TY - JOUR

T1 - An analytical framework for assessing the potential of intermediaries to improve the performance of payments for ecosystem services

AU - Schomers, Sarah

AU - Sattler, Claudia

AU - Matzdorf, Bettina

N1 - Funding Information: The presented study has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF ) within the Social-Ecological Research Program (SÖF), contract no. 01UU0911 . The authors are grateful for helpful comments and technical workshop support provided by Carolin Biedermann, Claas Meyer, Kristin Nicolaus and Anja Starick. We would like to thank the interviewed experts and workshop participants for their valuable input. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for very helpful comments.

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - The use of payments for ecosystem services (PES) to steer land use practices has increased considerably at an international level over past years. An efficient and effective PES implementation strategy often relies on active support from intermediaries. This paper provides an analytical framework for assessing the potential of intermediaries to improve the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PES. Cost-effectiveness refers to transaction costs, whereas environmental effectiveness refers to ecological benefits provided. The framework assists in assessing how and for what activities of PES implementation intermediaries can improve performance based on the intermediaries' institutional design. The analytical framework is based on institutional economics and applies mainly the theoretical underpinnings of transaction cost economics (TCE). This paper illustrates an example of the practical application of the framework by assessing the potential of German Landcare Associations (LCAs) to improve the performance of public PES programs. It is emphasized how key institutional design characteristics of LCAs can potentially influence (1) public and (2) private transaction costs as well as (3) participation in and (4) spatial targeting of governmental agri-environmental programs and schemes in Germany. The analytical framework is, however, not restricted to assessing the potential of intermediaries in the large public PES programs of industrialized countries. This paper discusses how the framework can be transferred to smaller private or larger supra-national PES programs and to the contexts of developing countries.

AB - The use of payments for ecosystem services (PES) to steer land use practices has increased considerably at an international level over past years. An efficient and effective PES implementation strategy often relies on active support from intermediaries. This paper provides an analytical framework for assessing the potential of intermediaries to improve the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PES. Cost-effectiveness refers to transaction costs, whereas environmental effectiveness refers to ecological benefits provided. The framework assists in assessing how and for what activities of PES implementation intermediaries can improve performance based on the intermediaries' institutional design. The analytical framework is based on institutional economics and applies mainly the theoretical underpinnings of transaction cost economics (TCE). This paper illustrates an example of the practical application of the framework by assessing the potential of German Landcare Associations (LCAs) to improve the performance of public PES programs. It is emphasized how key institutional design characteristics of LCAs can potentially influence (1) public and (2) private transaction costs as well as (3) participation in and (4) spatial targeting of governmental agri-environmental programs and schemes in Germany. The analytical framework is, however, not restricted to assessing the potential of intermediaries in the large public PES programs of industrialized countries. This paper discusses how the framework can be transferred to smaller private or larger supra-national PES programs and to the contexts of developing countries.

KW - Agri-environmental programs

KW - Cost-effectiveness

KW - Environmental effectiveness

KW - German Landcare Associations

KW - Institutional arrangements

KW - Transaction cost economics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84907494873&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.06.025

DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.06.025

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84907494873

VL - 42

SP - 58

EP - 70

JO - LAND USE POLICY

JF - LAND USE POLICY

SN - 0264-8377

ER -