Collaborative Governance Arrangements Research Articles

Voice, power and legitimacy: the role of the legal person in river management in New Zealand, Chile and Australia

ABSTRACT In 2017, rivers in New Zealand, India and Colombia received legal rights and were granted the status of legal persons. The increased legal powers, often a result of groundbreaking agreements or settlements with Indigenous peoples, may improve environmental protection and river management, but they can also challenge the legitimacy of laws and regulations that protect the rivers. In this paper, we compare the new legal rights with two long-standing uses of legal personality in river management, to explore the effects of legal personality in terms of environmental resource management. We argue that governments must ensure that they get the right balance between giving rivers a voice (and the power to be heard), and creating collaborative governance arrangements that strengthen and maintain community support overtime.

Responsibilization in contemporary Swedish crisis management: expanding ‘bare life’ biopolitics through exceptionalism and neoliberal governmentality

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to investigate the changing relations between individuals and public authorities within the Swedish crisis management system from 1995 to 2017. After the end of the Cold War, Sweden adopted a broader understanding of security that utilizes alternative governance strategies beyond sovereign means and focuses upon domestic security and the protection of vital systems. This has resulted in the emergence of collaborative arrangements involving public and private actors and as well as the extensive responsibilization of individuals. The latter has taken place since emergency and exceptionalism persist as vital concepts also in domestic security management. The present discussion argues that these two concepts restrict possibilities for democratizing security management and provides the means for harnessing the inclusion of volunteers while not granting them due voice in collaborative governance arrangements. However, responsibilization strategies include ‘activation’ which in turn may invoke critical agency and reflection as well as enable resistance toward the current apolitical notion of crisis management.

China’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals: An Analysis of Push and Pull Factors and Implementation Challenges

This paper explains why China has developed ambitious policies, targets and projects for sustainable development and has become a promoter of the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Based on analysis of policy documents, interviews and talks with experts, it underpins the relevance of multi-stakeholder contributions and collaborative governance arrangements for China’s green transition, challenging the recently emerging criticism on “orthodox Western environmental discourse” discussed in this journal. Following an introduction and discussion on the relevance of the SDGs, it engages in an analysis of push and pull factors of China’s sustainable development agenda. Driving factors at domestic level tie well into dynamics at international level, for example in the field of China’s aspiration for leadership in the field of green technologies. China is combining command-and-control, market-based and awareness raising measures to promote the sustainability transition. The central government draws on experience gathered at the local level in the context of emission trading, low-carbon and smart city development. Next to government agencies, the private sector and many academics as well as nonprofit actors are involved in the process of disseminating and scaling-up good practices. The main challenges of China's sustainability transition consist of balancing economic, social and environmental objectives in a country with huge economic disparities, addressing capacity building at local level and bringing down double-digit rates of curtailment of renewable energies. China’s commitment to the sustainability agenda clearly has the potential to raise its image and soft power, in particular if it remains committed to global agreements and contributions from a variety of stakeholders at subnational, national and global level.

Integrating collaborative governance theory with the Advocacy Coalition Framework

AbstractAs collaborative governance processes continue to grow in popularity, practitioners and policy scholars alike can benefit from the development of methods to better analyse and evaluate them. This article develops one such method by demonstrating how collaborative governance theory can be integrated with the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to better explain coalition dynamics, policy-oriented learning and policy change in collaborative contexts. I offer three theoretical propositions that suggest alternate relationships among ACF variables under collaborative governance arrangements and illustrate these propositions using interview data from an original case study of a collaborative governance process in Colorado, USA. The integration of collaborative governance theory with the ACF improves its application in collaborative contexts and provides new theoretical insights into the study and practice of collaborative governance.

A Comparative Analysis of Drivers of Collaborative Governance in Front-of-Pack Food Labelling Policy Processes

Collaborative governance is one tool for steering decision-making in issues with competing coalitions of actors. Where collaborative governance arrangements are emergent, there is potential for policy actors to develop a bespoke design. To understand what drives effective collaborative governance in these situations, this research applies a comparative framework drawing on the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Multi-Level Governance framework to analyse three collaborative policy development processes for front-of-pack food labelling in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Policy actors can use insights from this comparison to inform the development of similar collaborative processes with scope for a bespoke design.

Does Collaboration Lead to Sustainability? A Study of Public–Private Partnerships in the Swedish Mountains

The conflicts that frequently manifest in the Swedish mountains often stem from the use and preservation of natural resources. Resistance against protected area proposals, protests concerning the management of large carnivores, the felling of old-growth forests, and disputes over who should be allowed to hunt or fish are all commonplace. There are currently strong trends, both in national and international policy making, towards leaning on various forms of collaborative governance arrangements to deal with such policy failures. Consequently, various forms of partnerships have been initiated to promote more sustainable practices in the mountain regions of Sweden. To what extent has the creation of these collaborative partnerships in natural resource management improved policy output and sustainability outcomes? To examine the issue, data was extracted from 47 semi-structured interviews with 39 project leaders and eight county officials, with the sample randomly selected from a database of 245 public–private collaborative projects in the Swedish mountains. The results indicate that partnerships do lead to improved sustainability, especially when it comes to social outcomes. However, there is a need for more systematic follow-ups by practitioners, particularly on ecological outcomes, where the country administrative boards should take a leading role and facilitate such evaluations in the future.

Collaborative governance arrangements to deliver spatially coordinated agri-environmental management

Several studies show that agri-environment schemes (AES) are likely to be more effective if they are designed at the landscape scale. However, this requires spatial coordination of environmental management across multiple farm holdings and collaboration among governmental and other actors, including, possibly, groups of farmers. In this study we analyse alternative approaches to spatial coordination and collaboration. Through case studies from five EU member states in North West Europe we analysed collaborative governance arrangements, from the perspective of the distribution of governance tasks among collaborating actors and changes to these over time. Of these governance tasks, spatial coordination had our particular interest. The collaborative governance arrangements were shaped in various ways. In four out of five case studies a group of farmers had become involved in the performance of more governance tasks over time. In all cases a professional(ized) organisation (governmental organisation or a group of farmers) was responsible for spatial coordination, possibly due to the complexities inherent to a landscape approach. In relation to the change of schemes over time, we argue that adaptive collaborative governance, incorporating learning, monitoring and evaluation in the governance arrangements, is key to effective agri- environmental management.

Politics of the precautionary principle: assessing actors’ preferences in water protection policy

This paper analyzes the prospects for introducing the precautionary principle in water protection policy. In situations where a problem enters the political agenda and scientific uncertainties remain about causes or effects, political actors can justify state intervention based on the precautionary principle. It allows for public action even if risks related to the problem remain unclear. While the precautionary principle is widely applied in health and environmental policy fields all over the world, the mechanisms leading to its adoption are not fully understood. To close this gap, the paper investigates decision-makers preferences for the precautionary principle and further asks: Which factors promote political actors’ preferences for precautionary policy measures? In order to answer this question we study the case of emerging micropollutants—a water quality issue that recently entered political agendas, where many uncertainties remain about sources and effects. We rely on data gathered through a standardized survey among the political elite in Switzerland, which represents one of the first countries that adopted policy measures to reduce micropollutants in water bodies, despite the uncertainties that remain. Results analyzed through a temporal network autocorrelation model reveal that actors embedded in collaborative governance arrangements have the tendency to prefer precautionary action. Certain aspects of policy design, such as problem prioritization and target group membership, also impact the prospects for introducing the precautionary principle.

Taming wickedness: industrial megaprojects and local governance strategies

Theoretical literature suggests that the complex problems many local governments are facing are drivers towards innovation and new types of collaborative governance arrangements. We add nuance to this presumption by exploring how two Norwegian municipalities act when faced with problems related to mineral extraction and tax revenue. The article shows that similar types of problems give rise to significantly different strategies, ranging from collaborative arrangements to authoritative and competitive strategies. In conclusion, the article argues that local governments need to develop a higher innovative preparedness, and that scholars should also be attentive to governance strategies that are not collaborative.

Assessment of governance principles application in forest protected areas: the case of six state forests in western Zimbabwe

The governance of forest protected areas has become topical in recent years due to the realization that good governance has potential to improve conservation outcomes. Forest governance can be investigated and appropriately treated on the basis of a thorough understanding of local and national history. Understanding the application of governance principles in history and their impact on forest condition can offer insights into current and future governance arrangements that can foster sustainable forest conservation. Using historical information from published works, grey literature and interviews the study analyzed the application of seven governance principles between 1920 and 2005 for six forests in western Zimbabwe and their corresponding forest condition outcomes. Results show that governance quality was high during the pre-colonial period, deteriorated with the inception of the colonial system and remained poor after attainment of independence in 1980. Forest condition also varied in tandem with governance variations showing a positive relationship between the two variables. Participation in decision making, fairness in sharing benefits and effective rule enforcement were reported to be most critical to earn local communities' support and improve forest condition. The challenges of revitalizing traditional governance systems under contemporary conditions, the folly of the colonial centralized governance system and the prospects of implementing collaborative governance arrangements under the prevailing socio-economic and legislative environment were highlighted. The paper concluded that appropriate application of good governance principles at the forest level has potential to achieve the purpose of establishing forest protected areas.

Representation in Collaborative Governance: A Case Study of a Food Policy Council

Representation is a hallmark of democratic governance. Widely studied within traditional modes of governance, representation is less studied in alternative governance settings, such as collaborative governance arrangements. Collaborative governance arrangements are specifically designed to encourage inclusion and participation among a diverse array of stakeholders in some part of the policy process. Our research contrasts different forms of representation observed in a collaborative governance arrangement and identifies factors contributing to observed patterns in representation therein. We analyze descriptive representation (i.e., “representation in form”) or substantive representation (i.e., “representation in practice”) and look for inconsistencies between them. Our case study is a regional food policy council located in the Western United States. Among our findings is that discrepancies between descriptive and substantive representation can be explained by shared goals, local norms, organizational structure, and heterogeneity in member capacity. We conclude our article with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of this research.

Linking Diversity of Collaborative Policymaking Venues With Procedural Justice Perceptions: A Study of U.S. Marine Aquaculture Partnerships

Diversity has long been recognized as a critical component of collaborative governance. Among many rationales, the representation of diverse perspectives and participants in collaborative governance arrangements is expected to facilitate holistic understandings of complex public policy and management issues while promoting principles of democracy and inclusion. Such outcomes, however, are typically only achievable if the process of collaboration similarly engenders these principles. In this article, we investigate the dynamic relationship between diversity and perceived procedural justice in the context of 10 collaborative policymaking groups involved in guiding U.S. marine aquaculture policy development. Among our key findings is that certain types of participant diversity (i.e., affiliation and intergovernmental diversity) and diversity in beliefs about science and local knowledge are significantly associated with perceptions of procedural justice among participants within the collaborative groups. We also find that the relationship between participant diversity and perceived procedural justice is curvilinear; the positive effect of diversity is highest when the level of diversity is moderate (an inverted U-shaped pattern). We conclude our article with practical implications and suggestions for future research on procedural justice within collaborative partnerships.

Collaborative Governance in Health and Technology Policy: The Use and Effects of Procedural Policy Instruments

Stimulating technological innovations and limiting access to expensive health technology require the coordination and coherence of overlapping policy sub-systems: research, market access, and reimbursement. This study investigates which procedural policy instruments proved more successful in integrating collaborative governance arrangements in Great Britain and Germany. A new classification of procedural policy instruments is developed based on the targeted dimensions of collaborative governance (network structure and policy phase). The comparative analysis rests on expert interviews and meeting records and reveals that, in Great Britain, active leadership prevails during the consultations, while Germany, in contrast, presents a case of inconsistent governance.

How Policy Rules Shape the Structure and Performance of Collaborative Governance Arrangements

Public Administration ReviewVolume 76, Issue 2 p. 369-369 ERRATUMFree Access How Policy Rules Shape the Structure and Performance of Collaborative Governance Arrangements This article corrects the following: How Policy Rules Shape the Structure and Performance of Collaborative Governance Arrangements Saba N. Siddiki, Julia L. Carboni, Chris Koski, Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, Volume 75Issue 4Public Administration Review pages: 536-547 First Published online: February 10, 2015 First published: 24 February 2016 https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12540AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat In Siddiki et al. (2015), the following error was published on page 542. Figure 2 showed the incorrect number of participant groups represented by councils. The correct figure is below: Figure 2Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Public FPC Stakeholder Group Representation We apologize for this error. Reference Siddiki, Saba N., Julia L. Carboni, Chris Koski, and Abdul-Akeem Sadiq. 2015. How Policy Rules Shape the Structure and Performance of Collaborative Governance Arrangements. Public Administration Review 75(4): 536– 47, DOI: 10.1111/puar.12352. Volume76, Issue2March/April 2016Pages 369-369 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation

R&D CONSORTIA AS BOUNDARY ORGANISATIONS: MISALIGNMENT AND ASYMMETRY OF BOUNDARY MANAGEMENT

The paper presents a qualitative multiple case study of three multilateral public–private R&D consortia representing different industrial sectors. Using the practice-based view as a theoretical lens, we explore the interplay between the deliberate and emergent practices of boundary management across the following three dimensions: (1) Boundary bridging focus; (2) boundary crossing arrangements; and (3) collaborative governance arrangements. Drawing on interviews, documentary analysis and observational data, we describe the misalignment between the deliberate and emergent aspects of boundary management, which can be caused by the funders’ reporting requirements, power differentials between collaborators and lack of contextual understanding. These factors, accompanied by path-dependency and confidentiality issues, may result in asymmetrical boundary management, whereby a selective focus on a specific boundary (or set of boundaries) combined with an unequal development of boundary bridges within the collaboration may lead to the crossing of some boundaries being prioritised at the expense of others.

Learning Through New Approaches to Forest Governance: Evidence from Harrop-Procter Community Forest, Canada.

Collaborative forest governance arrangements have been viewed as promising for sustainable forestry because they allow local communities to participate directly in management and benefit from resource use or protection. Such arrangements are strengthened through social learning during management activities that can enhance capacity to solve complex problems. Despite significant research on social learning in collaborative environmental governance, it is not clear how social learning evolves over time, who influences social learning, and whether learning influences management effectiveness. This study investigates how social learning outcomes change over time, using an in-depth study of a community forest in Canada. Personal interviews, focus group meetings, and participant observation revealed that most participants started engaging in community forestry with limited knowledge and learned as they participated in management activities. However, as the community forest organization became effective at complying with forestry legislation, learning opportunities and outcomes became more restricted. Our results run contrary to the prevalent view that opportunities for and outcomes of social learning become enlarged over time. In our case, learning how to meet governmental requirements increased professionalism and reduced opportunities for involvement and learning to a smaller group. Our findings suggest the need to further test propositions about social learning and collaborative governance, particularly to determine how relationships evolve over time.

Cords of collaboration: interests and ethnicity in the UK's public stem cell inventory

The UK's publically available blood stem cell infrastructure has undergone significant transformation in recent years as umbilical cord blood has joined adult donors as a viable clinical stem cell source. This paper describes the development of a collaborative governance arrangement between the UK's two domestic providers of blood stem cells: a public body and a charity. The paper argues that the collaborators, who stand to benefit from the alignment, legitimize their work through appeals to public good. It suggests that appeals to buy British obscure an inevitable requirement to cultivate international, networked stem cell exchange; the paper also explores collaborators' reinforcement of a supposed connection between human leukocyte antigen tissue type and ethnicity through claiming that the UK's ethnic minorities face an “unmet need.” By way of this, the paper demonstrates the interconnection of collaborators' institutional interests with concerns for national health equity.

COOPERATIVE INTERACTIONS AMONG FRIENDS AND FOES OPERATING WITHIN COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

Perhaps nowhere is the inclination to interact with friends over foes more apparent than in the realms of politics and policy, and public managers increasingly operate within collaborative governance arrangements that are highly politicized. To further the existing knowledge on policy‐based interactions, this article examines factors that lead to cooperative interactions between foes. The Advocacy Coalition Framework, Resource Dependence Theory, and Policy Analytical Capacity are utilized to examine effects of resources and beliefs on interactions of climate policy supporters and opponents within Colorado. Despite the contentious nature of climate policy, a majority of individuals interacted equally with friends and foes, with opponents more likely to interact with foes. Extreme beliefs made individuals more likely to interact with friends, while resources had mixed effects. These findings offer an improved understanding of cooperative interactions between foes, which may help public managers operating within collaborative governance arrangements to promote greater cooperation and understanding.

Local institutions, actors, and natural resource governance in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and surrounds, South Africa

Crafting local institutions to allow more effective decision-making in the management of and access to natural resources in and beyond parks has long been considered key to collaborative governance. South Africa, in particular, has vigorously pursued collaborative governance as a desired approach to managing natural resources as evident in the new arrangements for previously restricted parks. However, though the discourse of collaborative governance has occupied conservation thinking and practice globally, few studies have looked at the interplay between local institutions, actors and collaborative governance involving indigenous hunter–gatherer communities in Southern Africa. In response, we assess the local actors and institutions that were put in place to facilitate collaborative governance of natural resources in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and its surrounds in South Africa. Our findings show that though collaborative governance has a practical appeal, it is hampered by lack of participation in decision-making, information dissemination, transparency, trust and accountability, power relations, divergent interests and unequal access to natural resources. The findings also draw our attention to issues of heterogeneity, even within indigenous communities assumed to be homogenous by local conservation authorities as reflected in land settlement agreements in co-managed parks. We argue that collaborative governance arrangements need to reflect and be understood within the broader background of complex local realities.

How Policy Rules Shape the Structure and Performance of Collaborative Governance Arrangements

AbstractLocal food system governance increasingly occurs in collaborative venues at the local, state, and regional levels. Prominent examples of such are food policy councils (FPCs). FPCs take a systemic approach to improve local food systems by including diverse stakeholders to advise on policy development. The authors study public FPCs to understand how policies structure the stakeholder composition and goals of FPCs and how FPCs’ stakeholder composition facilitates and/or impedes performance. Data come from a content analysis of policies that mandate the structure and functions of public FPCs and interviews with FPC representatives. Findings indicate that FPCs connected to a broader array of food policy actors in their communities produce more diverse policy outputs, but this outcome is tempered by whether council members represent personal or organizational interests.