| 1. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Collaboration as a policy instrument in public administration : evidence from forest policy and governance
- 2024
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Ingår i: Environmental Policy and Governance. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1756-932X .- 1756-9338.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent decades, collaboration has become a common policy instrument in public administration, both internationally and in Sweden. Inspired by scholarly literature on collaborative governance, the aim of this study is to analyze the crucial role of public administration in the design and implementation of collaborative governance. Drawing on several years of research on Swedish forest policy and governance, our work is based on extensive empirical material, including 88 semi-structured interviews, observations, written comments from open public consultations and actors, enacted policy documents, open public hearings and a survey. Our results confirm that factors related to process design strongly affect the outputs and outcomes of collaboration in public administration. We assert that public officials should meticulously design and adapt the collaborative process during its initiation and progress, according to the policy problem and actors' incentives and motivations to participate. However, despite good intentions by public officials, the overarching priorities and contextual factors governing the policy area must be set by elected decision makers at an early stage to establish democratic accountability and high levels of policy legitimacy and acceptance. A major implication for public administration is that the increasing use of collaborative governance may be highly inefficient if it is difficult for participants to draft shared objectives and provide intended outputs because of low levels of trust, and different interpretations of knowledge and norms. Finally, in contentious policy areas, such as forest policy, political priorities must sometimes be set by elected decision makers rather than through collaborative processes.
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| 2. |
- Bjärstig, Therese, Docent, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Is large-scale wind power a problem, solution, or victim? A frame analysis of the debate in Swedish media
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Media content analysis was used with the aim of developing an understanding of how the debate on large-scale wind power has played out over time in Sweden, especially in relation to the enactment of national interest areas for wind power. Covering the period 1999 to 2019 and using NVivo for coding and analysis, we reviewed a total of 788 articles in both national and regional daily newspapers. To identify which actors are present in media and how they frame large-scale wind power, we conducted a frame analysis by applying three theoretical elements developed by previous media studies. The first is a diagnostic element used to pinpoint the cause to a problem, the second a prognostic element used to pinpoint the solution to a problem, and the third a motivating element used to identify the person(s) or object(s) suffering from the problem, that is, victim. Our results emphasize that wind power in recent years has been framed as a solution more often than a cause to a problem. One prevailing framing is the localization of large-scale wind power per se and conflicts with other land-uses and national interests. We also identify a tension between international and national policy objectives and local implementation of large-scale wind power. Governmental agencies are the most common framers over time, together with individuals (e.g. locals and second home owners) and wind entrepreneurs. Importantly, whereas politicians and wind entrepreneurs most often frame wind power as a solution, individuals frame it as a cause to a problem.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Eckerberg, Katarina, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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Devolving power from the state : local initiatives for nature protection and recreation in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Local Environment. - : Routledge. - 1354-9839 .- 1469-6711. ; 25:6, s. 433-446
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Quests for devolving more power to local actors for nature protection stem from both international and national policies. Also, there is a growing recognition of the need for local governments to promote green infrastructure for citizens to recreate and learn about their environment. Starting in 2004, the Swedish government has allocated special funding towards these goals through the Local Nature Conservation Programme (LONA). Virtually all Swedish municipalities have received such funding in pursuit of facilitating wide access to nature and promoting recreational activities, including the protection of nature areas, creating pathways, information devices, and promoting these areas among new societal groups to enjoy. This study presents the results of ten years of experience with LONA. A survey with respondents from 191 municipalities and 20 county administrations, together with 20 key informant interviews, show that the programme has been a success in several respects. Not only have most municipalities created a wealth of new ways to engage local organisations and citizens in nature conservation and recreation, but they have also broadened the ways they think about how nature is important to their constituencies. Due to innovative ways to count voluntary work as local matching of funding, smaller and less resourceful municipalities have also become engaged. Still, the local needs for further initiatives are deemed considerable. State support coupled with knowledge sharing is important to show policy priority to such bottom-up initiatives.
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| 5. |
- Eckerberg, Katarina, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
-
Tio års erfarenheter med LONA – lokala naturvårdssatsningen : Intresse, deltagande och lärande inom naturvård och friluftsliv
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- LONA har nu pågått i över tio år, och den stora majoriteten av kommunerna i Sverige har sökt och även fått bidrag. Därmed utgör LONA den största nationella satsningen hittills för att åstadkomma ett breddat intresse och ökat lokalt initiativtagande i arbetet med lokal naturvård och friluftsliv – helt i linje med regeringens intention och i enlighet med internationella åtaganden. Syftet att involvera fler olika lokala aktörer i naturvårdsarbetet har nåtts genom att mer än hälften av kommunerna gjort detta i stor utsträckning eller helt och hållet i sina beviljade LONA-projekt.De LONA-åtgärder som beviljats berör de flesta nationella miljömålen, men som förväntat dominerar Ett rikt växt- och djurliv och God bebyggd miljö. De flesta åtgärderna är relativt små, den typiska åtgärden har en total budget, inklusive egenfinansiering, om cirka 56 000 kr. Omkring en tredjedel av projekten inkluderar ideella föreningar, vilka möjliggjorts genom att ideellt arbete får räknas som medfinansiering. Både projektens storlek och andelen projekt med ideella samarbetspartners har varit relativt stabilt över åren.De flesta LONA-projekten handlar om framtagande av underlag, informationsspridning eller kunskapsuppbyggnad medan en tredjedel rör restaurering, skydd och förvaltning. Under perioden 2010-2016 har en viss minskning av insatser riktade mot människa/friluftsliv skett till förmån för insatser riktade mot naturvärden – trots den ökade politiska prioriteringen av lokalt friluftsliv. Åtgärder riktade mot kulturvärden liksom områdesskydd utgör en marginell andel. Betydligt fler än hälften av LONAprojekten berör tätortsnära områden i linje med regeringens ambitioner, men vi ser också att mindre kommuner i glesbygden lyckats väl att stå sig i konkurrensen om LONA-medel. Av de projekt som beviljats medel drivs majoriteten av en kommun, följt av kommun och förening i samverkan och därefter av en ideell förening.Inriktningen på LONA-projekten varierar endast marginellt beroende på vem som driver projektet. Även om samtliga län har kommuner som beviljats medel utmärker sig Skåne, Västra Götalands och Stockholms län med både flest LONA-projekt och beviljade medel.LONA-stödet är mycket uppskattat bland kommunerna, där åtta av tio kommuner anser att LONA i stor utsträckning eller helt och hållet stämmer överens med den egna kommunens behov av stöd vad gäller naturvård. Motsvarande siffra för friluftsliv är sju av tio kommuner. För många större kommuner är LONA visserligen ett välkommet tillskott, men utgör inte en förutsättning för kommunens arbete med naturvård och friluftsliv. I många mindre kommuner är LONA helt avgörande för att de ska kunna satsa på lokalt naturvårds- och friluftsarbete. Fördelningen av medel har skett så att dessa kommuner också beviljats mest bidrag räknat per invånare. Flertalet kommuner uppger att LONA utgör en väsentlig del av kommunens budget för naturvård, medan budgetandelen är något mindre för friluftsliv. Särskilt i kommuner som har förmånen att ha en kommunekolog har LONA starkt bidragit till att fler insatser inom naturvård och friluftsliv blir genomförda. LONA-programmet tillåter att ett och samma projekt finansieras med olika stödformer såsom Landsbygdsprogrammet och LIFE, så länge som enskilda åtgärder som har fått LONA-bidrag inte medfinansieras av dessa anslag. Genom möjligheten att kombinera olika stödformer har LONA fått ytterligare mervärde. Majoriteten av kommunerna framhåller fördelen med LONA är att det är relativt enkelt att söka, särskilt i jämförelse med EU-stöd.Deltagandet av externa aktörer i lokala naturvårds- och friluftslivsprojekt har ökat genom LONA, men vi ser också att det finns en skillnad mellan större och mindre kommuner i detta avseende. Mindre kommuner har ofta begränsade egna resurser vilket gör att de gärna tar hjälp av ideella föreningar, medan många större kommuner har möjlighet att driva projekten helt själva. Vissa kommuner väljer därför medvetet att inte involvera externa aktörer. Vår undersökning tyder på att när det gäller involvering av ideella organisationer är det kanske snarare skilda arbetssätt än regler som påverkar. Regelverket har dock viss påverkan på involveringen av privata företag, som också mer sällan finns med i projekten, eftersom vissa frågetecken kring hur vinstdrivande företag kan driva respektive medverka i LONA-projekt fortsatt återstår att reda ut.Kommunekologer, och då särskilt i större kommuner, är starkt drivande inom LONAarbetet, följt av andra kommunala tjänstemän och ideella organisationer inom miljö och naturvård, fiskevård, byalag m.m. I mindre kommuner finns en starkare tendens att ideella föreningar tar initiativ till och engagerar sig både i naturvårds- och friluftslivsprojekten jämfört med stora kommuner. Inom naturvården finns redan etablerade nätverk att vända sig till, medan det inom friluftslivet i högre grad handlar om att skapa nya nätverk för att skapa och genomföra LONA-projekt. Kommunal samordning och samarbete via kommunförbund lyfts fram som värdefullt av flera kommuner, och en generell trend är att samverkan och kunskapsutbyte mellan kommuner har ökat över tid. Även kommunernas kontakter med olika lokala nätverk har ökat.Det finns ett fortsatt stort upplevt behov av att skydda fler tätortsnära områden, och LONA ses som mycket viktigt för det långsiktiga arbetet både för naturvård och friluftsliv. LONA upplevs särskilt viktigt för det långsiktiga arbetet för friluftsliv, medan det inom naturvården också finns en del andra stödformer att tillgå. Särskilt de mindre kommunerna har fått möjlighet genom LONA att arbeta med tätortsnära natur, och där kan LONA-stödet vara helt avgörande. En stor mängd naturområden har gjorts tillgängliga och blivit populära besöksmål. Uppmärksamhet i lokala media ger mersmak både bland tjänstemän och politiker, vilket gör att frågorna hamnat på kommunens agenda. Lärandet har ökat, och då särskilt i naturvårdsfrågor. Många kommuner har upprättat naturvårdsprogram och friluftsplaner baserade på kunskapsunderlag framtagna inom ramen för olika typer av LONA-projekt, vilket bidrar till långsiktighet. LONA har även bidragit till att en mängd naturskolor och naturpedagogik i förskolor fått resurser, vilket även det har potentialen att långsiktigt påverka barnens förståelse och upplevelser av naturen. Bilden av LONAs effekter på lite längre sikt är dock splittrad, där särskilt intresset för att inrätta fler lokala naturreservat inte verkar ha ökat särskilt mycket generellt sett, och endast en tredjedel av kommunerna uppger att tillgängligheten i skyddade naturområden har ökat. Likaså finns en risk att mer kontinuerlig skötsel och återkommande åtgärder för naturvård och friluftsliv inte blir av, särskilt i mindre kommuner där kommunens budget har svårt att räcka till. Vi bör komma ihåg att LONA-projekten generellt är små och att man inte kan förvänta sig att de löser alla prioriteringsproblem hos kommuner med knapp ekonomi.Samtidigt pekar allt på att LONA har haft en positiv inverkan på intresset för naturvård och friluftsliv hos kommunala politiker och ännu mer hos allmänheten. Detta har resulterat i ökade resurser för lokalt naturvårdsarbete, medan friluftslivsbudgeten stärkts i mindre grad. Det ökade intresset har också gjort att naturvård respektive friluftsliv nu upplevs integrerats bättre i kommunernas översiktsplanering än tidigare. Dessutom har skolornas och förskolornas nyttjande av tätortsnära naturområden ökat genom att kommunerna satsar mer än tidigare på projekt kopplade till lärande. Slutligen ser vi att LONA har stimulerat till att skapa projekt som riktar sig till nyanlända svenskar, även om det fortfarande bara är vissa kommuner som nyttjat LONA för detta ändamål är det möjligt att vi får se mer av detta framöver.Det har varit en stark betoning inom LONA på lärande och erfarenhetsutbyte, och Naturvårdsverket och länsstyrelserna har bidragit till informationsspridning och vägledning med flera olika metoder. I vår utvärdering ingick att analysera hur dessa fungerat. En allmän bild är att det funnits ett aktivt stöd under hela programtiden som uppskattats stort, och att kommunerna därmed haft tillgång till information om både tidigare projekt, goda exempel, relevant expertis och arenor för erfarenhetsutbyte. De olika vägledningsmetoderna kompletterar varandra och riktar sig till olika målgrupper.Sammantaget har både länsstyrelsernas LONA-handläggare och kommunernas kontaktpersoner upplevt Naturvårdsverkets metoder som ändamålsenliga och viktiga för att skapa delaktighet, kunskap och förståelse för vad LONA kan och bör åstadkomma.
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| 6. |
- Hasselquist, Eliza Maher, et al.
(författare)
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Moving towards multi-layered, mixed-species forests in riparian buffers will enhance their long-term function in boreal landscapes
- 2021
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 493
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Riparian buffers are the primary tool in forest management for protecting the habitat structure and function of streams. They help protect against biogeochemical perturbation, filter sediments and nutrients, prevent erosion, contribute food to aquatic organisms, regulate light and hence water temperature, contribute deadwood, and preserve biodiversity. However, in production forests of Sweden and Finland, many headwater streams have been straightened, ditched, and/or channelized, resulting in altered hydrology and reduced natural disturbance by floods, which in turn affects important riparian functions. Furthermore, in even-aged management systems as practiced in much of Fennoscandia, understory trees have usually been cleared right up to the stream’s edge during thinning operations, especially around small, headwater streams. Fire suppression has further favored succession towards shade tolerant species. In the regions within Fennoscandia that have experienced this combination of intensive management and lack of natural disturbance, riparian zones are now dominated by single-storied, native Norway spruce. When the adjacent forest is cut, thin (5 - 15m) conifer-dominated riparian buffers are typically left. These buffers do not provide the protection and subsidies, in terms of leaf litter quality, needed to maintain water quality or support riparian or aquatic biodiversity. Based on a literature review, we found compelling evidence that the ecological benefits of multi-layered, mixed-species riparian forest with a large component of broadleaved species are higher than what is now commonly found in the managed stands of Fennoscandia. To improve the functionality of riparian zones, and hence the protection of streams in managed forest landscapes, we present some basic principles that could be used to enhance the ecological function of these interfaces. These management actions should be prioritized on streams and streamside stands that have been affected by simplification either through forest management or hydrological modification. Key to these principles is the planning and managing of buffer zones as early as possible in the rotation to ensure improved function throughout the rotation cycle and not only at final felling. This is well in line with EU and national legislation which can be interpreted as requiring landscape planning at all forest ages to meet biodiversity and other environmental goals. However, it is still rare that planning for conservation is done other than at the final felling stage. Implementing this new strategy is likely to have long-term positive effects and improve the protection of surface waters from negative forestry effects and a history of fire suppression. By following these suggested management principles, there will be a longer time period with high function and greater future management flexibility in addition to the benefits provided by leaving riparian buffers at the final felling stage.
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| 7. |
- Maher Hasselquist, Eliza, et al.
(författare)
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Policy change implications for forest water protection in Sweden over the last 50 years
- 2020
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 49:7, s. 1341-1351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Improving water quality has become an important environmental issue, spurred in part by the Water Framework Directive. However, the relationship of policy change with forest water protection measures is relatively unknown. We analyzed how policy and practice have developed in Sweden using 50 years of historic data from the Krycklan Catchment Study, ocusing on riparian buffers. Corresponding to legislation, education and voluntary measures mphasizing stream protection, two step changes occurred; between the 1970s–1980s, buffers increased by 67%, then by 100% between 1990s and 2000s. By 2013, just 50% of the stream length affected by forestry was protected and the application has varied by stream size; small streams lacked a buffer approximately 65% of the time, while 90% of large streams had buffers. The doubling of buffer implementation from the 1990s–2000s corresponded to the adoption of a number of environmental protection policies in the 1990s that all came into effect during this period.
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| 8. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-
(författare)
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Complement or competition in water governance? : Analysing two collaborative water management arrangements in one river basin
- 2020
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Ingår i: Water Policy. - : IWA Publishing. - 1366-7017 .- 1996-9759. ; 22:1, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims at advancing collaborative governance theory by investigating the interaction between two different collaborative arrangements within the same forested area of high ecological and social value in the Vindel River basin. Semi-structured interviews, policy documents and observations of board meetings were analysed based on analytical typologies of collaborative arrangements to answer the following questions: which factors can explain why a new collaborative arrangement was established within an area where one already existed? In what way do the two arrangements compete with or complement each other? And, to what extent do they address the effects of forestry on water? The analysis shows that a new collaborative arrangement was formed because the existing arrangement did not materialise certain stakeholders' expectations. Moreover, the two collaborative arrangements do not compete but rather complement each other. The newly established organisational/action collaborative arrangement presented those stakeholders most interested in on-the-ground action with the appropriate venue while freeing them from the organisational/policy arrangement that did not match their aims. However, both arrangements experienced power misbalances as certain stakeholders were perceived as having more influence on their agenda. Collaboration at this local-regional level was found to focus on limited problems with concrete and feasible solutions, such as fish migration, rather than on the complex problems with solutions marked by ecological uncertainty and power asymmetries, e.g. diffuse pollution from forestry.
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| 9. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-
(författare)
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Forest water governance : challenges in cross-sectoral and multi-level collaboration
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Forests and water are highly interconnected with forestry practices negatively affecting forest water. In the last five decades, the Swedish state has enacted multiple policy changes and allocated significant resources towards the implementation of soft policy instruments to alleviate the effects on forest water. The European Union Water Framework Directive has further raised the legal requirements for water protection, including within the forest sector. However, these efforts have largely failed thus far. Forests and water are governed by two separate sectors, each with its own polycentric governance system and policy goals that are often conflicting. The governance mode of these systems is determined by a unique combination of policy instruments and a varying degree of centralisation depending on state involvement. Since governing forest water requires collaboration between the forest and water sector governance systems, it entails interplay between the two systems on different ecological scales. The aim of this thesis is to explore and explain the challenges related to the governance of a resource that requires cross-sectoral multi-level governance and to examine the role of the state in those interactions. The thesis includes a mix of quantitative (survey and aerial photographs) and qualitative (interviews, analysis of documents and meeting observations) research methods for investigating forest water governance across national, regional and local levels. Empirically, it involves four case studies analysing units embedded in the larger case – namely cross-sectoral governance of forest water.The results show that within the current structure of Swedish forest water governance there is minimal cross-sectoral collaboration, with an exception being at the national level. Regional and local implementation of the outputs produced at national level relies mainly on the forest sector, with little to no coordination with water sector institutions at the regional district or river basin levels. Moreover, power asymmetries between the two sectors are transposed to the collaborative process which affects participants’ capacity to influence the governance of forest water. Since the studied cases show that most of the financial resources for forest water protection are provided top-down, the role of the state in initiating and maintaining collaboration is crucial. The thesis confirms previous research findings that water governance requires a more centralised polycentric governance system. Combining polycentric governance (including at the river basin scale) with centralised state-coordination is a potential solution to problems that require cross-sectoral and multi-level governance interplay. Further inquiry into cross-sectoral governance of natural resources could develop a better understanding of how coordination in polycentric governance systems at different ecological scales could be structured to mitigate policy goal conflicts across sectors and institutional levels, thus fostering more effective governance.
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| 10. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Institutional accountability : the differentiated implementation of collaborative governance in two EU states
- 2024
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Ingår i: West European Politics. - : Routledge. - 0140-2382 .- 1743-9655. ; 7:3, s. 619-644
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Governments increasingly apply collaborative governance based on deliberation that typically takes place in non-majoritarian institutions. However, collaborative institutions face accountability challenges depending on their institutional design. Still, empirical research is missing on the different choices member states make when designing collaborative institutions implementing European Union (EU) political goals. Using four theoretical principles of accountability, the study compares how Finland and Sweden implement the requirements for collaborative governance of two EU directives in national legislation and management plans. While Finland has provided more detailed and stricter rules resulting in higher process accountability, Sweden has delegated final decision making to authorities, achieving a higher degree of institutional independence. The results reveal that since the directives set only some of the key rules and procedures needed for achieving accountable collaborative institutions, member states’ discretion can lead to institutional variation even in similar governance contexts, resulting in differing institutional accountability and legitimacy of EU policies.
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| 11. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-
(författare)
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The role of legitimacy in the implementation of outputs from collaborativeprocesses : A national dialogue for forest water consideration in Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-9011 .- 1873-6416. ; 120:June, s. 42-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Governments are increasingly applying collaborative approaches even though little is known about how effectively the outputs are implemented. This empirical study used the ‘Soil and Water’ Working Group of the Dialogue for Nature Consideration in Sweden to investigate which aspects of legitimacy influence the implementation of collaborative outputs. It included document analysis, observation and 38 interviews with participants and representatives of implementing organisations. Despite being recommendations and lacking authoritative rule, the outputs from a collaborative process are implemented to a very high degree in educational and planning material all over Sweden. The forest sector’s general perception of the outputs as having high procedural, source-based and substantive legitimacy has been crucial to their extensive implementation.
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| 12. |
- Mancheva, Irina, 1982-
(författare)
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Which factors spur forest owners' collaboration over forest waters?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Forest Policy and Economics. - : Elsevier. - 1389-9341 .- 1872-7050. ; 91, s. 54-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Collaborative river basin governance has been advocated both by research and legislation, while at the same time certain silvicultural practices are shown to lead to deteriorating water quality. In order for collaboration to be initiated, however, the majority of key stakeholders must be willing to participate. This paper investigates which factors at the local level are crucial for initiating collaboration over forest waters among individual private forest owners. For that purpose, a survey was sent out to all individual forest owners within a catchment area in northern Sweden. The survey was complemented by a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews. The existence of several key preconditions for the initiation of collaboration was investigated, namely: low belief and cultural heterogeneity, information diffusion, perception of the problem, existing stores of social capital, interdependence, and leadership. The results show that although the context was one of low belief and cultural heterogeneity, individual private forest owners are not interested in collaborating for improved forest water unless they perceive the issue of water quality important enough to invest resources in collaboration. It also became clear that the diffusion of information about the problem is not reaching those stakeholders who are crucial for the commencement of collaboration. Moreover, those stakeholders do not recognise their interdependence on each other for resolving the issue and therefore the need for collaboration. Finally, initiating leadership was also found to be lacking, leading to the conclusion that to successfully implement policies requiring collaborative management of natural resources among highly empowered individual forest owners, those missing factors need to be addressed by the state.
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