Abstract book «Participation in planning and public policy» 23/24 Feb 2017 Un...
12.2.10. #2 patricia silva
1. Learning from the past: can we unveil a winning
formula for networked governance under European
Union regional policy?
Patrícia Silva
Filipe Teles
Artur da Rosa Pires
2. 1. Territorial governance
1. Theoretical framework
2. Drivers of territorial governance
3. The (renewed) role of HEI in the promotion of local and regional
development
4. The (current) research agenda
2. Methodological framework
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
1. Incentives for involving HEI: an unnecessary hassle or a useful practise?
2. Perceived obstacles and strategies to overcome them
3. From reluctance to enduring cooperation: spill-over effects
4. A different collaborative approach with different preferences for the
allocation of funds?
5. The dark side of implementation
4. Concluding remarks
A winning formula for networked governance?
Summary
3. • Interdependence with diverse stakeholders to solve governance
problems through cooperation and not through centralized command
and control (McCarthy, 1998; Stoker, 2011; Rhodes, 1997)
• The promotion of greater policy coordination and cooperation
between actors from a shared territorial vision - territorial
governance(Feio e Chorincas, 2009)
• Mutual adjustment between practices and objectives of different
actors (Olsson, 2003)
• Sharing knowledge and resources(Mullins & van Bortel, 2010)
• Complexity of the interactions and processes of negotiation (Olsson,
2003)
i. Theoretical framework
1. Territorial governance
4. • Europeanisation of decision-making processes
• European context as the engine of territorial
governance, by encouraging inter-institutional
partnerships (Zerbinati, 2012; Evans, 1999; Piattoni, 2009; Dotti,
2012)
• NSRF 2007-2013: stimulus to the transfer of centralized
decision-making processes to open and horizontal
(Bachtler & McMaster, 2008; Bruszt, 2008; Dąbrowski, 2011;
Zerbinati, 2012), with the development of partnerships
between local governments and institutions of
knowledge (Winters, 2009).
ii. Drivers of territorial governance
1. Territorial governance
5. • Widespread recognition of HEI’ role in the promotion of
local and regional development (vide inter alia Clark, 1998;
Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 1999; Gunasekara, 2004; OECD, 2007);
• HEI’s relevance during economic downturns (Rodrigues &
Melo, 2012; Winters, 2009; Haveri & Airaksinen, 2007)
• HEI’s relevance when local or regional authorities show a
lack of pro-active attitudes and when local entrepreneurs
have a deficit of associative behaviour (Pires & Castro, 1997)
• HEI are urged to participate in regional development
strategies as they are best positioned to build and
strengthen skills, to promote academic entrepreneurship
and innovation knowledge transfer (Winters, 2009)
iii. The renewed role of HEI in the promotion of local and regional development
1. Territorial governance
6. • However,
• Lack of empirical studies on inter-institutional partnership, activities
and critical elements of success (Provan and Milward 2001, p. 414;
McGuire & Agranoff, 2011, p. 272)
• Literature analyzes the existence of mechanisms for cooperation,
without analyzing their effects (Bardach, 1998, p. 23)
• The limitations of territorial governance are rarely recognized
(McGuire & Agranoff, 2011, p. 280).
• This approach is particularly relevant in the context of
the 2020 Strategy:
• reinforcement of mutual learning;
• enhancement of stakeholder’s participation (Zeitlin, 2010)
iv. The (current) research agenda
1. Governação territorial
7. • The Baixo-Vouga as a paradigmatic case (Yin, 2003):
• Entails a peculiarity in that this collaborative relationship represents
a significant departure from a confined perspective of academic-
industry relationship based on consultation only and was focused
on the wider scope for technology and knowledge transfer (Pires et
al. ,2012 )
• Innovative partnership: joint ownership of the Territorial
Development Plan (UA and CIRA)
• University becomes a partner in the design of regional development
policy
i. The Baixo Vouga case study
2. Methodological framework
8. Use of mixed methods:
• Direct observation:
• Active participation of one of the authors in the preparation of the
Territorial Development Plan; in formal and informal meetings
involving local and regional stakeholders
• Documentary analysis:
• Analysis of the contracts to understand the allocative choices of
inter-municipal communities
• In-depth semi-structured interviews:
• Interviews with key informants: mayors; senior officials and
researchers with substantial experience in dealing with the TDP
ii. Sources and data collection
2. Methodological framework
9. • University with a relatively long tradition of contributing to regional
development
• Routines of interaction were framed under “policy programmes” (Borrás &
Radaelli, 2011, p. 469):
• revolved around precise goals within one single policy area and dealt with the
management of local or regional resources (Pires & Castro, 1997; Pires et al.,2012;
Conde, 2007, p. 48)
• based on uncoordinated, spontaneous actions depending on what were mainly
isolated and voluntary initiatives of both lecturers and firms (Pires & Castro, 1997)
• Financial incentives
• European financial framework for 2007-2013: substantially different
from former Community Support Framework
• Local governments’ weaknesses in understanding the “new language” and
requirements of the (new) european regional policy approach (Lisbon and
Gothenburg Agendas)
• TDP was meant to target strategic, holistic and cross-cutting problems
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
i. Incentives for involving HEI: an unnecessary hassle or a useful practise?
10. • Perceived Obstacles:
• local governments’ difficulty in sharing the leadership of this
process
• (assumed) unawareness regarding the work developed by the
University of Aveiro
• difficulties related to the co-definition of the agenda
• Overcome through:
• formal (public) protocols: acceptance of the partnership principle, as
an integral part of the local approach to regional development policy
• several meetings and conferences gathering regional stakeholders:
unique opportunities to discuss the new European Union agenda
and the way the projects to be included in the TDP could benefit
from being oriented towards the new agenda
ii. Perceived Obstacles and strategies to overcome them
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
11. • Academics’ perceptions:
• enhancement of the multidisciplinary approach in the production of
scientific knowledge
• new stimulus towards the seeking of strategic partnerships with the
regional business community and local authorities
• willingness of academics to produce useful knowledge for regional
development
• Local governments’ perceptions:
• acknowledge the new way of thinking in terms of cohesion policy
and the Lisbon strategy
• greater tendency of creating new synergies and new institutional
processes of territorial cooperation - increasing tendency of using
scientific knowledge in a set of public policy initiatives
iii. From reluctance to enduring cooperation: spill-over effects
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
12. • A multiplicity of projects combining science, local
resources and entrepreneurial dimension (Pires, 2012)
• Tiles (ovar) (Civil Engineering, Material Dep.)
• Bread with sweet eggs (Ovar) (Chemestry Dep.)
• Eels and “Local” fish Gastronomy (Murtosa) (Bio, Tourism, L&C
Dep.)
• CicloRia (Murtosa, Estarreja e Ovar) (Dep. Social Politic. Terr.
Sciences)
• Lighting Living Lab (Águeda) (Dep. Electronics and Telecom.)
• Water Effenciency (Association of Municipalities) ( Civil Eng. Dep.)
• “Cultural” Regeneration of Historical Urban Center (Ílhavo) (Dep.
Art and Communication plus Dep. Languages and Culture)
iii. From reluctance to enduring cooperation: spill-over effects
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
14. v. The dark side of implementation
32,4 33,1 34,5
17,2
68,9
10,3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Lisbon agenda (immaterial
investments)
Traditional agenda Other investments
Designed Implemented
3. Learning from the past: effects of the NSRF
15. In places lacking cooperative culture, partnerships can develop in na
incremental manner, built uppon the experience and trust among the
actors (Dabrowski, 2011)
5. Concluding remarks
i. Gradual internalization of the partnership approach
Thin learning Thick learning
Motivations
Partnership stemmed from the
desire to acquire funds and was
initially seen as an obligation
Perception of
usefulness and
appropriateness
of the
partnership
approach
• Efforts were developed so that
partnership would be perceived as useful
and with objectives that did not conflict
with (the majority) of local governments
priorities and interests
• Meetings and conferences gathering
regional stakeholders, which fostered
informal links and networks
• Local governments’ desire to improve
policy practices and it’s outcomes thought
the inclusion of academic knowledge
Spillover effects
• Voluntary use of partnership within and
beyond the structural funds programmes.
16. • Prospective outlook
• Overcome the dependency on individual actors
• Enhance the use of monitoring devices
• Increase the use of hard mechanisms
i. Implications of the study for territorial governance
5. Concluding remarks
