Collaborative Governance Research Articles

Innovative exploration of spatial collaborative governance in the Shanghai Metropolitan Area

Under the requirements of modernized spatial governance and the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the Shanghai Metropolitan Area has taken the lead in exploring collaborative governance in regional spatial planning, which aims to promote spatially coordinated governance and high-quality integrated development in metropolitan areas. This exploration focuses on the preparation and organizational innovation in regional planning, the combination of top and bottom organizational approaches, the importance of equal consultation during the planning process, the establishment of an open platform in the positioning of the planning, and the need for joint determination in planning approval. This exploration also discusses the innovative implementation of spatial planning cooperation through eight systematic actions and five space sector actions and defines the implementation focus through the immediate plan of action at the implementation level. The exploration of the “Spatial Cooperative Plan of the Greater Shanghai Metropolitan Area” demonstrates that the process and result of planning are equally important. Achieving consensus through plan making and fostering synergies through plan implementation are feasible paths for efficient collaborative governance in the Shanghai Metropolitan Area and other metropolitan areas in China.

Collaborative governance in a primary health care partnership in Papua New Guinea.

Collaboration in primary health care is recommended to achieve global health goals. Public-private partnerships (PPP) are one means of collaboration. Our study examined collaboration in a case study PPP for primary health care in Western Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Interviews with key informants involved in the PPP were conducted and key programme documents were reviewed. Data were coded and deductively analysed using the collaborative governance model developed by Emerson, Nabatchi and Balogh. The key features of the case study PPP that were highlighted by the collaborative governance model were: identification of partners, trust, procedural arrangements, and leadership. We identified four lessons of significance in the practical establishment and implementation of a partnership in a complex and challenging setting such as PNG: the need to (i) prioritise in-person collaboration and communication, (ii) engage dynamic individuals to lead the partnership, (iii) encourage relationships across all sectors and actors, and (iv) remain flexible and adapt to local cultural and context. Collaborative governance offers a practical framework to understand, assess and strengthen collaboration in multi-stakeholder partnerships in the health sector.

Trust, collaboration, and participation in governance: A Nordic perspective on public administrators' perceptions of citizen involvement

AbstractThis study analyzes public administrators' trust in citizens' capacities to participate in governance, their collaborative tendency, and the association between these factors and public administrators' willingness to implement citizen involvement efforts. The purpose of the study is to examine whether public administrators' trust in citizens' participatory capacities predicts a willingness to implement citizen participation efforts within the central administration of a Nordic welfare country. The central administration of Finland presents a counter case to previous studies, which have mostly focused on the United States. A unique survey of administrators, operationalized similarly to previous studies, was conducted, and analysis of the data provides both confirmatory and novel insights. The analysis finds that administrators' trust in citizens' participatory capacities strongly predicts their willingness to implement citizen participation initiatives. However, this relation can significantly decrease or increase depending on the degree to which administrators value the procedural legitimacy of collaborative governance.

Successful Collaborative Governance Building Permanent Residence Post-Natural Disaster in Palu City

This study analyses the success of Collaborative Governance in the Construction of Phase I Permanent Residential in the Tondo sub-district after the Earthquake, Tsunami, and Liquefaction on September 28 2018, in Palu City. This research used qualitative methods by collecting data through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out in the stages of data collection, condensation, display, and conclusion. The theory applied was the Collaborative Governance Model from 1) Face-to-face dialogue, 2) Trust Building, 3) Commitment to process, 4) shared understanding, and 5) Intermediate Outcomes. The result showed that from the theoretical aspect, the triumph achieved in collaborative governance of permanent housing was because, since the beginning of the direct conversation, an agreement on the division of authority had been reached, wherein the Provincial Nasional Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) prepared the land for the project, the Palu City NDMA was responsible for providing the infrastructure, and the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation has the competence to build the constant home. The accomplishment of establishing this initial covenant was followed up well, along with the consistency toward trust building, commitment to the process, and shared understanding to attain good intermediate outcomes.

Advancing collaborative social outcomes through place-based solutions—aligning policy and funding systems

Abstract More collaborative and human-centered approaches to tackle social problems of entrenched disadvantage have been introduced in many countries, including Australia, but with mixed results. Traditional programs that reinforce existing political and bureaucratic processes have been seen as blockers to collaborative modes of policymaking, governance, and delivery. Drawing on collaborative governance perspectives, this paper reports new research undertaken in conjunction with a not-for-profit organization (Collaboration for Impact) involved in supporting place-based collaborative community change efforts. Research findings, based on stakeholder perspectives, highlight not only the potential benefits of a more collaborative model (i.e., placed-based and community driven) but also the significant unresolved challenges for “backbone” coordination bodies, which have recently been established to achieve more “joined-up” policy, funding, and service delivery arrangements. The paper concludes by proposing a practice-driven focus on policy and funding systems, together with implications for policy learning and program design.

Supporting adolescent well-being at school: Integrating transformative social and emotional learning and trauma-informed education

There is an urgent need to support the social and emotional well-being of adolescents with experiences of adversity and trauma. Adolescence is a critical period of development for promoting social and emotional competencies, which can prevent poor mental health and problematic substance use and promote thriving during challenging teenage years and beyond. Both transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) and trauma-informed programs for schools (TIPS) have been identified as promising practices for supporting social and emotional well-being among young people with experiences of adversity. We propose a pragmatic theory of action for schools for implementing and evaluating initiatives that integrate TSEL and TIPS made up of three iterative components: awareness, assessment, and action. The TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action is illustrated by a case study of a cross-sectoral collaboration of government, schools, researchers, healthcare, and adolescents to implement TSEL and TIPS initiatives in British Columbia, Canada. The case study provides evidence for the feasibility of TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action and may serve as an example for other regions as experiences of adversity and poor mental health continue to rise among adolescents globally.

Use of the Sociogram in Participatory Planning in Contexts of Social Exclusion: A Comparative Case Study in Cordoba Neighbourhoods, Spain

Urban regeneration and spatial planning have adopted a new participatory approach in recent decades, highlighting the importance of integrating the community in urban decision-making processes, especially in disadvantaged and socially excluded areas. In this context, the sociogram emerges as an essential tool for collaborative governance, allowing the visualization and analysis of the dynamics between the different actors involved. This study employs a comparative case study approach in three disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Córdoba, Spain, to examine how the sociogram can facilitate more effective and democratic participation in urban planning. Using heat maps, scatter plots and average analysis, relationships between actors are identified and characterized, providing a solid basis for more inclusive and equitable planning decisions. This analysis not only reveals the practical utility of the sociogram in participatory research but also underscores its theoretical relevance in building resilient and cohesive communities. Findings confirm the sociogram’s effectiveness in mapping stakeholder dynamics and enhancing participatory governance, ultimately fostering more informed and inclusive urban planning processes.

Unveiling teachers’ work preferences: A conjoint experiment on the implications of school governance reform across three countries

School governance reforms have changed teachers’ work in many aspects and have been associated with increasing teachers’ discontent and demotivation. Research on which school policies and organizational practices teachers prefer is scarce and faces challenges. Our conjoint experiment identifies the importance given by teachers to different work dimensions altered by recent reforms and teachers’ preferences regarding school policies in three contexts. Internationally-shared preferences include qualitative teaching assessments, socially mixed classes, clear goal-setting, and collective rewards. Context-specific preferences include individual incentives in Chile, a low-pay, high-stakes accountability system, and peer support in Norway and Catalonia, which are systems with collaborative governance traditions.

The Analysis on the Construction Direction of the Coordinated Action System of Natural Disaster Volunteers in China

From the perspective of collaborative governance, it is found that volunteers have become an indispensable force in the process of responding to disasters. However, due to the late start but rapid development of emergency volunteer service in China, the current emergency management system lacks a coordination mechanism to ensure the orderly participation of emergency volunteers in disaster rescue, and there are problems such as the lack of the concept of polycentric governance, the disorder of self-organized behavior, the lack of coordination within the system, the excessive emphasis on the gratuitous nature of public welfare, and the lag in the construction of laws and regulations.

Challenges and opportunities in Australian greenhouse gas storage legislation: insights from the CarbonNet project

Co-funded by the Victorian and Australian Governments, the CarbonNet Project (CarbonNet) was established in 2009 to enable commercial deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The duration and first-of-a-kind nature of the project has also provided an opportunity to test the Australian legislative greenhouse gas (GHG) framework. Although the Commonwealth legislative regime has comprehensive GHG legislation in place, one of the recognised barriers to geological storage in Australia is permitting and regulatory complexity. CarbonNet’s practical application of the legislation has emphasised that regulatory maturity will only be achieved once a number of projects have been permitted through the full project lifecycle. While the project has achieved many regulatory firsts, there have been several policy and regulatory challenges. Successes have come via legislative reform, scientific investigation and collaboration, and stakeholder engagement and communication. This paper provides insights into CarbonNet’s regulatory journey and key learnings in testing first-of-a-kind regulatory processes. It also explores opportunities for improvement in the GHG regulatory framework, while noting the progress of recent legislative reform and government collaboration. The paper concludes with a recognition of the need for the CCS regulatory framework to be straightforward, fit-for-purpose, proportionate, risk-based, and not overly prescriptive or complex. CCS projects may span decades and require significant upfront investment from multiple companies or consortia. Proponents and investors require confidence in the regulatory framework underpinning a project before making these large commitments. Accordingly, there is a key role for both Australian and State governments in providing the enabling legislative and regulatory framework for CCS projects.

The influence mechanism of multi-government environmental regulation synergy on corporate environmental responsibility

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) calls for enhanced global efforts to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals by 2030, highlighting the crucial role of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) in advancing global sustainability. As a significant participant, China is leveraging its government-led environmental regulation (ER) system, which has a multi-level and multi-sectoral structure, to effectively combat climate change. However, the effect of this ER system, especially collaborative efforts among multiple government subjects, on CER remains unknown. Thus, this paper is the first attempt to investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of multi-government ER synergy on CER from the perspective of government subject synergy. Using a dataset of Chinese A-share listed manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2021, this study finds the following. First, multi-government ER synergy boosts CER. Direct ER synergy, stemming from joint policy-making across departments, encourages CER in end-of-pipe governance. Indirect ER synergy, arising from administrative hierarchy constraints among multi-level governments, fosters CER in front-end governance. Second, financing constraints and executives’ attention to CER are two key channels through which multi-government ER synergy influences CER. Third, firms with political connections, those in heavily polluting industries, or those located in central and western regions adopt more proactive CER strategies under multi-government ER synergy. This paper expands research on government collaborative governance from the regional macro-perspective to the micro-firm level, providing valuable insights for countries worldwide, particularly emerging economies that share similar characteristics with China, to contain rapidly growing environmental challenges and advance global sustainability.

Juridical Analysis of The Regulation of NIK as NPWP in The Taxation System in Indonesia

Entering the era of modernization, the government has introduced regulations regarding the use of the Population Identification Number (NIK) as the Taxpayer Identification Number (NPWP). The purpose of this research is to determine the juridical analysis of the regulation of NIK as NPWP in the Indonesian tax system and to establish the ideal concept of integrating NIK as NPWP in the Indonesian tax system. The research method employed is a juridical-normative approach with a legislative perspective, conceptual approach, and literature study. The results of this research indicate that the regulation of NIK as NPWP will serve as a foundation for the profile of Individual Taxpayers (WP OP). The concept of integration will be carried out by the Minister of Home Affairs, who will provide population data and feedback data from users to the Minister of Finance, which will then be integrated into the tax database. As a result, cooperation will be established in the data management process to align and synchronize NIK with NPWP. This aligns with the concept of Collaborative Governance in achieving One Data Indonesia through the Harmonization of Tax Regulations Act (UU HPP).

Local Government’s Role in Bridging Investment Disparities in Indonesia: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

The decentralization within Indonesia's governmental system was established to facilitate equitable development and economic growth by devolving authority to local governments that better understand their region's potential and challenges. An integral aspect of achieving development and economic growth parity lies in investment, an arena still marred by disparities across various regions in Indonesia. This normative study, employing a legal approach to legislation, aims to analyze the legal issues influencing investment disparities, which in turn affect the implementation of SDGs in Indonesia. The analysis reveals limitations faced by local governments in providing incentives and support to attract investment due to their lack of authority in pioneering industries, which are also not linked to the local economy. Additionally, there exists legal uncertainty surrounding local government collaborations with external parties, particularly in the context of investment. These findings reflect a regulatory framework in Indonesia that fundamentally diverges from the spirit of decentralization enshrined in the constitution.

Metagovernance of co‐creation in city–university partnerships: How to avoid being stuck in the middle?

AbstractThis article contributes to public administration research on collaborative governance in partnerships by exploring local efforts to metagovern a multi‐layered interorganizational collaboration between a city and a university. Hence, to further explore the prospect for developing city–university partnerships (CUP) into local platforms for the co‐creation of innovative public value outcomes, we ask: How can metagovernance contribute to aligning different actors and levels in a CUP aiming to enhance public value production? This question is answered based on a mixed‐method case study of cutting‐edge experiences from the City of Trondheim, Norway, where a transformative partnership was formed in 2017. The main finding is that the efforts to metagovern the CUP are deficient as they fail to prevent it from being stuck in the middle with a tactical level that is disconnected to strategic leadership and has limited operational impact. Some remedial strategies are offered, and the future of CUPs is discussed.

Applying collective action frameworks to analyse local-level collaboration for electric vehicle-related policies

Many of the most pernicious contemporary urban problems require local governments to organise collectively across jurisdictions and reorganise or coordinate internally across bureaucratic silos. Climate change, for example, is a complex system phenomenon impacting a range of interconnected socio-environmental systems in a region, such as water, transportation and energy infrastructures which may not be directly under the control of a single department or government. This often requires managers and policymakers to coordinate policy responses across siloed units within governments and through network-based arrangements across governments. Theories of polycentricity and collective action have long drawn attention to the barriers and opportunities of collaboration and multilevel governance in fashioning adequate responses to complex problems. However, these approaches typically fail to explicate the relationships or interactions between internal and external collaboration risks and the institutional mechanisms for ameliorating them. This article empirically explores this relationship between functional collective action (collaboration across departmental units within a single government) and intergovernmental collective action (collaboration across governments). Situated in the context of climate adaptation and electric vehicle (EV) policy efforts in cities, the article highlights the need for greater scholarly attention more broadly to the development of institutional collective action theory.

A context-driven approach through stakeholder engagement to introduce a digital emergency obstetric and newborn care register into routine obstetric health care services in Bangladesh.

Emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in Bangladesh focusses on maternal health, whereby it addresses childbirth and postpartum complications to ensure women's health and well-being. It was transitioned to a digital platform to overcome challenges with the paper-based EmONC register and we conducted implementation research to assess the outcome. Here we outline the stakeholder engagement process integral to the implementation research process. We adopted a four-step stakeholder engagement model based on the identification, sensitisation, involvement, and engagement of stakeholders. The approach was informed by previous experience, desk reviews, and expert consultations to ensure comprehensive engagement with stakeholders at multiple levels. Led by the Maternal Health Programme of the Government of Bangladesh, we involved high-power and high-interest stakeholders in developing a joint action plan for digitisation of the paper-based EmONC register. Finally, we demonstrated this digital EmONC register in real-life settings to stakeholders at different levels. The successful demonstration process fostered government ownership and collaboration with multiple stakeholders, while laying the foundation for scalability and sustainability. Nevertheless, our experience highlighted that the stakeholder engagement process is context-driven, time-consuming, resource-intensive, iterative, and dynamic, and it requires involving stakeholders with varied expertise. Effective strategic planning, facilitation, and the allocation of sufficient time and resources are essential components for successful stakeholder engagement. Our experience demonstrates the potential of adopting the 'identification, sensitisation, involvement, and engagement' stakeholder engagement model. Success in implementing this model in diverse settings depends on leveraging knowledge gained during implementation, maintaining robust communication with stakeholders, and harnessing the patience and determination of the facilitating organisation.

Exploring the Mechanisms of Regional Environmental Collaborative Legislation in China: Policy Effectiveness, Practical Challenges, and Policy Suggestions

The legislation for regional environmental collaboration is of significant importance in enhancing the effectiveness of environmental protection. The existing literature focuses on the power struggle between central and local governments regarding environmental regulation within the realm of regional environmental governance, lacking an examination of the collaborative governance mechanisms and their effectiveness. Therefore, this study takes China’s regional environmental collaborative legislation as its research object. It employs a difference-in-differences model to test the effectiveness of regional environmental collaborative legislation concerning environmental governance and conducts a qualitative analysis to examine the current practical challenges facing regional environmental collaborative legislation. The quantitative analysis results indicate that regional environmental collaborative legislation can effectively suppress the emission of environmental pollutants. Specifically, the implementation of regional environmental collaborative legislation results in a 19.7% reduction in prefecture-level wastewater emissions and a 26.6% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions. Qualitative analysis results show that regional environmental collaborative legislation currently faces challenges such as localism, difficulties in legislative authority allocation, and a lack of cooperation mechanisms. Therefore, this paper proposes to establish a collaboration platform, balance the interests of stakeholders, and improve the allocation mechanism of environmental regulatory powers in order to better optimize the regional environmental collaborative legislation and enhance the government’s environmental governance capacity.

Institutional Study: Collaboration between Madrasah Ibtidaiyah and Madrasah Diniyah

Education at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah and Madrasah Diniyah could be more optimal in maximizing students' religious, science, and technology education. Madrasah Ibtidaiyah combines the 2013 and independent curricula, but most teachers and parents consider Islamic learning less in-depth. Meanwhile, Madrasah Diniyah only focuses on religious teaching without including general knowledge. This research analyses the collaboration between Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) and Madrasah Diniyah (Madin). The research method used is qualitative research with a case study approach. Data was obtained through observation, documentation and interviews. Data analysis refers to Miles and Huberman's theory, which involves data reduction, visualization and validation stages. The collaboration between MI Baitul Muttaqin and Madin Baitul Muttaqin involves joint decision-making to shape students' religious character and science and technology abilities through comprehensive learning between religion and science and technology. This collaboration is analyzed using collaborative governance theory, emphasizing shared goals, participation, organizational structure, role division, communication, and evaluation. The impact is comprehensive education of students' religious character and science and technology skills. The obstacles come from differences in the characteristics of Madin and MI educators, but the heads of MI and Madin consider the benefits more. Coordination, intensive communication and improving the qualifications of Madin educators are critical solutions for harmonizing learning. It is also essential to support harmonious family habits at home to achieve comprehensive results.

Collaborative Governance and Football Outcomes of Campus Football in China

In China, campus football is regarded as an important way to promote the healthy physical and mental development of students. Relevant state functional departments have issued many policy documents to guide the development of campus football, and schools of all levels and types have actively participated in it, and campus football has made certain progress. As a systematic project, campus football cannot solve all problems by relying on one governing body alone. Therefore, multi-governing body collaborative governance is an inevitable move to promote the healthy development of campus football. On the basis of elaborating the concepts and theories of campus football and collaborative governance, this paper uses the research methods of literature and questionnaire, takes three schools in Changsha, Hunan Province as the investigation objects, and constructs the theoretical framework of campus football collaborative governance from the three dimensions of subject, environment and tools. Following the logical thinking from theoretical framework to problem analysis to problem solving, this paper deeply studies the collaborative governance of campus football in China. The results show that collaborative governance of campus football in Hunan has been effectively implemented, with stakeholder participation, transparency and strategic focus contributing positively to football outcomes. Despite the weak correlation between governance practices and football outcomes, the importance of these governance elements in strengthening football programs is clear. Demographic differences in perception highlight the need to tailor engagement strategies to effectively accommodate different groups. Overall, the governance framework for campus football is fundamentally sound and there is room for continued improvement to maximise its impact on football outcomes.

Конституционная идея социального партнерства в контексте трехсекторной социетальной модели общества и концепции совместного управления

The article examines the constitutional idea of social partnership in the context of a three-sector societal model of society and modern concepts of collaborative governance. The subject composition of social partnership is analyzed, the main characteristics of the subjects and connections between them are given.