Abstract
We examine the adaptability of collaborative governance regimes associated with publicly managed ecosystems as they move from direction-setting to implementation phases. This is an under-researched topic and is particularly relevant given the growth of collaborative environmental governance efforts around the globe. Through an in-depth analysis of a case study spanning 10 years of the Front Range Roundtable in Colorado, USA, we examine the effect of forces internal and external to the Roundtable on three attributes associated with the adaptive capacity of environmental governance: social capital, learning, and flexibility in implementing innovative actions. We find that the Roundtable has been highly sensitive to internal and external changes, and that the absence of mechanisms through which social networks and learning can be durably linked to implementation decisions of bureaucracies with management authority compromises the Roundtable's continued adaptability. From this case study, we develop three empirically testable propositions related to social capital and learning, national policy change, and boundary objects as collaborative regimes transition to implementation, along with an analytical framework to examine collaborative governance change and adaptability over time.
Highlights
Collaborative governance of common-pool ecosystems and resources is expanding globally and is widely seen as contributing to the adaptive capacity of social-ecological systems (Armitage 2005, Folke et al 2005, Lebel et al 2006)
We examine the adaptability of collaborative governance regimes associated with publicly managed ecosystems as they move from direction-setting to implementation phases
Through an in-depth analysis of a case study spanning 10 years of the Front Range Roundtable in Colorado, USA, we examine the effect of forces internal and external to the Roundtable on three attributes associated with the adaptive capacity of environmental governance: social capital, learning, and flexibility in implementing innovative actions
Summary
Collaborative governance of common-pool ecosystems and resources is expanding globally and is widely seen as contributing to the adaptive capacity of social-ecological systems (Armitage 2005, Folke et al 2005, Lebel et al 2006). (1989), our objective is to initiate the development of empirically testable propositions and analytical frameworks Such frameworks are in short supply (Emerson et al 2012; Imperial and Koontz, unpublished manuscript: http://people.uncw.edu/ imperialm/Instructor/Papers/APPAM_07_Imperial_Koontz_Fi nal_11_5_07.pdf) and are relevant because multistakeholder collaborative governance approaches are increasing in the context of publicly managed ecosystems. Other scholars call attention to how different types of learning influence implementation or nonimplementation in environmental co-management contexts (Munaretto and Huitema 2012), or to characteristics of the collective setting that shape learning (Gerlak and Heikkila 2011, Heikkila and Gerlak 2013) These studies suggest that for learning to translate into implementation actions, certain attributes of institutional structure, social interactions, and technological resources and tools must be in place to absorb learning. This broader network became known as the Front Range Roundtable
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
