Post Normal Science

Post-Normal Science (PNS) is an emerging problemsolving framework focusing on aspects of uncertainty, value loading, and plurality of legitimate perspectives. It is employed in conditions when risks cannot be quantified or when possible damage is irreversible.

Romblon State University has been doing climate change advocacy works among the barangay (village) officials in the islands since 2010. Environmental protection is the unifying theme of the University’s research and development (R&D) agenda. However, the growing interest on environmental works was challenged when a mining company filed an application for a permit to explore vast portions of Romblon that polarized the people. On one end were the supporters of the country’s Mining Act and on the other, the environmental advocates.

This paper presents the authors’ experience as R&D managers in addressing complex issues that arise, like mining, in the management of programs and projects geared towards sustainable development. The PNS tools that operate around diverse extended peer communities served as democratizing techniques in drawing and evaluating the legitimacy of various perspectives about the issue. These resulted in the strong opposition of the people and their leaders against mining that eventually led to the mining company’s withdrawal of its application. Thus, the use of PNS as an approach in confronting the issue of sustainable development over mining in Romblon was proven effective. PNS holds the potential of being utilized as an approach in managing high-stake, high-risk issues in R&D programs and projects and in fostering social responsibility among R&D managers.