A framework for modelling multiple resource management issues--an open modelling approach

Our experience with development and distribution of environmental decision support systems (EDSSs) for delivering research outcomes to catchment managers has identified major impediments to their adoption. These include protracted development time, focus on single impacts, difficulty in combining results with other EDSSs, and no attention to socio-economic factors. Based on the premise that decision support tools can play a major role in the integration and adoption of research outcomes, we are developing a software tool for rapid building of EDSSs which can handle multiple issues across different scales. The prototype is called the Open Modelling Engine (OME). This paper describes the background to the development of the OME, its basic architecture, an OME-built EDSS for catchment nutrient management, and concludes with a discussion on research direction and opportunity.