Framing the Change and Changing Frames: Tensions in Participative Strategy Development

Abstract

Participative strategy development serves to integrate the interests and perspectives of multiple stakeholders involved in today’s complex environmental challenges, aiming at a better-informed strategy for tackling these challenges, increased stakeholder ownership, and more democratic decision making. Prior research has however observed inherent tensions between the need of such participative strategy to be open to stakeholders’ input, and the need for closure and guidance. Drawing on case study evidence, we extend this reasoning and argue that tensions can emerge between strategy openness and several unintended consequences - the persistence of different interpretations of the strategy as well as stakeholders’ perceptions of lacking knowledge, guidance, and control. These tensions are important because they affect stakeholders’ willingness and ability for change and therefore counteract the strategy’s aim for major change. We propose how multi-stakeholder workshops, as interactive spaces, have a key function in mitigating the tensions inherent in strategy openness and in facilitating stakeholders’ willingness and ability for change.