Semester of Graduation

Fall 2021

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Sciences

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Louisiana's efforts to create regional watershed planning under the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI) suggest the need to evaluate existing governance systems such as the coordination, development, and implementation of plans. The Network Analysis and Plan Evaluation (NAPE) Framework developed in this study answers initial questions related to the LWI’s long-term resilience outcomes from the content analysis and extraction of relational data in plans of LWI Region 7 located in the Upper Pontchartrain Basin. Actor-Plan Coordination Networks reveal the coordination and collaboration of entities, and a Network of Plans presents the integration of planning documents in the Region. Local government organizations were disconnected from those outside of their jurisdiction. Higher government levels bridge gaps through hazard mitigation and transportation plans between local governments that would otherwise not be connected. Centrality measures quantify the relationships between organizations and plans. The organizations with the highest two-mode degree centrality value in the participated network were the Louisiana Department of Transportation (LADOTD), FEMA, the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI), FEMA, and GOHSEP. The organizations with the highest betweenness centrality value in the participated network were SDMI, LADOTD, GOHSEP, FEMA, and the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX). Closeness and eigenvector centrality measures were similar for all organizations. Government and educational institutions were more likely to participate in planning compared to other organization types. Educational institutions had the highest average betweenness centrality value and are a possible candidate to bridge the exchange of information and planning across the Region. ANOVA models resulted in government having a significant two-mode and one-mode degree centrality compared to professional services. Educational institutions have a significant betweenness value compared to NGOs and professional services. Federal government had a significant two-mode degree centrality value compared to local government. In conclusion, Region 7 lacks integrated planning and coordination with other jurisdictions in the region and organization types that are not related to government. The results of this study can guide other theoretical frameworks or questions that are explored using the NAPE framework. Overall, the NAPE framework can effectively identify the current organizational capacity and integration of plans in a planning network.

Committee Chair

Douthat, Thomas

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.5453

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