Table 1 Definitions of the elements of the IAD framework extended by social learning

Biophysical/Material Conditions

Physical environment influencing possible actions taken in action situations, e.g., existing infrastructure

McGinnis [14]

Attributes of Community

Socio-economic characteristics of the participants’ community

Ostrom et al. [21]

Rules

Institutions, e.g., formal laws and regulations that enable and constrain behavior of participants

Ostrom [3]

Action Situation

Social space of interaction, in which participants decide on their individual actions given the information they have about how those actions lead to outcomes and the costs and benefits associated with those actions and outcomes

McGinnis [14]

Participants

Individual actors or actor groups, e.g., governmental and non-governmental bodies or firms

Ostrom [13]

Interactions

Procedural aspects, i.e., interaction among participants in an action situation

Ostrom et al. [21]

Outcomes

Results of interactions, which may be institutions, knowledge, or operational outcomes such as the implementation of new technologies

Pahl-Wostl et al. [23]

Evaluative Criteria

Criteria that are used to assess interactions and outcomes, e.g., sustainability, distributional equity, economic efficiency

Ostrom [13]

Feedback and learning processes

Impact of actors’ evaluations of interaction patterns and outcomes on action situation and exogenous variables

McGinnis [14]

Single loop learning

Process leading to an incremental adjustment of patterns of interactions within one policy process

Diduck et al. [34]

Double loop learning

Process leading to change of principles that underlie future action situations, e.g., procedural aspects of decision-making

Diduck et al. [34]

Triple loop learning

Process leading to changes in the existing exogenous variables

Armitage et al. [26]