defined end-product; SEAN is more open-ended;

• SEA requires detailed information and large data set; SEAN can work with qualitative information mainly;

• SEAN can provide useful general insights for the scoping phase of a SEA; a SEA will provide more detailed insights on key issues identified during a SEAN.

2. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SRL)

• SRL takes the social and human capital assets as starting points; SEAN takes the environmental values as a starting point and establishes linkages with socio-economic goals;

• SRL takes the local level as starting point and establishes linkages with macro level; SEAN takes the meso level as starting point and establishes linkages with local and macro levels;

• SRL is specifically used to identify action plans (based on existing strategies); SEAN is mainly used to provide inputs to a strategic planning process.

3. Objective Oriented Project Planning (OOPP)

• OOPP is reactive to existing policies and strategies and aims to identify projects based on that; SEAN aims to contribute to defining new policies and strategies;

• OOPP addresses felt needs and problems; SEAN addresses development potentials based on environmental values and constraints;

• OOPP uses a problem-tree analysis; SEAN uses an actor-in-context problem analysis which clarifies inter-sectoral linkages with root causes and actors with their (alternative) options and motivations;

• OOPP has a well-defined end-product (a detailed project description); SEAN is more open-ended and provides key issues and general orientations for OOPP to work out details;

• OOPP usually takes a sectoral orientation based on a project initiative; SEAN takes an inter-sectoral, regional and pro-active perspective.

4. Participatory Land-use Planning (PLP)

• PLP is a planning instrument aimed at defining spatial mapping and detailed activities; SEAN provides the broad inter-sectoral orientations for a policy and strategic plan;

• PLP is reactive to existing policies and strategies and aims to define concrete land-use plans based on that; SEAN aims to contribute to defining new policies and strategies;

• PLP usually takes a sectoral orientation (agricultural, forestry or livestock keeping mainly); SEAN takes an inter-sectoral regional perspective;

• PLP includes social and economic analyses, but does not include an integrated problem and opportunity analysis like SEAN;

• PLP focuses at local or meso levels, it does not address higher level constraints and opportunities; SEAN takes the meso level as starting point and establishes linkages with local and macro levels.  

2.         Brief presentation of the SEAN toolbox  

2.1 Background and SEAN documents 

The SEAN toolbox is based on extensive experiences with application of SEAN. It consists of concrete guidelines and tools, and should allow potential users to apply SEAN with more limited external assistance than has been possible so far with the SEAN Reader and its guidelines for application. This toolbox is therefore structured as a set of educational cards mainly, to assist practitioners in applying SEAN in their own situations.  

However, a briefing or short training on the SEAN methodology is highly recommended to help you decide how to use this toolbox for your own purposes. See the brochure on SEAN for possible training modules. 

Apart from the toolbox in English, other publications on SEAN include:

• Análisis Ambiental Estratégico (the toolbox in Spanish)

• Analyse Stratégique de l’Environnement (the SEAN Reader in French)

• Monitoring environmental qualities (follow-up to SEAN), in English, French and Spanish.

These publications can be ordered with SNV in the Hague (info@snv.nl), or for Spanish versions with SNV in Honduras (snvhoni@netsys.hn) or can be downloaded from this CD-ROM.  

Apart from this, there are of course various documents resulting from the application of SEAN in various countries (see experiences).  

2.2 Structure and basic contents of the SEAN toolbox  

The SEAN toolbox consists of seven parts:

1.     A presentation of SEAN and this toolbox

2.     Educational cards on the SEAN methodological steps  
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

3.     Educational cards on the SEAN process phases  
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

4.     Educational cards on checklists  
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

5.     A SEAN case study experience

6.     A booklet with theoretical backgrounds to SEAN.

7.     Copies of overhead sheets that can be useful during workshops [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 

Let us briefly explain the aims of these seven parts and the way these should be used in any SEAN application. 

Part 1 - Presentation. This paper is a presentation to the SEAN methodology and to the toolbox. It explains the basic objectives, characteristics and outputs of SEAN and the way it can be applied for different purposes. It also explains how this toolbox is structured and how it should be used.  

Part 2 – SEAN steps. The educational cards on the SEAN methodological steps are the core technical part of the SEAN methodology. The 10 steps provide guidance to analyse the complex relations between the ecological system and human society, and will allow users to identify key issues as an input to a strategic planning process. Each methodological step contains information on its strategic relevance, inputs and outputs, practical guidelines and tips, tools and checklists, an indication of linkages with socio-economic analyses and points of attention for organisation.  

Part 3 – SEAN process. The educational cards on the SEAN process describe how the 10 methodological steps are being applied during a process of 5 phases: preparation, scoping, fieldwork, planning and follow-up. Apart from generating concrete outputs, this process is participatory and contributes to a learning process for all parties involved. Each process phase is elaborated in terms of objectives, core activities, timing and persons involved and outputs. These descriptions of the SEAN phases are the core organisational part of the SEAN methodology.  

Part 4 – SEAN checklists. The educational cards with checklists are supportive materials to execute the 10 methodological steps and to apply the 5 process phases. The selected checklists are essential in order to provide guidance in executing the methodological steps.  

Part 5 – Case study. The case study is an example of how SEAN has been applied in a specific situation. The case study is essential to get a good idea of the type of results one can obtain by applying SEAN, the outputs per methodological step, and what is involved in the various process phases. It should be kept in mind that there is much variation as regards application of SEAN, and the case study provides a rough idea only.  

Part 6 – Theoretical booklet. The theoretical booklet provides background information to the technical part of SEAN. It involves brief and practical introductions on subjects such as sustainable development, ecological principles and the environment – human society interface, as well as introductions on environmental assessment tools, natural resource accounting, risk assessment, set up of a monitoring system, and strategic planning. In the educational cards on the methodological steps reference is made to the relevant subjects in the theoretical booklet. These must be consulted before starting to execute specific steps, particularly by those without ecological backgrounds or expertise. A glossary is included, as well as a list of relevant references.  

Part 7 - Overhead sheets. Copies are included of the main figures of the various parts of this toolbox, which can be used as overhead sheets or to be distributed as copies during workshops or information sessions.  

2.3 How to start when considering to apply SEAN  

Potential users are first of all advised to read the brochure on SEAN, this introduction to the SEAN toolbox, and to appreciate the different types of SEAN experiences obtained so far (experiences).  

Those who consider using SEAN for their own situation, are also advised to roughly go through the elaborate SEAN presentation, the educational cards on the methodological steps and process phases. Make use of the case study to get a feeling of the type of outputs that can be obtained, the type of process that is involved, and work that needs to be done. Going through the educational cards will also allow you to appreciate the level of expertise required. Process and methodological cards provide guidance to write a Terms of Reference (see Process Card 6) for your own application. Look at the environmental scan version for situations where limited time is available.  

The theoretical booklet is useful to understand the underlying logic of the SEAN methodology. It is particularly recommended to consult by those without much ecological background or expertise. The theoretical booklet serves as a reference for principles, concepts and tools used in SEAN.  

You are then advised to organise a briefing or short training on the SEAN methodology, to help you decide how to use this toolbox for your own purposes. Apart from the contacts within SNV and AIDEnvironment indicated in this toolbox, a web-site is now available, with a discussion and experiences forum open to all users. The web-site will provide updated information on experiences, resource persons, adjustments and additions to this toolbox. 

The web-site for SEAN is:  www.seanplatform.org.  

What can you find on this web-site:

• Brief introductions on SEAN

• Overview of experiences

• The results of a recently held electronic conference on the experiences with SEAN and similar methodologies

• Newsletters on SEAN

2.4 Environmental scan based on SEAN  

Since many potential users have complained that SEAN takes too much time, and therefore do not want to apply SEAN at all, an environmental scan has been made which is based on SEAN. It consists of two phases: a workshop and a preparatory phase. It has a limited value as compared to a SEAN application, but it can be considered as a useful step to pay attention to environmental issues, as compared to doing nothing at all, and it can be instrumental in raising environmental awareness. 

The environmental scan can proceed much more quickly, because:

• It is based on readily available information, besides knowledge from available experts

• It attributes much less attention to the participatory and interactive elements of SEAN

• For each analytical step it focuses on the main issues, by means of key questions that can be used in a workshop session

• It includes only one major workshop with experts and key actors, with little attention to feed-back at a later stage.

It is emphasised that the environmental scan should only be considered as a first step to integrate environmental issues into development plans. It is strongly advised to use it primarily to raise awareness among decision-makers, planners and key actors, and subsequently to carry out a SEAN, based on 5 process phases. The whole scan could be part of the first phase of the SEAN. 

Case: The environmental scan approach has been applied in Benin at a national scale, to define the strategic orientations for a sustainable development strategy for the Centre Béninois pour le Développement Durable (CBDD). The environmental scan was applied during a workshop of 4 days. As intended and required, the environmental scan raised awareness among key actors, and triggered the need to apply SEAN, as this would generate much more insight and commitment on sustainable development, and would result in more detailed strategic plans for certain areas. Subsequently SEAN has been applied in several provinces in Benin. 

When to apply the environmental scan?

• If you cannot raise enough commitment to apply a SEAN, but among decision-makers an initial sense of the need to integrate environmental issues is there, the environmental scan can be used to stimulate this

• If there is a desire to address environmental issues and integrate these into development plans, but for some reason at this moment there are serious time or budget constraints which make application of SEAN impossible

• If decision makers claim that existing development plans already have integrated environmental issues into their plans, the environmental scan can be used to check or to further improve this.  

The checklist with key questions per analytical step of the environmental scan can be useful during a scoping workshop, as part of a full SEAN.  

Go to the environmental scan version to find out whether you can use it.  

So remember:

• The environmental scan is not the same as SEAN, it has limited value, particularly as regards the process aspects and the reliability of outcomes

• It is best used to stimulate initial environmental awareness and generate commitment to apply SEAN (at a later stage).  

2.5 Environmental monitoring

The establishment of an environmental monitoring system is one major follow-up activity after SEAN has been applied. A separate manual entitled “Environmental monitoring in relation to development objectives” has also been published by SNV. The text is available on this CD ROM.  

The manual on environmental monitoring has guidelines that will help you establish an environmental monitoring system. There are six steps involved:  

1. Surveys and analysis for insight in key issues to be monitored

2. Definition of monitoring objectives (WHY monitoring environmental qualities?)

3. Determining the indicators and the reference situation: state, pressure and response indicators (WHAT to monitor?)

4. Definition of the information flow (HOW to monitor the indicators being identified?)

5. Definition of responsibilities, required means and costs (WHO will monitor the indicators?)

6. Feed-back of the results in the management cycle (what to do with the results?)

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