A second round of SEA survey, based on an updated version
informed by the responses on the first survey questionnaire, was
conducted among 31 target respondents, composed of government
officials and personnel. Out of these, 17 or 55% returned the
questionnaire. These were made up of respondents with more than
20 years of experience in policy making and planning and are
knowledgeable about the SEA. Most in the range of issues listed
were considered significant with an average score more than 3.5. The
issue of participation and associated data quality scored highest, basically validating the perception in the first round of the survey. One
of the respondents a member of the SEA subcommittee (2009)
commented that participation process is necessary as a formal arena
to express public concern and this should be facilitated by the
regulation, guideline, and procedure issued by the government. In
apparent contrast however to a pattern of responses to the first round
of the survey, legislation issue is considered by this group of
experienced planners as the least important issue. On the other
hand, open-ended comments in the questionnaire survey and further
discussions with four key members of the SEA subcommittee reveal a
nuanced explanation for the legal issue's apparent lowest ranking in
the quantified ranking: a number of respondents in the second round
of survey SEA questionnaire indeed affirm the importance of legal
support for SEA in resource mobilization and securing enforcement,
but their concern is that slowness of existing process to get a legal
amendment to enforce SEA would actually further delay SEA's
implementation via this route. Their skepticism thus explains the
low ranking given to the factor of legal instrument. Both the survey
responses and discussions are clear however on the point that SEA
cannot be successful without the commitment from political and
management leadership and management of government agencies.