ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the nature of the problems people face and the difficulties encountered in trying to address. It presents some practical ideas that people on the front lines— policy makers, planners, and managers— can use to assist in developing strategies that are both scientifically sound and achievable in real-world settings. The process of addressing problems affecting a Coupled social and ecological system (SESs) is further complicated by the unavoidable fragmentation of decision-making authority and responsibility. The boundary between policy makers and scientists has typically resembled a chasm rather than a semi-permeable membrane. Political-managerial systems are the mechanisms through which actions that impact SESs are designed and implemented. The behavior of political-managerial systems, like human culture and collective behavior in general, are structured by institutions, the sets of routines, norms and incentives that shape and constrain people's preferences and behavior. Sound science is an essential element in sound decision making, but science alone cannot solve problems.
