5. LIAM: THE COMPUTER MODEL 



Preparing for involvement in an instream flow issue is no easy task. At 

 a minimum, it involves an examination of laws and institutions as well as 

 development of strategies for pursuing organizational goals based on that 

 information. Preparation of the scope and depth envisioned here may seem 

 overwhelming. The computerized version of LIAM has been developed to provide 

 a systematic, efficient, and theoretically sound method of analysis to simplify 

 the task. 



Conducting institutional analyses using the computerized version of LIAM 

 begins with logging on to the computer terminal and creating a file to store 

 information about the instream flow issue. The User's Manual contained in 

 Appendix II gives complete instructions for using LIAM. There are three major 

 computer programs in LIAM — Query, Looky, and Mapum — each of which is discussed 

 briefly in the following paragraphs. 



5.1 THE COMPUTER PROGRAMS 



"Query" is an interactive program that runs the questionnaire that is the 

 information-gathering element of LIAM. The questions contained in this program 

 were developed based on the theoretical assumptions discussed in Chapter 3. 

 The questions in Query are divided into three major sets, and each of^ these 

 relates to one of the first three phases discussed in Chapter 4: survey of 

 authority, role analysis, and power analysis. 



Organizations tend to develop consistent behavioral patterns, and these 

 behavioral patterns have been categorized in LIAM; 16 distinct role types that 

 are associated with organizations typically involved in instream f low conf 1 icts 

 have been specified (see Appendix I). The questions in Query help the analyst 

 identify role types for each of the organizations being analyzed. And, since 

 most resource decisions are ultimately made through a bargaining process, the 

 questionnaire also allows the analyst to examine the relative amount and types 

 of power each organization has at its disposal and may be willing to bring 

 into the bargaining process. By answering the questions contained in this 

 program, the analyst can approximate the legal setting and key organizations 

 in a particular dispute, as well as the legal authority assigned to those 

 participating organizations, the behavior patterns associated with each, and 

 the power relationships involved. The analyst then uses the other two programs 

 of LIAM, Looky and Mapum, to examine and analyze the conflict. 



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