Multi-level Governance Framework Research Articles

Who Gets Water? Governance Failures & Persistent Drinking Water and Sanitation Issues

he sustainable provision of potable water and sanitation services presents a multitude of fundamental challenges concerning access and allocation. These challenges extend beyond water resources themselves, encompassing the allocation of rights, responsibilities, and associated risks. Disparities in water supply and sanitation services are stark, both geographically and socioeconomically. A thorough analysis requires examining the international governance instruments that guide access, the property rights frameworks that dictate allocation, and the scales at which these rights and frameworks operate. Additionally, the responsibilities vested in various authorities and stakeholders must be scrutinized. Water insecurity, particularly with respect to drinking water and sanitation, is not solely attributable to natural phenomena. This paper presents a literature review (2008-2023) encompassing research from the Earth Systems Governance community and beyond, focusing on water supply services and sanitation. Access and allocation were interpreted broadly, encompassing issues of inclusive development, justice, sustainability, and additional themes identified through the review process. The findings suggest a significant role for governments in facilitating access and allocation, with failures in these areas leading to long-term consequences. This will necessitate a holistic approach that considers water access and allocation alongside interconnected issues like sanitation, development, climate change, energy, and food security, all within a multi-level governance framework.

How cross-pressured local politicians choose government loyalty over local voters’ preferences. Lessons from a survey experiment in Norway

ABSTRACT This study explores how local politicians act when they are torn between local voters’ views and their own views or the party line. Against the background of a recent municipal amalgamation reform in Norway that reduced the number of municipalities from 428 to 356, we conducted a survey experiment where the local representatives (N = 2,013) were treated with different outcomes from a hypothetical municipal referendum about a potential amalgamation. The results show that local officials representing the government parties are less likely to change their voting behaviour if the voters have view different position on the merger than the representative. They have strong incentives to show loyalty to government reform based on both an individual career prospect and from a multilevel governance framework. Unsurprisingly, we find that if voters and representatives share their views on the reform, the representatives will vote in line with the voters.

Coastal cities governance in the context of integrated coastal zonal management: a sustainable development goal perspective under international environmental law for ‘coastal sustainability’

Literature on integrated coastal zonal management (ICZM) for coastal sustainability from a legal perspective provided significant measures. Recently, sustainable development goals (SDGs) have become a focus in ICZM literature, which establishes coastal goals and connects these goals with other goals. Although integrating coastal goals into ICZM under international law challenges the existing models presented in the literature, the comprehensive literature review (CLR) methodology is appropriate for observing the current literature and provides a way-forward for coastal goals. Therefore, through this research, a CLR on ICZM literature is conducted to observe how far SDGs are integrated for coastal sustainability. The CLR identified that coastal city governance is a pertinent part of ICZM, and the coastal goals are devised in the form of environmental goals of SDG – 14 (life below water). This CLR examines the anthropogenic connections of waste, sanitation, and emissions management and urban planning with coastal ecosystems under the ICZM system. For such purposes, governance tools of science-policy integration under international law and policy for sustainable development are utilized to form an obligatory framework. The CLR further provided coordination, adaptivity, monitoring, and capacity-building tools, which were utilized thoroughly throughout the literature and can be incorporated with the SDGs in a multilevel governance framework of ICZM. Throughout the study, international law formulating SDGs is pivotal to be transplanted successfully into the ICZM governance processes.

Role of Governance in Implementing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Congo Basin Case of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo

The low adaptability capacity of the Central African sub-region to climate change has made it one of Africans’ most vulnerable sub-regions in the continent as this sub-region depends heavily on resources sensitive to climate change. Cameroon and the Democratic Republic Congo are host to the world's second largest rainforest after the Amazon. This implies that climate change will undermine development in this sub-region and the rest of the continent as the effects of climate change are faced more by the most vulnerable. There is however rising interest in SSA to mitigate and adapt climate change solutions. While such efforts exist, knowledge on the governance arrangements exist in very fragmented forms. Specifically, knowledge on how global climate changes processes is reflected in national policies remain relatively less studied. So too are their limited evidence on how national policies play out at local level. Such knowledge deficits stall scientific evidence building and policy orientation to strengthen climate adaptation practices in countries of SSA, with Cameroon and DRC being classical examples. Yet theory building on climate change governance requires such context specific evidence. In addition, for a comprehensive policy to be adopted and made effective, climate change actions require such scientific evidence. This therefore validates the need to analyze how such global processes are framed into national policy and policy instruments for climate mitigation and adaptation, and to establish the connections and disconnections between what is framed at national level and what applies at local level in terms of climate change policy instrument and what explains such variations. Though effective climate action requires political commitment, well-aligned multi-level governance and institutional frameworks, laws, policies and strategies, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is still need for clear goals, adequate finance and financing tools, coordination across multiple policy domains, and inclusive governance processes in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo to harness these goals. This study investigated the role of governance in implementing climate change adaptation in Cameroon and the DRC. This research therefore aimed at examining the role of governance in implementing climate change adaptation strategies in Cameroon and the DRC. The study made use of primary and secondary data which was analyzed using content analysis to triangulate the relationship that exist between governance and the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in Cameroon and the DRC. Results highlight the dominant role of governance in shaping adaptation efforts, challenges in implementation, spatial disparities, and the influence of national policies and stakeholder engagement. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for improving governance structures, enhancing stakeholder participation, mainstreaming gender considerations, and addressing financial constraints to build resilience and effectively respond to climate change impacts in both countries. The findings underscore the importance of context-specific strategies that prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration to address the complex challenges posed by climate change.

Unraveling the European Agricultural Policy Sustainable Development Trajectory

Amidst growing concerns about the impact of agriculture on the environment, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been overhauled to prioritize sustainable rural development in European agriculture. Based on this line of thought, the present contribution delves into the details of the CAP’s shift, focusing on the main environmental concerns faced in the policy-making framework. Grounded in a political science perspective, the current study looks at how environmental and climate change concerns were gradually elevated inside the CAP’s policy-making framework and how they helped create the “green architecture” for European agriculture. Examining the process of policy change under the lens of historical institutionalism and neo-institutionalism within the multilevel governance framework of the European Union (EU), the key role played by the gradual introduction of measures aimed at promoting measurable environmental criteria and climatic targets is highlighted. For instance, measures aimed at preserving carbon-rich soils and enhancing water resources can have positive impacts on the environment. However, these measures were also recognized to increase the cost of production for the European farmers, who faced serious difficulties in adjusting to the new framework. Within this context, this research delves into the roles played by two additional fundamental entities: the consumer and environmental activism. Additionally, the study underscores the EU’s commitment to addressing climate change and sustainable development challenges and how conditionality is being used to link funding to results. Upon analyzing the CAP’s shift, the reflection of a more flexible and rational approach is argued to be embodied by the new policy architecture. By incorporating both CAP pillars, encouraging collaboration with compatible policies, and allowing for greater adaptability in response to the unique circumstances and objectives of each member state, the CAP is taking significant steps towards sustainability and climate action. These insights into the significance and implications of the CAP’s shift towards sustainability offer valuable recommendations for future policy developments, emphasizing the need to balance environmental concerns with the needs of farmers and other stakeholders.

Extended producer responsibility: An empirical investigation into municipalities' contributions to and perspectives on e‐waste management

AbstractThe development and implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies to manage e‐waste provide multilevel governance frameworks for achieving greater material circularity. However, the roles and responsibilities that are allocated to various stakeholders under these policies, which are crucial for program effectiveness, often vary across jurisdictions, and consensus is lacking about the best types of relationships and collaboration that should govern municipalities' contributions to EPR programs. Against this backdrop, and since this issue is poorly researched, we conducted an empirical investigation to identify the main drivers and barriers influencing municipalities' collaboration with an e‐waste EPR program in a Canadian province where municipalities are free to decide whether or not to engage with the program. Based on our study, we explore policy implications for similar programs in other jurisdictions, and propose questions for further research. Our findings identify key motivations for collaboration, including perceived program legitimacy, program funding, and logistical efficiencies. Conversely, a lack of program transparency, failure to support local employment, a focus on recycling instead of reuse, and limited program scope are identified as disincentives to program participation. Policymaking for e‐waste management and circularity need to consider municipalities' interests and contributions to ensure successful implementation.

Multi-level governance and competing sustainability aims: Politics of renewable energy development and nature conservation in Changdao, China

Governmental departments at various levels and non-governmental actors have been competing over land use for renewable energy development and biodiversity conservation. This study decontextualizes the logic of green–green conflict resolution employing a multi-level governance framework and qualitative methods in China's Changdao district of Yantai city, where the primary development goal has been shifting from a pilot wind energy site to a marine ecological demonstration zone. We find that the central government and environmental NGOs raise questions about the green–green conflict and drive the local government to solve it. The local government, particularly the provincial government, plays a key role in creating platforms for cross-sector and multi-level negotiations, and collaboration among various actors with diverse interests to find innovative solutions. Regarding the many possible land uses, the results suggest that collaboration between governments, companies, and NGOs in multi-level governance is essential in managing the trade-offs between different sustainability aims to create a fairer distribution of the costs and benefits of meeting such goals.

Climate Change Governance in India: Mapping the Role of the Cities

Cities are at the forefront of climate action as never before: they concentrate risk but also provide opportunities to innovate. Situated at the crossroads of extensive urbanization, unequal development, and high climate vulnerability, Indian cities face an urgent imperative to governance to current and projected climate change impacts. While the poor and marginalised who live in multidimensional poverty and face acute deprivation bear the brunt of the consequences. Climate change not only exacerbates their existing inequalities, but also leads to disproportionate sharing of climate change risks, necessitating a shift from mere climate change mitigation to climate change adaptation and recognition that the involvement of all government levels, particularly local governments, has become a sine qua non for climate change adaptation to work because the impacts of climate change are manifestly local. This article argues that Indian urban local governments must occupy a definitive role in the Indian multi-lateral climate change governance framework. It argues that despite the important role played by urban local governments in combating climate change through adaptation strategies, multi-level governance framework is completely skewed in favour of the dominant and decisive role played by national and state governments. This article examines the role of Indian cities in climate change and scrutinizes the multi-level governance.

Rethinking social enterprise policy making in Ireland – untangling proportionate, disproportionate and unengaged sectoral policy contributions

Abstract The National Social Enterprise Policy of Ireland was launched in 2019 following a slow and episodic process. The aim of the paper is to examine the development and implementation of the National Social Enterprise Policy. In particular the interaction between key sectoral stakeholders in the development of the policy and the primary influences on the process. The results of a substantial qualitative enquiry details the complex set of relationships underpinning the development of social enterprise policy in a multi-level governance framework. It situates the National Social Enterprise Policy in an environment unusually susceptible to sub-sectoral advocacy and highlights the particular characteristics of the Irish case where social enterprise policy is largely removed from broader social economy policy interventions in Ireland and the European Union. The paper highlights the complex and fluid environment in which various stakeholders articulated and advocated for their policy positions. It also details how the relevant policy institutions engaged with and were influenced by stakeholders. It contributes to the understanding of social enterprise policy formulation and how this process can become more inclusive.

A (meta)governance framework for multi-level governance of inter-organizational project networks

Little is known about the governance of inter-organizational networks for projects. This study empirically develops a theoretical framework for this, using 28 project networks as case studies, applying 124 interviews in ten countries. The abductively developed three-layered governance framework has the individual network for a project at its lowest layer, explained through Multi-level Governance Theory. This is steered by a middle layer for the governance of networks, addressing the steering of the different networks these organizations are part of. At the top is metagovernance, where the ground rules are set by governments or investors. For each layer, the governance dimensions, as well as the enablers and disablers between layers, are defined. The study’s resulting theory provides an overall understanding of the governance of multiple networks for projects and provides practitioners with the parameters to optimize their networks for better project results.

Multi-level governance framework and its applicability to education policy research - the Canadian perspective

Education policies are increasingly characterized as complex and dynamic, involving a multitude of actors and policy networks. As a result, there is a growing demand in education for research approaches that can help make sense of this complexity. This paper examines the applicability of multi-level governance (MLG) framework as a tool of education research from Canada’s decentralized federalist perspective. By conducting a comprehensive literature review of 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, we determine the applicability of MLG framework, the conditions necessary for its use, and its overall relevance to education policy, which is increasingly characterized by the involvement of a variety of stakeholder groups across government levels and policy sectors. The key findings are presented following Bowe et al.’s (1992) policy cycle framework. We conclude that MLG approach is a strong tool for education research to analyze policy making in federal decentralized educational systems, as it allows a more nuanced perspective for understanding the multilayered policy dynamics often unfolding in the context of federalism.

How multi-level governance frameworks assist community colleges in identifying education-related sustainable development goals

Promoting inclusive and equitable postsecondary learning environments is a global priority Postsecondary institutions, particularly community colleges' career and technical education (CTE) programs, are increasingly held accountable for achieving education-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are expected to provide knowledge of the SDGs and implement them through practice and action. Community colleges rely on multi-level governance frameworks such as voluntary local review (VLR) to substantiate and institutionalize education-related SDG objectives. Though the VLR has been identified as a process for facilitating multi-level collaborative learning, the nature and process of implementing the approach has not been clearly defined and is not well understood. To identify key concepts and main research themes that present sustainability education and inclusive and equitable learning in community colleges, as well as to identify research gaps, a systematic literature review on sustainability education in workforce education and development (WFED) as well as inclusive and equitable learning in community colleges was conducted. The review found that VLR is critical for obtaining new knowledge about education-related SDGs and suggests that community colleges use the VLR to improve organizational contextual features and organizational change, internal structural features and organizational design, and external environment and influencing factors.

Intermediary Organizations in Nature Conservation Initiatives: The Case of the EU-Funded LIFE Programme

This study was aimed to identify intermediary organizations active in nature conservation initiatives by adopting a multi-level (ML) and network governance (NG) framework and using social network analysis (SNA). We identified 256 coordinating beneficiaries and 1090 associated beneficiaries connected through 8310 project relations and financed through the EU-funded LIFE Programme from 2014 to 2020. Our results evidence a central component of the network where organizations from Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom play a central role. In contrast, peripheral components return a framework of partnerships mainly constituted by actors of the same country (68%). Moreover, the characterization by type of actor confirms the widespread implementation of a multi-level governance approach in LIFE-Nature (NAT) projects, evidencing the significant presence of non-governmental organizations and foundations, mainly at a national level, in nature conservation initiatives. Our findings reveal that the intermediary capacity of key actors should be further reinforced, particularly toward the promotion of transnational cooperation and cross-sector alliances, by encouraging the involvement of stakeholders operating at the ground level (i.e., provincial and municipal levels).

Towards a Governance Framework for Brain Data

The increasing availability of brain data within and outside the biomedical field, combined with the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to brain data analysis, poses a challenge for ethics and governance. We identify distinctive ethical implications of brain data acquisition and processing, and outline a multi-level governance framework. This framework is aimed at maximizing the benefits of facilitated brain data collection and further processing for science and medicine whilst minimizing risks and preventing harmful use. The framework consists of four primary areas of regulatory intervention: binding regulation, ethics and soft law, responsible innovation, and human rights.

Common Fisheries Policy of the EU through the Lens of Multi-Level Governance Framework

The fishery sector has a unique position within the European Union regulatory system. Being in the joint competence of supranational and national authorities, it has a complex transnational nature, characterized by an active participation of non-governmental organizations and associations, as well as a number of coordinating international authorities. Additionally, the fishery is of particular importance for nation states since it is linked to issues of sovereignty and social stability. The paper examines possible applications of the multi-level governance (MLG) theory to the study of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), its history, current state and prospects for development. The first section outlines the key provisions of the MLG theory and describes its general applicability to the study of the EU institutions. In order to provide a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses of the MLG theory, the author compares it to a number of related approaches traditionally used in integration studies in general and the European integration studies in particular. The author concludes that the multi-level governance framework is particularly suitable to the study of complex regulatory processes that involve different actors, like in the case of the EU CFP. Such an approach allows the author to identify certain specifics of the EU political practices in this area of regulation. For example, the author highlights a clear desire of the supranational bodies to acquire additional competences and to bring about redistribution of power in their favor through mobilizing the support of sub-national actors and think-tanks and at the expense of national actors. However, the author concludes that in order to provide a truly comprehensive understanding of the EU CFP, the traditional focus of the MLG approach should be expanded to encompass yet another level of analysis — the global one.

Governance of organic cocoa production: An analysis of EU regulation through the framework of multilevel governance

SummaryMotivationWhile organic agriculture is seen as the best way to achieve sustainable agriculture, the question of how actors in the sector can help remains unresolved. This article seeks to contribute to the global determination to resolve environmental challenges through sustainable agricultural practices grounded in multilevel governance.PurposeThe article examines existing regulations governing the production and importation of organic cocoa.Methods and approachMultilevel governance is used as a theoretical and methodological tool to examine the discursive and material struggles which challenge the promotion of organic cocoa, using a content analysis of European Union (EU) regulations governing the production and importation of organic agricultural produce, including cocoa.FindingsThe article finds that the EU regulations on the production and importation of organic cocoa take a vertical approach to multilevel governance. Organic cocoa farmers, who come lower down in the governance hierarchy, have no role in policy‐making and have simply to follow these regulations.Policy implicationsThe regulations seem to ignore the inputs of actors at the lower level in the hierarchy. The absence of organic producers' (farmers) participation in the governance architecture may inhibit conventional farmers from venturing into organic cocoa production.

How Does Multi-Level Governance Create Capacity to Address Refugee Needs, and with What Limitations? An Analysis of Municipal Responses to Syrian Refugees in Istanbul

Abstract A multi-level governance (MLG) framework is used to investigate how municipalities in Turkey have coped with the arrival of 3.6 million Syrians amid limited resources, an ambiguous legal framework, and changing national policy priorities. Qualitative research in Istanbul, which hosts the largest number of refugees, shows how municipalities have generated capacity by working with actors at other governance levels and in non-governmental spaces, via formal and informal networks. MLG arrangements did not however imply the retreat of a powerful central state. Rather, they were decisively influenced by existing power relations and governing traditions, specifically a strong state, weak local government, and mistrust of civil society. The research illuminates the complex, and sometimes surprising, relationships between tiers and spheres of governance in shaping local responses to refugee needs. The research demonstrates the explanatory power of MLG in a highly centralized unitary state, outside of the democratic (and mostly federal) contexts where it is usually applied.

The European response to the COVID-19 crisis at the regional level and its effects on the shaping of the new European Cohesion Policy

This paper focuses on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on the EU’s Cohesion Policy. We will analyse the regional and territorial problems created by the COVID-19 crisis and the influences it had on the new developments of the Cohesion Policy. The evolution of the Cohesion Policy will be addressed, particularly the development of conditionality. The developments on the European Multiannual Financial Framework and the regional policy following the recent developments of the European response to the COVID-19 crisis and the new role of Regions will also be examined. The aim of the paper is to identify and characterise the effects of the pandemic on the European Regions and its repercussions for the development of the new Cohesion Policy and its governance model. The need for a more flexible Cohesion Policy and the opportunities afforded to the Regions and the evolution of the European Union Multilevel Governance Framework, that come from the recent developments on the proposed European Recovery Plan are also reflected

The Bottom-Up Development Model as a Governance Instrument for the Rural Areas. The Cases of Four Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the United Kingdom and in Italy

The present research which originates from the author’s PhD dissertation awarded at the School of Politics of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019, explores the comparative evolution of rural development policies and Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the United Kingdom (Argyll and the Islands LAG—Scotland and Coast, Wolds, Wetlands and Waterways LAG—England) and in Italy (Delta 2000 LAG—Emilia-Romagna Region and Capo Santa Maria di Leuca LAG—Puglia Region) in a multi-level governance framework. LAGs and in particular their public–private local partnerships have become common practice in the governance of rural areas. This governance operates within the European Union LEADER approach as a tool designed to generate the development of rural areas at local level. In order to establish the implications of the LAG practices, the following main objectives for this research have been established: (1) to explore the utility of EU strategies for rural development; (2) to explain how LAGs structure, institutional arrangements and working are positioned in the layers of MLG framework; (3) to carry out a comparative evaluation of the LAGs working in the different nations and their subnational contexts. Some significant findings from the case studies are summarized in relation to these themes: the key characteristics and the outcomes associated with the LAG working mechanisms and what do we draw about the emergence, operation and performance of local partnerships. The core argument of the research is that the partnership approach has given the rural development actors a governance platform to help increase beneficial interactions and economic activity in each of these LAGs, but it is the bottom-up leadership of key local actors, seizing opportunities provided by the EU funding, which have been the most important factors for the LAG successes.

Multilevel governance framework for low-carbon development in urban China: A case study of Hongqiao Business District, Shanghai

In the context of proliferating urban climate initiatives in China, a more fundamental understanding of governance innovation and implementation is essential. Existing literature tends to overlook the critical examination into governance and give sufficient consideration to the Chinese context. This article develops a conceptual framework on low-carbon governance and implementation in urban China, drawing upon a Multi-Level Governance (MLG) perspective, a policy-dimensional framework, and a mobilities approach. A case study of Hongqiao Business District, Shanghai, is used to illustrate the framework's application and to establish an overall low-carbon MLG picture with new insights from empirical evidence. The case study follows a mixed use of data collection methods, consisting of semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis and sites visits and observations. As the case study demonstrates, low-carbon development in Hongqiao has greatly benefited from the early stages of legalisation and multi-level governance innovations (such as regulatory governance, enabling governance, and governance through provision). The perspective of authority relations provides attention to hierarchical levels of government but also examine scales across territorial and administrative boundaries more flexibly. Low-carbon strategy development and implementation are found to involve both traditional policy-making channels and informal governance spaces, with actors playing different roles. Beyond academia, the research findings are helpful to accelerating the sharing and up-scaling of knowledge based around an in-depth examination of a high-profile ‘low carbon’ district in China.