The 8 Principles of Elinor Ostrom

American political scientist Eliror Ostrom spent her life studying how people around the world collaborate and share resources. In 2009, she won the Nobel Prize in Economics for demonstrating the importance of these shared resources (commons) (1).

Based on years of research, Ostrom developed a list of principles important for the sustainable and fair management of commons. These are Ostrom’s 8 principles:

1. Clearly define boundaries regarding what the common resources are and who is allowed to use them.

2. Align rules with local conditions and needs for managing the commons.

3. Ensure that those affected by the rules can participate in decision-making about the rules.

4. Ensure that authority outside the community respects the community’s self-governance.

5. Develop a system to monitor members’ behaviour, carried out by the community itself.

6. Implement graduated sanctions for those who violate the rules.

7. Provide an accessible, affordable procedure for resolving disputes.

8. Build in responsibilities from the beginning and at the lowest level. In larger collectives, a nested, layered structure can emerge, where each level has its own responsibilities.

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Reference

1. E. Ostrom, 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge, UK.