Institutional Governance Structures Research Articles

Deep into the mud: ecological and socio-economic impacts of the dam breach in Mariana, Brazil

We review the ecological and socio-economic impacts of the catastrophic dam failure in Mariana, Brazil. Tailing management practices by Samarco mining company ultimately caused a dam breach that abruptly discharged between 55 and 62millionm3 of tailings into the Doce River watershed. On November 5th, 2015, a tsunami of slurry engulfed the small district of Bento Rodrigues, loading the Doce River and its estuary with toxic tailings along a 663.2km trajectory, extending impacts to the Atlantic coast. Acute ecological impacts will adversely affect livelihoods of more than 1 million people in 41 riparian municipalities by reducing local access to fisheries resources, clean water, crop production sites, hydroelectric power generation and raw materials. The threats to riverine human communities are particularly critical for the disadvantaged populations from remote areas that rely on subsistence agriculture and fisheries, and are uniquely vulnerable to long-term heavy metal exposure. At the landscape scale, we predict multiple negative impacts, ranging from alterations of the genetic diversity of fish populations to long-term vegetation loss and poor regeneration in contaminated areas. Consequently, compromised soil stability and runoff control will increase the risk of further geomorphologic disturbance, including landslides, bank failure and mass movements. We propose spatially explicit long-term monitoring frameworks and priority mitigation measures to cope with acute and chronic risks. We posit that, from a national perspective, disastrous impacts like that of Doce River may become more frequent, given the recent regulatory changes that undermine both institutional governance structures and enforcement of environmental regulation.

Civil Society and the Governance of Urban Food Systems in Sub‐Saharan Africa

AbstractRapid urbanization of the planet has placed pressure on humanity to build sustainable, healthy, and socially just cities. In particular, key challenges associated with food access threaten the livability of the urban environment. For this reason, research on urban food systems has increased significantly, as scholars have studied the production, distribution, acquisition, consumption, and waste of food. However, key research gaps persist, as it remains unclear how urban food systems are governed and the roles that different institutions play to ensure that cities are livable. In particular, while food civil society organizations (FCSOs) have emerged as important players in urban food systems in lower‐income regions such as Sub‐Saharan Africa, FCSOs are poorly understood. This has resulted in an inadequate theorization of their institutional roles, governance structures, and potential impacts. To fill this critical research gap, this paper analyzes the roles of FCSOs, including the range of food non‐governmental organizations (FNGOs), food community‐based organizations (FCBOs), and food social movements (FSMs) in Sub‐Saharan Africa. While this paper highlights the range of scholarship devoted to urban food systems, key empirical and theoretical gaps remain unanswered by scholars. Importantly, the size, structure, and spatiality of urban food systems are not well understood. In addition, it remains unclear how FCSOs intersect with broader political, economic, and social processes of inequality. Moreover, given the range of informal livelihood strategies that urban residents utilize to access food, more scholarship is needed to understand the innovative ways that FSCOs are integrated into the daily lives of people residing in Sub‐Saharan Africa.

The enforcement problem in Resolution 2094 and the United Nations Security Council sanctions regime: sanctioning North Korea

ABSTRACTThis article deconstructs United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2094 through the preambulatory statements, objectives, obligations, and implementation and enforcement provisions of UNSC Resolution 2094. The article proceeds in three parts. First, it reviews the academic literature on UNSC sanctions and their application in the North Korean case. Second, it deconstructs UNSC Resolution 2094 according to the common structural components of international legal instruments to assess the level of congruence between the objectives of UNSC Resolution 2094, its enforcement mechanisms and outcomes. Third, it explores the weaknesses of UNSC Resolution 2094, focusing on the gap between the objectives and enforcement mechanisms found in the resolution. The inability of the UNSC sanctions regime to prevent North Korea reaching the cusp of becoming a nuclear weapons power is evidence of the international community's weak leverage over Pyongyang, a situation arising from the vulnerability of South Korea to a North Korean attack and the cross-cutting strategic priorities of China; the absence of economic linkages between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the primary sanctions-sender state in the USA; and North Korea's commitment to a nuclear weapons capability as the foundation of its medium-term economic development strategy, its institutional governance structure and associated ideological commitments.

Institutionalizing the urban governance of climate change adaptation: Results of an international survey

Three hundred and fifty municipalities across five continents participated in the Urban Climate Change Governance Survey (UCGS). Conducted at MIT in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the UCGS provides a first of its kind look at the governance networks that municipalities are creating to address climate change.Drawing from these results, this paper analyses the institutional governance structures that surround local government work on climate change adaptation. Results show an integration of adaptation and mitigation planning, and a mainstreaming of adaptation planning into other long-range and sectoral plans. Seventy-three percent of respondents stated that their local government’s are engaging with both adaptation and mitigation, and 75% are integrating adaptation into long-range or sectoral plans. However, many critical municipal agencies – including those responsible for water, waste water, health, and building codes – remain on the margins of urban adaptation efforts.Internal institutional networks of governance are inextricably linked to efforts to address a problem like adaptation, which does not fit neatly into individual institutional silos. The results of the UCGS show where these networks have so far been made, how they have been created, and which local government actors have yet to be effectively engaged.

Venezuela 1999–2014: Macro-Policy, Oil Governance and Economic Performance

During the administration of President Chavez, Venezuela registered some celebrated and encouraging socio-economic achievements, however; in the macroeconomic realm the country underperformed compared with other countries in Latin America of a similar size. The country, for instance, did not manage to avoid recurrent external crisis, suffered from unprecedented net transfers of financial resources abroad and, despite the oil windfall, has not accumulated a strong level of defensive international reserves. Moreover, inflation has been rampant and output growth has been very volatile and, on average, poor. This study provides a descriptive account and analysis of Venezuela’s macroeconomic performance and policy experience during the administration of President Chavez and his handpicked successor, Nicolas Maduro (1999–2014). It focuses on the major policy and institutional changes, and on the problems and imbalances of the economy to find out and explore the conundrum of Venezuela’s economic underachievement. We evaluate Venezuela’s exchange rate and monetary policy and the key commitments of the Central Bank to society. In general the study suggests that macroeconomic mismanagement and a failed institutional structure of governance are essential to understand some key imbalances. It seems to be the case that the root cause of this macroeconomic mismanagement and poor governance of Venezuela lies in prevailing political and economic incentives.

Same challenges, different processes: perceptions on governance changes in Portuguese and Finnish higher education

This article compares recent governance reforms in Finnish and Portuguese higher education (HE) systems and institutions (HEIs). Although Portugal and Finland differ significantly, both the countries have recently undertaken similar HE legislative reforms. This article analyses the contexts and implementation processes of these legal frameworks: Law 62/2007 (RJIES) and Yliopistolaki 558/2009 (New Universities Act), aim at changing institutional governance structures, management and decision-making practices. Findings rely on legal documents and on the voices of practitioners. It is argued that new public management ideology and practice, also disseminated by international organizations' agendas (e.g. the Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD, and the European Commission), offer an explanation for similarities in national HE policies. In turn, historical and cultural specifics as well as structural characteristics of political-administrative systems may explain differences in policy design, implementation processes and national outcomes.

The green economy, sustainability transitions and transition regions: a case study of boston

This article is focused upon exploring the development of the green economy in particular locations, with the aim of identifying why some cities and regions have been successful in engendering green growth. To date we have little idea where the green economy is developing, nor much insight, beyond anecdotal evidence, into why certain cities and regions appear to be more successful than others in this regard. We position our analysis within the context of research on socio‐technical transitions that has theorized the potential shift to a more sustainable economy. We review the literature on sustainability transitions and the development of the multi‐level perspective encompassing niches, regimes and landscapes. However, most research into socio‐technical transitions has not given adequate consideration to the influence of places and spatial scale in these transition processes, and we therefore critique the socio‐technical transitions literature from a geographical perspective. In this article we are interested in four key questions. What role does the enabling and facilitative state play in these cities and regions? What new institutional forms and governance structures are being developed? How do actors in particular cities and regions construct their green vision, and how do they encourage other actors to buy‐in to this vision? How are links across levels and spatial scales developed to connect niches with the regime? We address these through a focus upon the Boston city‐region in the USA, drawing upon both primary and secondary research material. We utilize this case study example to re‐examine and re‐theorize work on sustainability transitions from a spatial perspective.

English

The inclination and imposition of non-elected local government council impoverished the political institutional structure of local government while many state governors have trampled upon the constitutional provision which vindicate and established democratically elected local council. Therefore, this study carefully examines budding appointed caretaker committee in Nigerian local government which has become a quagmire to survival of grassroots democracy. This study employs qualitative source of data, samples are drawn from the states operating appointed caretaker committee system in Nigeria. The study concludes that out of 36 states, 14 states comprising six geo-political zones are operating appointed caretaker committee local government council in Nigeria. The subject of non-conduct of elections at the third tier of government has become a common trait within the political spheres of most states. The tier of government which is closest to the grassroots is thus hijacked, prevented from meeting up with its primary and major obligations; the citizens have been denied fair representation with feelings of alienation and disillusionment. Therefore, the study recommends constitutional review and its strict compliance in order to democratize political institution of local government whilst the lacunas and loopholes entrenched in the 1999 constitution should be amended to stem the proliferation of appointed local government executive councils in Nigeria. Key words: Local Government, Caretaker Committee, Democracy, Grassroots, Governance, election.

Integrating Islamic Principles and Values into the Fabric of Governance

Important Islamic principles and values in governance are identified from the Qur’an, Sunna and the essential Shariah objectives (Maqasid al-Shari’ah). The principles (vicegerency, rule of law, justice, social welfare, separation of powers, accountability, consultation, obedience, public participation, inclusiveness, equality, dignity, hisbah or enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, limiting money politics, and ensuring a free, independent media, and peace and security) have considerable bearing on the structure of government institutions and in ensuring good governance, while the values (trustworthiness, transparency, cooperation towards good, moderation, eagerness for knowledge, frugality and valuing time, and good neighbourliness) relate more to the moral qualities required by rulers, leaders and government officers alike. The proposed process of integrating these into governance is based on a systems thinking approach which acknowledges that governance works in a systemic framework. It also stresses the modern discipline of change management but points out that both it and a systems approach were already applied most successfully by Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]. Working examples, which can be adapted for use in Muslim countries for government departments and civic society have been identified from Canada and Malaysia, respectively.

Integrating Islamic Principles and Values into the Fabric of Governance

Important Islamic principles and values in governance are identified from the Qur’an, Sunna and the essential Shariah objectives (Maqasid al-Shari'ah). The principles (vicegerency, rule of law, justice, social welfare,separation of powers, accountability, consultation, obedience, public participation, inclusiveness, equality, dignity, hisbah or enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, limiting money politics, and ensuring a free, independent media, and peace and security) have considerable bearing on the structure of government institutions and in ensuring good governance, while the values (trustworthiness, transparency, cooperation towards good, moderation, eagerness for knowledge, frugality and valuing time, and good neighbourliness) relate more to the moral qualities required by rulers, leaders and government officers alike. The proposed process of integrating these into governance is based on a systems thinking approach which acknowledges that governance works in a systemic framework. It also stresses the modern discipline of change management but points out that both it and a systems approach were already applied most successfully by Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]. Working examples, which can be adapted for use in Muslim countries for government departments and civic society have been identified from Canada and Malaysia, respectively.

The Causes of Political Party Alliances and Coalitions and Their Effects on National Cohesion in India

Electoral politics in India has long been considered a challenge for comparative politics; from the distinctiveness of the transition and consolidation of democracy and through the understanding of the way in which the socio-economic complexities of such a heterogeneous society have adapted to and interacted with the institutions of parliamentary politics. Since the 1990s India has experienced the conjunction of a period of complex electoral fractionalisation with considerable and sustained economic growth. This has confounded expectations that the political context that is most conducive to economic development is one of strong and stable government. Rather, the contemporary experience of Indian development has occurred against the backdrop of a dynamic and regionalised party system, with coherence provided by a weakened central executive which has had to limit direct control over economic and social policy. To some extent this has been achieved because of an institutional structure of governance which has responded to the evolution of popular politics, providing a framework of governance which has reflected some of the national diversity and filled some of the power vacuums left unfilled by the fiercely competitive but often corrupt and inefficient party political system. However, a major factor has been the way in which electoral alliances and government coalitions have become an accepted feature of Indian democratic politics, forcing acceptance that compromise, power-sharing, and recognition of diversity are essential elements of successful government.

Research and its governance in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

Objective: To describe governance and stewardship of research in health research institutions in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. Design: A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on governance and stewardship from health research institutions. Setting: Forty-two Member States of the WHO African Region. Participants: Key informants from the respondent health research institutions in the respondent sub-Saharan African countries. Main outcome measures: Institutions' participation in setting the national health research agenda. Institutional research priorities, scientific reviews and governance structure. Results: During the previous 12 months, the heads of 49% of respondent health research institutions participated in the setting or coordination of national research priorities. The most frequently cited priorities for contributing to or performing research were improving health programmes, producing new knowledge, influencing health policies and conducting operational research. For 78% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research funded directly by the institution, and for 73% of respondent institutions, scientific review was required for research not funded by the institution. However, most respondent institutions did not have written policies or guidelines, either for the scientific review of proposals (70%) or regarding conflict of interest on scientific review committees (80%). Conclusions: Some health research institutions demonstrate good practice in terms of the establishment of structures and processes for governance and stewardship, many others do not. There is a need for the strengthening of the stewardship capacity of research institutions in the Region.

Environmental governance dimensions and perspectives for three transboundary African lakes

Factors considered necessary for effective environmental governance in large, transboundary lakes are presented. Institutional processes and governance structures are examined for three transboundary African lakes: Chad, Victoria and Tanganyika. Shortcomings in environmental governance for these lakes are: (i) inadequate linkages between science and policy and (ii) inadequate application of innovative, adaptive management approaches. Other shortcomings include: (i) untimely fulfillment of national and regional obligations by the riparian governments and (ii) lack of long-term sustainable financing mechanisms. Key recommendations for effective environmental governance are: linking scientific thinking and information to political decision making; investment in research and management; adoption and/or adaption of innovative management approaches; exchange of information and expertise; strategic partnerships; political commitment; long-term sustainable resource allocation; and development of mechanisms for addressing impacts of climate change and variability. Commitment to international conventions and sub-regional initiatives is also recommended for redressing environmental governance challenges for transboundary African lakes.

Education research in Australia: where is it conducted?

Research assessment exercises aim to identify research quantity and quality and provide insights into research capacity building strategies for the future. Yet with limited knowledge of the ecology of Australian educational research, there is little chance of understanding what research audits might contribute towards a capacity building agenda for such a complex field. This paper draws on secondary data analysis of research outputs submitted by 13 Australian higher education institutions to the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2010 and 2012 national research assessment exercises, to show where Australian educational research is conducted. Findings offer a profile of education researchers by location in academic organisational units within universities. By analyzing data not accessible through reported ERA data we were also able to present information about appointment profiles, specifically levels and type of appointment within universities, as well as data on institutional and geographic region, and patterns associated with type of outputs (books, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers and other outputs) and field of research. Analysis of the data reveals definitive shifts in the nature of the published outputs and in employment profiles of researchers and their location across university and regional groupings. Research audits are administrative processes that reshape institutional and disciplinary governance structures, policies, individual outputs, work practices and careers, but they are not the sum total of the field per se.

Institutional environments and arrangements for managing complex aquatic ecosystems in forested landscapes

The forested watersheds of the Pacific Northwest are complex aquatic ecosystems. They are adapted to disturbance cycles that occur at multiple temporal and spatial scales. They are embedded in a complex institutional system involving multiple governance structures spanning multiple ownership types. The salmon populations that inhabit the streams, rivers, and estuaries are diffuse and provide heterogeneous values to a heterogeneous user population. Management of these watersheds has been controlled by “top down” hierarchical land management agencies with policy dictated at the federal level, but there appears to be a transition to a more collaborative multi-level, polycentric approach based on local watershed councils. In this paper, the relevance of an emerging sub-discipline of economics, known as the New Institutional Economics, is explored as a vehicle for understanding how institutional governance structures relate to characteristics of the resource and the resource user community and guiding future watershed management policy. The recently established Watershed Councils in the state of Oregon, U.S., are explored as an example of how institutional arrangements for resource management may evolve over time. While some studies evaluate the effectiveness of this decentralized approach based on participants' opinions about process, the question of effectiveness with regards to ecosystem health remains to be addressed. This is a topic for future research.

Criação de valor: incorporando elementos da economia dos custos de transação na visão porteriana

Este ensaio teórico analisa o papel dos custos de transação ao longo da cadeia de valor tal como concebida na visão porteriana, objetivando propor um aparato conceitual que combine as visões da firma como um conjunto de atividades ligadas por elos e como um nexo de transações e custos que ocasionem perda de valor. Utilizando-se do levantamento bibliográfico que apresenta os conceitos da vantagem competitiva de Porter e da economia dos custos de transação, elaborou-se um framework que contempla a criação de valor pela firma em três dimensões: valor criado pelas atividades, custo das atividades e custo dos elos; identificou-se também que o custo dos elos é moderado pela matriz institucional, estruturas de governança, economias de escala e escopo da firma; sendo que a incorporação destes constructos se constitui como a contribuição deste ensaio. Conclui-se que, apesar de divergentes em suas orientações para a lucratividade, a visão porteriana e a dos custos de transação apresentam potencial para integração, pois a análise da criação de valor na firma torna-se incompleta ao utilizar-se de somente uma das abordagens.

Definitions of Government in IMF-Supported Programs

This note addresses the following main issues: • Statistical definitions of government (Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001) • Institutional structure of government and public sector • What is a precise definition of government and why it is relevant • Potential pitfalls of lacking a precise definition of government • Definitions of government in IMF-supported programs • Applications for fiscal rules and other fiscal policy design

Decentralized electricity generation from renewable sources as a chance for local economic development: a qualitative study of two pioneer regions in Germany

Empirical research on the local economic effects associated with decentralized electricity generation from renewable sources has only just started. So far, most studies focus on quantifying economic effects and neglect the conditions and constellations which support and enable local economic development based on decentralized electricity generation. This, however, is the focus of this paper which looks at these issues, employing the value chain concept in combination with a governance perspective. Empirically, we take a qualitative approach and analyze two case studies of pioneer regions, in which decentralized electricity generation from renewable sources has developed very dynamically. The case study regions are Soltau, with a special focus on biogas production, and Emden, where wind energy plays a special role. Based on the early activities of some pioneers, these regions have developed specific actor constellations and organizational structures and have entered development paths in which renewable energies became an important economic factor. The analysis highlights the importance of institutional context and supportive governance structures for an early advancement of decentralized electricity generation from renewable sources, with a key role of local actors and governance constellations. It also points to the importance of cooperative relationships among local business actors for creating a competitive advantage for (some) regional firms. Our analysis shows that with the geographical proliferation of electricity generation from renewable sources, specialized firms tend to reach beyond their regions, thus offering first-mover advantages for firms in pioneer regions in comparison with latecomers.

A neoinstitutionalist interpretation of the changes in the Russian oil model

This paper deals with the current change of the institutional and organizational framework of the Russian oil industry. Regarding this evolution, the main characteristic is the increasing involvement of national oil companies in the upstream activities. The point is to explain this reorganization by relying on the New Institutional Economics framework. These theoretical works highlight that institutional environment and governance structures complement each other. We argue that the current reorganization in an attempt to increase the coherence of the institutional arrangement governing the transaction between the Russian state and the private oil companies.

Boundary‐crossing and governance “space”

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to provide a personal, reflexive examination of the negotiation of the professional identity of governance services personnel as a specific role set in professional services in higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachA reflexive framework is adopted, drawing on the author's own professional positioning and practice in a UK higher education institution (HEI). Drawing on, and challenging aspects of Whitchurch's typology of professional identities in HE, a “weak” social constructivist approach is adopted, through examination of the author's inter‐professional interfaces with the external members populating institutional governance structures. This epistemological approach resonates with an exploration in the paper of the author's interventions as secretary to the institution's audit committee, in production of documentation as a form of corporate knowledge‐creation and narrative production in a wider scheme of accountability.FindingsThe paper proposes that in contrast to Whitchurch's notion of “bounded” professionalism, the HE governance professional, in migrating to and from governance “space”, constitutes a mode of boundary‐crossing unexamined in the literature and policy.Research limitations/implicationsWhile adopting a self‐reflexive stance, the paper provides a basis for undertaking empirical research into professional identity configurations in the corporate governance of HEIs, grounded in the experience of the actors populating governance structures, including professional services staff, ex officio, elected and external members of HE governing bodies.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to an emerging literature on professional identities in HE, and to qualitative approaches to HE governance.