Institutional Evolution within Local Democracy - Local Self-Governance Meets Local Government

__Abstract__ In the Netherlands, citizens have the formal opportunity to put issues – under certain conditions – on the political agenda. This has been possible since May 2006 at the national level and at the local level since March 2002. In addition, people increasingly engage in an informal way, on their own initiative, to draw from their expertise, experience and knowledge to formulate ideas for policy that they may offer to government. Such ‘citizens’ initiatives’ can be seen, in addition to interactive policy making, as a form of citizens’ participation (Edelenbos et al. 2008). Citizen participation is often initiated by government; it is a bottom-up development started by citizens themselves (Edelenbos et al. 2008). In this chapter, we elaborate on the institutional implications of the ‘citizens’ initiatives’ within local democracy. These initiatives could be described as forms of selfgovernance, leading to the emergence of ‘proto-institutions’ (Lawrence et al. 2002). These proto-institutions interact with established institutions of representative democracy. This interaction is a co-evolving process in which both types of institutions react to each other in certain ways. In this contribution, we describe this institutional evolution and try to find determining factors in this process. We want to provide explanatory factors of processes of institutional co-evolution. We argue that these factors are of major importance with regard to processes of citizen participation and co-operating mechanisms between proto-institutions developed by citizens’ initiatives and established institutions of representative democracy

Connective capacity in water governance practices: The meaning of trust and boundary spanning for integrated performance

__Abstract__ This article deals with water governance to face institutional fragmentation in water management practices. In this holistic approach the connective capacity with domains, levels, scales, organizations and actors is emphasized. Recent literature and empirical research shows that both trust and boundary spanning leadership turn out to be of great importance for realizing connective capacity and subsequently integrated performance in water management practices. Trust stimulates and consolidates coordination and interaction between different actors from different domains and organizations in the water governance networks, and therefore leads to cross-boundary partnerships. Trust is developed in informal network structures. Boundary spanners are important in creating and stimulating informal spaces of interaction, and thus in creating conditions for trust to evolve in these actor networks. In this way positive relationship between trust, boundary spanning, informal networks and integrated performance is realized

Facilitating conditions for boundary-spanning behaviour in governance networks

This article examines the impact of two facilitating conditions for boundary-spanning behaviour in urban governance networks. While research on boundary spanning is growing, there is little attention for antecedents. Combining governance network literature on project management and organizational literature on facilitative and servant leadership, we examine two potential conditions: a facilitative project management style and executive support. We conducted survey research among project managers involved in urban governance networks in order to test these relationships. We found positive relationships between facilitative project management and boundary-spanning behaviour, while executive support indirectly, via facilitative management, contributed to boundary-spanning behaviour

The effects of boundary spanners on trust and performance of urban governance networks: Findings from survey research on urban development projects in the Netherlands

__Abstract__ Previous research has extensively analyzed the role, and indicated the importance, of network management for the functioning and performance of public or governance networks. In this article, we focus on the influence of boundary spanning actors in such networks-an aspect less examined in the governance network literature. Boundary spanners are considered to be important for governance network performance. Building on the literature, we expect a mediating role of trust in this relationship. To empirically test these relationships, we conducted survey research (N = 141) among project managers involved in urban governance networks: networks around complex urban projects that include the organizations involved in the governance process (the formulation of policies, decision making, and implementation) in these complex projects. We found a strong positive relationship between the presence of boundary spanners and trust and governance network performance. The results indicate a partially mediating role of trust in this relationship. Furthermore, we found that these boundary spanners originated mainly from private and societal organizations, and less from governmental organizations

Vitality of Complex Water Governance Systems: Condition and Evolution

In this article the evolution of vitality of social systems in water governance processes, approached as social-ecological systems, is studied. Vitality as well as conditions for vitality are theorized and measured in two cases of the Dutch southwest Delta region. Different patterns and developments in the rise and fall of vitality are found in the two cases. We followed the developments of five conditions explaining the discovered changes in the levels of vitality throughout the years in the two cases. The first conclusion is that the conditions can be treated as clear enablers for increasing the level of vitality in both cases. Furthermore, a low score on (most of) the conditions are accompanied with low scores on vitality. The secon

Simulating the impact of tax incentives using a type choice model for lease cars

Tax incentives for hybrid and electric cars are one of the possible policy instruments to reduce the CO2 emissions of cars. This paper looks at the impacts of this policy in the context of The Netherlands, where up to 2016 substantial tax incentives were provided to fuel efficient lease cars, especially for hybrid and electric lease cars. For this analysis this paper uses a new model of vehicle type choice. Existing models for the choice among car type alternatives either exclude electric and hybrid cars or are based on stated preference data. In both cases, the models usually focus on privately-owned cars. The car type choice model for lease cars, that is used in this paper, includes electric and hybrid alternatives and is estimated on revealed preference data from lease car users in The Netherlands. Simulations with this model show that the tax incentives provided over the period 2011–2016 have led to a reduction in CO2 emissions of lease cars, but also to an increase in the share of diesel cars and local air pollution

Self-Organization in Urban Regeneration: A Two-Case Comparative Research

Urban regeneration processes in which local stakeholders take the lead are interesting for realizing tailor made and sustainable urban regeneration, but are also faced with serious difficulties. We use the concept of self-organization from complexity theory to examine the relationship between local stakeholders’ initiatives and vital urban regeneration processes. We conducted a two-case comparative research, Caterham Barracks and Broad Street Business Improvement Districts Birmingham (UK), in which local stakeholders take the lead. We analyse the evolution of these regeneration processes by using two different manifestations of self-organization: autopoietic and dissipative self-organization. We found that a balanced interplay between autopoietic and dissipative self-organization of local stakeholders is important for vital urban regeneration processes to establish. We elaborate four explanatory conditions for this interplay. These conditions provide at the one hand stability and identity development, but also the needed connections with established actors and institutions around urban regeneration and flexibility to adjust to evolving demands during the process of regeneration. However, consolidation of such initiatives does mean a challenge for existing structures for the government, market and society that will need to adapt and change their roles to new governance realities. In this way self-organizing processes become meaningful in the regeneration of urban areas

Management en besluitvorming van complexe stedelijke projecten; respondentenverslag survey G4

Voorwoord: Wat doen managers van complexe stedelijke projecten, hoe zien de netwerken waar zij zich in bevinden er uit, hoe is hun relatie met de opdrachtgever binnen de gemeente en is vertrouwen tussen betrokken partijen belangrijk? Dit zijn een paar van de intrigerende vragen die wij hadden bij het opzetten van een enquête naar projectmanagers van de vier grote steden (Den Haag, Amsterdam, Utrecht en Rotterdam) en twee adviesbureaus die ook projecten doen in de grote steden

Citizens in Action, What Do They Accomplish?

There are high political and policy expectations of local and voluntary initiatives of citizens collaborating to provide public services themselves. Despite rising attention, existing research lacks systematic knowledge on the actual outcomes of citizen initiatives and on stimulating or hampering factors. Therefore, we present a systematic literature review using the PRISMA approach on citizen initiatives and related terms. The studies show citizens being able to achieve outcomes touching upon a broad range of public values. Furthermore, the review presents contributing factors, like government support and boundary spanning leadership. Yet, the field of citizen initiatives in the social sciences can benefit from more methodological and analytical rigor. We therefore conclude with a conceptual framework for community self-management that identifies relationships between outcomes and relevant factors and discuss future research directions

How do network characteristics influence network managers’ choice of strategies?

As indicated in the research on networks over the past 10 years, network management strategies are very important for achieving results in governance networks. But what characteristics influence the deployment of network management strategies? Using quantitative data on network managers in environmental projects at the local level, this paper looks at three important network characteristics (network size, degree of hierarchy, and conflict level) and assesses their influence on three categories of network management strategies: connecting, exploring, and arranging. The results show that, for network managers, more hierarchy leads to a stronger likelihood of choosing connecting; a larger network size leads to more exploring and arranging; and more conflict correlates with less use of connecting and exploring