An Initial Social Process (Contextual) Map for Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador

Resumen

The establishment of Podocarpus National Park (PNP), Ecuador, created a new social context (process) in which people interact. The outcomes and effects of this process determine the management policy for the park and surrounding buffer zone. Social process is the interaction of people as they influence the actions, plans, or policies of other people, even if they are unaware of each other. This process is made up of participants with varying perspectives, interacting in situations, seeking values, using strategies to achieve outcomes that have effects. Our rapid assessment (March 10–19, 2005) gave us an introduction to this dynamic context in PNP and these seven variables. Our initial assessment suggests there are procedural problems with how people interact with one another (e.g., poor communication, limited data sharing, conflict), leading to content problems managing the biological features of the park (e.g., orchid poaching, illegal logging, fires). We suggest that participants in PNP develop their own social process map, work to build new cooperative partnerships, and use prototyping to improve finding social process outcomes in the interest of all participants in the arena.