Federalization of science and technology in Argentina. A review of initiatives of territorial and regional planning (1996-2007)

Abstract

El propósito del trabajo es explorar y caracterizar las iniciativas de territorialización y planificación regional en el sistema científico nacional entre los años 1996-2007. En particular, se explora: ¿Qué objetivos persiguen las políticas de regionalización? ¿Cuál es el contexto socio-político de las iniciativas? y ¿Cómo se estructura el entramado institucional en el proceso de regionalización? Se analizaron fuentes documentales y entrevistas semiestructuradas a informantes clave del ámbito académico y político. Los hallazgos muestran que entre 1996 y 2007 se crean estructuras regionales de planificación y desarrollo territorial en el marco de una política nacional de federalización, con una distribución de recursos y transferencia de atribuciones jurídico-institucionales. Sin embargo, su configuración como unidades descentralizadas con capacidades efectivas de gestión está fuertemente ligada a las estructuras y culturas organizaciones de cada uno de los organismos bajo análisisThe purpose of the article is to explain and characterize the initiatives of territorial and regional planning at the national scientific system between the years 1996-2007. In particular, it explores: What are the objectives regionalization policies? What is the socio-political context of the initiatives? and how the institutional framework is structured in the regionalization process? documentary sources and semi-structured interviews with key informants from the academic and political fields were analyzed. The findings show that between 1996 and 2007 regional planning structures and territorial development within the framework of a national policy of federalization, with a distribution of resources and transfer of legal-institutional powers are created. However, its configuration as decentralized manage- ment with affective capacities is strongly linked to the structures and cultures of organizations each of the agencies under analysis. The analysis of the data revealed that the policies of regionalization and territorial planning are set from the distribution of institutional legal to exercise the promotion, coordination and management of science policy at the regional level powers. These objectives conceive science and technology from a change of linear model but are configured according to the characteristics of the organizational structures of each region. That is, the change is developed as isomorphism. In these notes the analysis of the initiatives of territorial and regional development in the science and technology system organized into sixth sections. After a brief review of a socio-political perspective for policy analysis (first section), the methodological aspects (second section), and a summary of relevant background in the federal distribution of institutional legal for science powers arise, technology and innovation (third section); it is argued that there is possible to detect a tradition of national science policy planning in the sixties when are constituted -and distribute- regional structures with approaches taken by the federal and community contributors. This planning comes in active interaction with a backdrop of discussions and confrontation of approaches around the issue of economic development in non-industrialized or industrializing countries. However, certain disruptive factors such as the absence of specific regulations, have hampered the ability to explain and give consistency to the policy objectives of Science and Technology. This tradition of planning is recovered in the Nineties under a paradigm of strategic planning that sought an order in the system of science and technology from a clear distinction between new organisms public planning at the federal level, on the one hand and institutions that develop activities science and technology on the other. In light of this background, the fourth and fifth section examines the policies of science, technology and innovation between 2001 and 2007. The findings allow review tradition -not without tensions and territorial approach spark-contexts- thus distinguishing the historical character of their interventions. From a legal and political-institutional level the progress of a scenario of increasing institutionalization and functional differentiation of structures arises. However, the organizational perspective on these new structures or institutions put in tension the purpose of state planning systemically. The analysis shows that the formal legal powers assigned to new decentralized units without an effective counter-part in terms of instruments of power is insufficient to ensure effective management and coordination at regional level. The sixth section contains some final thoughts and forward new lines of inquiryFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

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