Beyond engagement: Enhancing equity in collaborative water governance

The framework of collaborative water governance (CWG) has been championed as a promising model for water management across the globe. China is a country confronted by serious water pollution and shortage problems. In recent years, many scholars and practitioners have turned to CWG as an effective model for water crisis management in China. However, the political nature of CWG and China’s Authoritarian Environmentalism is inherently conflictual, hence, the development of CWG in China poses a theoretical puzzle, i.e., how the bottom-up CWG model can coexist with the top-down Authoritarian Environmentalism in China’s water politics. To better understand this puzzle, this article explores CWG’s intertwinement with environmental authoritarianism through a case study of “safe water supply project” in 11 coal-mining villages in Shanxi province of North China. Drawing on fieldwork between 2019 and 2021 in H city of Shangxi province, this research shows that the central government’s pledge to provide safe water to every villager in rural China has not materialized so far. The dilemma of safe water supply in coal mining villages in H city shows that, on one side, the central government attempted to show its great will and commitment to providing safe water to everyone in rural China through an approach of environmental authoritarianism; while on the other side, the local governments tended to select the CWG model as a method for practical implementation as well as a blame avoidance strategy. Our study identifies five stakeholders in the villages’ safe water supply projects: the Department of Water Resources of the City Government, the Township Government, Coal Mining Enterprises, village cadres and villagers. The outcome of the safe water supply project in these villages is constrained by the transparency and trust deficit among stakeholders when facing cooperation and conflict management obstacles.

PurposeThis paper aims to study the results of open innovation initiatives in Spain under the lockdown during the first stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the most recent literature on open innovation in the public sector, this paper explores the following research questions, namely, what are the key features of collaborative governance processes that guided open innovation initiatives in the Spanish public sector during the COVID-19 crises? How open public innovation cases generated public value to the society during the COVID-19 crises in Spain?Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on two in-depth case studies of open innovation in the public sector: the collaborative platform Frena la Curva and the hackathon Vence al Virus, both launched during the first moments of the COVID-19 crisis. The methodology is based on 13 semi-structured interviews, content observation and documentary analysis. The data were interpreted according to the dimensions described in the analytical framework: descriptive dimensions of both initiatives but also their degree of elaboration, incentives and objectives, characteristics of governance and collaboration between actors and challenges for the accountability processes; and finally, their procedural legitimacy, considering the COVID-19 crisis context.FindingsThe results of the study show that citizens have played a key role during the hardest stage of the crisis, collaborating with governments and advancing their innovative capabilities, mostly in the digital sphere. The analysis also identified different outcomes, including the improvement of citizen’s involvement, deliberation practices or network building. Besides, this paper has identified some limitations and barriers to open innovation and collaborative governance processes in terms of accountability and legitimacy of these initiatives. Here, their contribution was constrained by the emerging stage of implementation and by the unique circumstances of the lockdown under the COVID-19 crisis.Research limitations/implicationsFuture advancements of open innovation initiatives to consolidate collaborative governance processes will need further exploration. Although this paper diversified the contacts and the data collection in the fieldwork to avoid social biases, the results of the interviews might reflect very positive outcomes. Despite the case studies that took place during the COVID-19 crisis and their planned actions to maintain their existence, the post-crisis analysis will be needed to assess the impact of these open innovation cases in collaborative governance structures.Practical implicationsOpen innovation is an emerging narrative and practice in the public sector requiring time and energy from public officials and managers. The study also highlighted the problem of how to legitimate open innovation cases in the public sector and the implications for their institutionalization. Public managers involved in these types of initiatives need to keep the momentum both inside and outside their organizations. Regarding the utilization of information and communications technologies (ICTs), open innovation processes do not need technology to develop their full potential, whereas the COVID-19 crisis and the ongoing digitalization of work settings, accessibility, etc., could transform ICTs into a critical tool for public managers leading innovation initiatives within their organizations.Social implicationsThe social implications of this paper are manifold. This study provides evidence of one of the future avenues of public management: open innovation. New avenues for the involvement and collaboration of citizens with public authorities are another social implication pinpointed by this paper. Democratic legitimacy and procedural accountability are assessed using the open innovation case studies during the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, transforming governments using collaborative platforms deserves social oversight understanding if they really contribute to build trust in political institutions.Originality/valueDespite their differences, both Frena la Curva and Vence al Virus demonstrated the potential and limitations of public innovation and collaborative governance to cope with an unprecedented crisis such as the COVID-19. The special features of this emergency, including the long period of confinement, posed challenges and also opportunities to develop these initiatives: as several interviewees stated, these projects helped to channel the civic energy to co-produce solutions in collaboration with a wide range of actors. Data allow us to identify the key features of collaborative governance that guided open innovation initiatives in the Spanish public sector during the COVID-19 crisis.

Abstract: The Social Rehabilitation Program for Uninhabitable Houses abbreviated as rutilahu is a program to improve the quality of housing through repairs as a whole and/or entirely with the principles of acceptability, transparency, accountability, integration, partnership, solidarity, benefits and participation. This study aims to describe in depth the process of collaborative governance in the Social Rehabilitation Program for Uninhabitable Houses in the City of Surabaya. This type of research uses descriptive qualitative techniques with the determining informants through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data collection techniques used were observations, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis techniques using "interactive model of analysis" by Miles and Huberman (2014). The collaborative governance process is analyzed by theory (Ansell & Gash, 2007) including face to face dialogue, trust building, commitment to the process, shared understanding, and intermediate outcomes. The results showed that the collaboration process had been successfully carried out at the face to face dialogue, trust building, share understanding, and intermediate outcome stages between the DPRKPP of Surabaya City with BP2P Jawa IV, Baznas Surabaya, YMI ITS, Victory Community Church of Surabaya, KTPR, Bank Mandiri, and from private donor. Meanwhile, the collaboration process at the commitment to the process stage has been quite successful between the parties. In the commitment to the process stage, the majority of the collaborating or participating parties do not yet have written documents that can strengthen their collaborative relationship, so at least a letter of agreement is needed stating or known by the parties concerned.

This study investigates the use of ‘collaborative governance’ – a pan-sectoral approach to the permanent shifting of regulatory norms – as a response to evolutionary pressures in markets that are classically bureaucratic. We explore the process by which, and conditions under which, such ‘strong’ governments employ collaborative approaches to governance. Using extensive interviews, documentary data and observations in the market of healthcare , we model five roles of the public actor in the collaborative governance process: 1) inviting and enabling field level, organizational participation; 2) capacity building at market and actor level; 3) framing at market and actor level; 4) structuring; and 5) enabling innovation. By comparing two such contexts, in Ireland and the State of New York, we find that pre-existing government roles in the market impact on the need to adopt a collaborative governance approach with governments that play multiple roles in the market, e.g. supplier in addition to regulator, having greater recourse to collaborative governance models. Whereas collaborative governance approaches have traditionally been examined in situations where actors seek to retrospectively insert public good considerations into heavily marketized contexts, we uncover a reversal of such approaches where collaborative governance is instead used to defend public good considerations where this public good faces marketization dynamics. In doing so we extend the application domain for collaborative governance approaches from weak into strong state governance contexts.

The efforts of Indonesian people who are on the poverty line, especially in urban areas, are to create their own jobs. One of the many informal workers is street vendors, generally these street vendors sell in public facilities and infrastructure without complying with the rules which were converted by street vendors to sell and with the construction of the Telkom Ketintang SDK it looks neater and cleaner in terms of urban planning. This research adopts a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Data collection techniques involve interviews, observation, and documentation. The research focus centered on the Collaborative Governance process by Ricardo S. Morse and John B. Stephens in 2012. The existence of Collaborative Governance was due to the work program of the Surabaya City Government to overcome flooding. Each party has a task, namely PT. Telkom in the form of human resources and funds to build the Telkom Ketintang SDK while the Surabaya City Government focuses on repairing culverts so they don't flood, and developing street vendors. Collaboration with PT. Telkom and the Surabaya City Government have a letter of agreement or MOU. This Collaborative Governance provides significant changes to the problems that occur. The assessment concluded that the presence of street vendors selling on the side of the highway and above water culverts caused problems, so the street vendors were relocated to culinary tourism centers; Initiation went well with the response given by the Surabaya City Government and PT. Telkom Witel South Surabaya in responding to the initiation that will be carried out; Deliberation went smoothly by discussing the basic rules of cooperation carried out by stakeholders; Implementation stakeholders are mutually committed to the results of the agreement and a cooperation agreement is implemented by the stakeholders. Upaya masyarakat Indonesia yang berada pada garis kemiskinan khususnya di perkotaan adalah dengan menciptakan lapangan kerja sendiri. Pekerja informal yang banyak salah satunya adalah PKL, umumnya PKL ini berjualan di sarana dan prasarana umum tanpa mematuhi aturan yang dialihfungsikan oleh PKL untuk berjualan dan dengan dibangunnya SDK Telkom Ketintang terlihat lebih rapi dan bersih dari segi perencanaan Kota. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data meliputi wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Fokus penelitian berpusat pada proses Collaborative Governance yang dilakukan oleh Ricardo S. Morse dan John B. Stephens pada tahun 2012. Adanya Collaborative Governance karena adanya program kerja Pemerintah Kota Surabaya dalam mengatasi banjir. Masing-masing pihak mempunyai tugas yaitu PT. Telkom berupa SDM dan dana untuk membangun SDK Telkom Ketintang sedangkan Pemkot Surabaya fokus memperbaiki gorong-gorong agar tidak banjir, dan mengembangkan PKL. Kerjasama dengan PT. Telkom dan Pemerintah Kota Surabaya mempunyai surat perjanjian atau MOU. Collaborative Governance ini memberikan perubahan yang signifikan terhadap permasalahan yang terjadi. Hasil pengkajian menyimpulkan bahwa keberadaan PKL yang berjualan di pinggir jalan raya dan di atas gorong-gorong menimbulkan permasalahan, sehingga PKL tersebut direlokasi ke sentra wisata kuliner; Inisiasi berjalan baik dengan respon yang diberikan oleh Pemerintah Kota Surabaya dan PT. Telkom Witel Surabaya Selatan dalam menyikapi inisiasi yang akan dilakukan; Musyawarah berjalan lancar dengan pembahasan aturan dasar kerjasama yang dilakukan oleh pemangku kepentingan; Pemangku kepentingan implementasi saling berkomitmen terhadap hasil kesepakatan dan perjanjian kerja sama dilaksanakan oleh para pemangku kepentingan

The purpose of this research is to determine and analyze the Collaborative Governance Process in Agrotourism Development in Palembang City (Case Study of Sungai Jawi Educational Agrotourism, Sungai Selincah Village, Kalidoni District in Palembang City). The research method used in this research is a qualitative research method. According to Dermadi (2013:153), the research method is a scientific method for obtaining data with several useful purposes. The scientific method refers to research activities that are based on scientific principles, namely rational, experimental, and systematic. Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that the research method is a scientific method for obtaining data with certain purposes and applications. Based on the results of research regarding the Collaborative Governance Development Process in Palembang City (case study of Sungai Jawi Educational Agrotourism, Kalidoni District), the Collaborative Governance Process in the development of Jawi River Educational Agrotourism has been carried out through the stages of face to face dialogue, trust building. trust), commitment to the process (commitment to the process), and intermediate outcomes (intermediate results achieved) which have been implemented well.

We explore the social processes supporting transformation towards collaborative water governance in the uMngeni catchment, South Africa. Using Holling’s adaptive cycle as a heuristic of phases (conservation, release, reorganisation and exploitation) present during transformation of social-ecological systems, we consider the role of learning, power, agency and structure during each phase of the evolution of the uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership (UEIP). The UEIP is a partnership between government, research institutions, and civil society groups that facilitates broader and more collaborative participation in water management. During the conservation phase, strong control power and institutional structure (denoted by a hierarchical governance mode embodying control and regulation by the State) limited the introduction of new ideas and reinforced single-loop learning. The release phase was triggered by a shock which weakened control power and permitted the introduction of new ideas thereby enabling double-loop learning. The changing conditions gave rise to protean power (defined as results of practices of agile actors coping with uncertainty) which enhanced the agency of key actors who began to mobilise others in a rapid phase of re-organisation. Triple-loop learning was evident in the exploitation phase as new collaborative institutions, that were better able to accommodate innovative ideas, began to emerge. We found the adaptive cycle helpful for delineating phases of change, while the four multi-faceted processes of learning, power, agency and structure proved useful in illuminating dynamics of change. This understanding may help to inform actions to steer transformations towards more sustainable and collaborative water governance in South Africa and elsewhere.

ABSTRACTThis article examines the various definitions of, and analytical approaches to, collaborative water governance (CWG). While the concept’s usage has increased over the past decade, there lacks any deep engagement with the concept of the political at the heart of CWG. This article argues that contemporary approaches to CWG risk emptying the concept of its utility and coherence. Correcting this deficiency requires a focus on the social and ideational constructions of water. This will strengthen future collaborative water arrangements and enable deeper appreciation of the ways the political makes and remakes what is possible in water governance.

Collaborative governance has become a crucial paradigm in complex disaster management, yet its implementation at the local level in Indonesia still faces various challenges. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the collaborative governance process in disaster mitigation management orchestrated by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Batu City. Using a qualitative case study approach and the theoretical framework of the collaborative process by Ansell and Gash (2007), this research dissects the dynamics of cross-sectoral interactions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 key stakeholders from BPBD, related Regional Government Organizations (OPD), the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), and the Disaster Risk Reduction Forum (FPRB), as well as through observation and document analysis. The findings reveal that the collaboration process in Batu City substantively operates through the five dimensions of the Ansell and Gash model: (1) Face-to-Face Dialogue is institutionalized through formal forums and accelerated by informal digital platforms; (2) Trust Building is catalyzed by facilitative leadership and intensive communication; (3) Commitment to the Process is manifested through routine activities and strong community participation; (4) Shared Understanding has been established at the community level but remains hindered by sectoral egos at the OPD level; and (5) Intermediate Outcomes, such as the formation of an active FPRB and shared knowledge products, have strengthened the legitimacy and momentum of the collaboration. This study concludes that while the collaborative model is effective at the operational and community levels, structural challenges at the bureaucratic level, particularly sectoral egos and human resource capacity gaps, are major impediments. The contribution of this article is to provide empirical validation and elaboration of the Ansell and Gash model in the Indonesian disaster context and to offer policy recommendations for strengthening local disaster governance. ‎

Growing recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ legal rights to forests has motivated an increase in collaborative forest governance in recent decades. Collaborative governance literature, however, has paid little attention to the influence of legal approaches. This paper explores two legal instruments, constitutionally entrenched rights and statutory rights, and their influence on six elements of collaborative governance identified in literature: starting conditions, institutional design, facilitative leadership, collaborative process, systems context and outcomes. In Canada, constitutionally entrenched and collective Indigenous rights are interpreted by the courts, resulting in a complex body of jurisprudence. Statutory rights in India are not constitutionally protected and focus on the individual, rather than the collective. In both countries, these legal instruments address conflict, injustice and forest access, and have led to the establishment of different forms of collaborative forest governance.

<p class="E-JOURNALAbstractBody"><em>The involvement of three pillars in tourism management: government, community, and private sector. Collaboration between these three pillars is crucial for creating a sustainable tourism industry, providing economic benefits for local communities, and preserving culture and the environment. One tourism sector that attracts visitors is the Ketenger Tourism Village in Banyumas Regency. Ketenger Village holds a wealth of natural and cultural potential supported by the ability and capacity of the tourism village's institutions to manage this potential. The purpose of this study is to determine the collaboration process in the development of the Ketenger Tourism Village. This study uses a descriptive research method with a qualitative approach. Secondary data to support the research were obtained through data available in journals, articles, newspapers, or online news. The results show that the Collaborative Governance process, which includes five indicators, has not been optimally implemented, particularly in the aspects of commitment to the process and shared understanding. However, other indicators have been running well in accordance with the government's pattern in developing the region, which will have an impact on the progress of the Ketenger Tourism Village.</em><em></em></p>

Collaborative governance is frequently thought to improve legitimacy and environmental outcomes. However, there remain gaps in our knowledge of whether and how collaborative governance influences legitimacy. Drawing on political systems theory and using a comparative case survey method, we explore legitimacy dimensions at the input, throughput, output, and outcome stages in 14 collaborative decision-making process in Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009-2017. Our qualitative inquiry utilizes coding categories that intertwine legitimacy with collaborative governance indicators. The analysis of these freshwater cases highlights the importance of input legitimacy within and across cases, emphasizing the critical nature of defining roles, responsibilities, authority, and mandate before collaboration. We delve into the implications of these findings for collaborative efforts in Aotearoa New Zealand and on an international scale.

The current study examines how the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) used collaborative governance to manage crises. It also aims to identify the elements of cooperative governance, fundamental tactics, and challenges encountered during crisis management. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were used. Twelve interviews with the PDMA top management were conducted and data was transcribed through thematic analysis. It has been determined that collaborative governance and fundamental and complementary conditions impact crisis management, particularly when building collaborative processes. It has also been discovered that the key prerequisites for developing the collaborative process are leadership activities and face-to-face negotiation. Contrarily, supportive settings entail an initial understanding, trust, and commitment that enhance the collaborative process without endangering crisis management. However, the research findings connect well with existing theories especially in governance frameworks on the importance of interactive dynamics. These perceptions can enlighten future study and pursue the practices in crisis management, mostly in how collaborative governance can influence to improve awareness and resilience in disaster management struggle.

This research aims to determine the strategy of domestic waste management in Jatiasih sub-District of Bekasi City, in this case whether collaborative governance theory has been applied in domestic waste management in Jatiasih sub-District of Bekasi City. This research use descriptive qualitative method, where data collection techniques are carried out by conducting interviews, documentation and obsevation. In collecting data, the researcher chose informants using purposive sampling technique where the researcher selected 6 (six) informants, namely 1 (one) Head of Technical Implementation Unit of The Environmental Service Office of Jatiasih sub-District or later called UPTD LH Jatiasih sub-District, 1 (one) person busines actor, 1 (one) trash bank activist and 3 (three) community members. The results showed that the strategy of domestic waste management in Jatiasih sub-District of Bekasi City has not applied the collaborative governance theory as a whole. In the domestic waste management, the UPTD LH Jatiasih sub-District has not optimally involved the community members in the strategy of domestic waste management in Jatiasih sub-District of Bekasi City. This relates to the fact that indicators in the collaborative governance process have not yet been fully implemented. The domestic waste management in Jatiasih sub-District of Bekasi City still faces various problems.

The increasing complexity of urban regeneration issues has recently made multi-stakeholder collaboration an important part to solve policy problems. While residents form an important part in a variety of collaborative governance processes, approaches used are often criticized as too formal, and lacking more inclusive participation. Therefore, new informal mechanisms of collaboration are sought, to ensure a more effective engagement and representation of population groups. Although community-led participation is the approach that leads to a more effective collaborative process, issues of power and inequality are a challenge in many places in planning practice [13]. Ways of civic empowerment, communication, and negotiation provide participants with transformative learning opportunities so that not only their arguments change but also the participants of the participation process themselves [6]. In order to test urban development ideas, the notion of "urban experiment" has been developed in recent years as a recognized and effective approach. The urban environment is viewed as a creative laboratory for testing the implementation of diverse initiatives and innovations [8]. The inner-city neighbourhoods in many cities are struggling to ensure vitality and liveability, thus these areas often represent a widespread location of urban experiments. In addition to these questions, the problem of community representation manifests itself in many inner cities. The potential to transform city centre streets and vacant areas into user-friendly urban spaces and the impact of those transformations on the city’s livability were recently tested by Riga municipality. Urban experiments varied in scale and form, resulting in street pedestrianization, urban gardens, and other temporary initiatives, which allowed more space for walking and cycling, street sales, social events and other activities. Thus, the aim of this article is to explore processes of testbed planning with regard to the role of community participation in the designing, implementing, and analysing phases of the experiment. After presenting the findings, the article concludes with a discussion on factors that influence public participation in collaborative governance including communication, the balance of interests, and the degree of resident involvement in decision-making.