Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

Natural resources and ecological environment are important bases for human survival and development. With the continuous development of ecological protection work worldwide, the protection mechanism has gradually shifted to a multi-agent co-construction and sharing model. The "Guiding Opinions on Establishing a Natural Protection Area System with National Parks as the Main Body" establishes a long-term mechanism for government, enterprises, social organizations, and public participation, proposing to explore protection methods such as public welfare governance, community governance, and joint governance. As an important ecological security barrier in China, the Sanjiangyuan region has important practical significance for carrying out research on public welfare governance. Guided by the concept of multi-governance, the construction of a public welfare governance mechanism for China's national parks is the key to building a future "unified, standardized, and efficient management system".

Methodology

This study investigated beneficial cases of public welfare governance in Sanjiangyuan National Park through empirical research. Using relevant knowledge of legal system construction, the study analyzed the difficulties faced by its development, such as the lack of a legal mechanism to ensure effective participation and joint governance by multiple stakeholders, the absence of an independent land ownership basis for public welfare governance, insufficient space for public welfare governance, and inadequate practical forms. The study also proposed practical and effective legal system suggestions to address these issues.

Findings

Although the current governance model of China's natural protected areas still relies primarily on a top-down government governance approach, there have been attempts to apply other governance models to natural protected areas. For example, Sanjiangyuan National Park has implemented joint governance models such as "one household, one post" cooperative governance and agreement protection. The "public welfare governance" mechanism for natural protected areas needs to address the issue of insufficient market participation by clarifying its connotation and extension from two dimensions: constituent elements and mechanism construction.

Proposals

it is necessary to clarify the constituent elements of public welfare governance for natural reserves, endow and guarantee land private right holders with decision-making autonomy. Secondly, we need to establish a hierarchical system for the public welfare governance mechanism of natural reserves.through institutional design, we provide institutional guarantees for private entities to voluntarily comply with the management of natural reserves. Finally, we need to establish a substantive system that balances the interests of multiple parties and a procedural system for equal consultation, to encourage private entities to voluntarily protect and manage natural reserves by limiting rights and constraining behaviors.

References

Dai Jie. Multi-governance of ecological legal interest protection and pollution-related crimes [J]. Beijing Social Sciences, 2023.

Zhong Xingju, Luo Shixing. Relay Construction: The Process and Logic of Social Construction of Environmental Issues - Analysis Based on the Perspective of Ecological Niches of Environmental Social Organizations [J]. China University of Geosciences (Social Sciences Edition), 2021, 21(01): 70-86.

Resources, knowledge and influence: The organizational effects of interorganizational collaboration. Hardy, C.; N Phillips; T.B Lawrence. Journal of Management Studies. 2003

Problem Statement and Purpose

With global climate change, extreme natural disasters present a multitude of entangled societal challenges beyond the realms and capacities of single local government. Natural disasters response need collective action within collaborative governance networks supporting resource-sharing, development of joint solutions, and coordination to avoid duplication of work. Governance challenges related to large-scale natural disasters are inherently complex due to the involvement of a large number of leaders with different levels of government, experiences, and capacities, policy and the interdependent societal and economic impacts generated by natural disasters. These complexities often breed uncertainty about the nature of collective action problems. What regional governments should be engaged in the response, the preferences and choices of others, and operational goals. This paper studies the case of the 2023 flooding in Haihe River Basin response to find how can the vertical and horizontal collaboration be enhanced in disaster management? And what influential factors to affect regional collaborative action? Understanding the mechanisms structuring governance networks, and how they operate and perform to support societies to bounce back from disasters. The China case offers implications in terms of highlighting the salience of establishing regional collaborative disaster governance networks in other settings.

This study examines three local governments capability in managing pre-, during and post-natural disaster. The capability of regional collaboration and the requirement to manage an extreme disaster are very important issues for exploring the important role of local government and central government under the unitary state system of China.

Methodology

While collective-action in response to risks, threats, and extreme events have become a key priority around the world. By using a sample of the 2023 flooding in Haihe River Basin response in China, this study examines the attitude, behaviour, and perception of local managers including Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei government in collaborative disaster management within the local dimension. It aims to investigate

the relationship of collaboration across four disaster management phases and the influential factors of interregional collaboration which builds the theoretical model applied to an empirical case study in China using semi-structured interviews for data gathering.

Findings

The results show that local managers want more collaboration with other local governments and central government support for disaster management. Multiple stakeholders in collaborative processes from different local government which facilitate knowledge exchange and co-production.

Despite strong support for collaboration among local managers, the biggest concern is with the chain of command in actual emergency situations. The existence of peculiar institutional arrangements for disaster management and the necessary technical, financial and supply resources are critical to disaster response. And the study contributes to the theoretical discussion about how political-administrative system attributes might influence interregional disaster management collaboration.

Proposals

Doing things together in order to protect society from disaster is a self-evident activity in most societies and cultures. The dynamic environment of disasters makes it imperative to invest in inter-sector and inter-agency cooperation and coordination. Nevertheless, while China successfully set up an integrated and comprehensive national-level management system, from which disaster governance can successfully be decentralized to localities, it still requires much more developed and consolidated multilevel (vertical) and broader (horizontal) collaboration, which are the preconditions for decentralized disaster governance. And interregional collaboration should be in mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery disaster management.

References

Agranoff, R. (2006). Inside collaborative networks: Ten lessons for public managers. Public Administration Review, 66(1), 56–65.

Inzana, C. M., Driskell, J. E., Salas, E., & Johnston, J. H. (1996). The effects of preparatory information on enhancing performance under stress. Journal of Applied Psychology, 429–435.

Moynihan, D. P. (2008). Learning under uncertainty: Networks in crisis management. Public Administration Review, 68(2), 350–365.

Problem Statement and Purpose

1. Problem Statement

Urban informality has emerged as a significant governance challenge in Harare, Zimbabwe, exacerbated by a fragmented approach to urban development and political polarisation. Traditional service delivery mechanisms have failed to adequately address the housing needs of the city's growing population. The politicisation of urban land allocation has further exacerbated this issue, as competing political interests prioritise patronage over equitable access to housing and basic services. This has led to a myriad of issues such as inadequate housing, environmental degradation, and social instability, posing substantial obstacles to sustainable urban development.

2. Purpose

Against this backdrop, this study seeks to explore the potential of alternative service delivery mechanisms in addressing the urban informality crisis in Harare. It aims to explore the role of intersectoral collaboration in addressing the root causes of informal settlement growth. Specifically, the study seeks to explore how alternative service delivery models can be developed and implemented through synergistic partnerships between government agencies, civil society organisations, community representatives, and other stakeholders.

Methodology

A mixed-methods approach will be employed, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, and civil society representatives, to gain insights into their perspectives on informal settlement reform and intersectoral collaboration. Additionally, quantitative data on informal settlement demographics, land use patterns, and governance structures will be analysed to understand the urban informality phenomenon in Harare.

Findings

Preliminary findings suggest that the proliferation of informal settlements in Harare is deeply rooted in political patronage and fragmented governance structures. Land allocation practices driven by political interests have perpetuated urban informality. However, there is growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for coordinated intersectoral collaboration to address these challenges and promote sustainable urban development.

Proposals

Based on the findings, it is proposed that concerted efforts be made to foster intersectoral collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, and community groups. This could involve the establishment of multi-stakeholder task forces or committees tasked with developing inclusive urban development strategies and policies. Additionally, capacity-building initiatives should be implemented to enhance the governance capabilities of local authorities and promote transparency and accountability in urban land management processes.

References

Chavunduka, C. & Chaonwa-Gaza, M. 2021. The political economy of urban informal settlements in Zimbabwe, in Urban geography in postcolonial Zimbabwe: Paradigms and perspectives for sustainable urban planning and governance, Springer. 287–305.

Chigwenya, A. & Dube, D. 2018. Informality and the right to the city centre: Contestations for space in the city of Harare. Education, Science and Production. 1(12):12–22.

Muchadenyika, D., Chakamba, M.K. & Mguni, P. 2019. Harare: informality and urban citizenship–housing struggles in Harare, Zimbabwe, in The Routledge handbook on informal urbanization, Routledge. 124–134.

Problem Statement and Purpose

Research on political and administrative relationships in coalition-led governments has been largely restricted to Western Europe, with little focus on developing countries. Kadima (2014), Klüver and Bäck (2019) and Oikonomou (2019) further observe that most studies dealing with coalition-led governments have been concentrated in the European Union, while Khumalo and Netswera (2020, p. 176) confirm that countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have a rich history of coalition-led governments. This article advances public discussions on the political-administrative dichotomy in coalition-led governments, especially concerning international scholarly opinions from developed and developing countries. Th is approach is because the literature on coalition theory and the political-administrative dichotomy in Public Administration is yet to be combined in a single study. Bergman, Bäck and Hellstrom (2021:3) found that there is little research on the "coalition governance" stage, primarily where political parties formulate and implement policies. The emphasis here is on political party interaction at the expense of public administration officials, who form part and parcel of "coalition governance".

Methodology

This study followed the interpretive research paradigm and a qualitative approach. This research approach allowed the researchers to gain a deeper understanding of and to explain, describe, investigate and explore the phenomenon under investigation. The target population was subject experts (Public Administration, Political Science and Public Law) exposed to coalition-led governments and the political-administrative dichotomy in developed (United Kingdom, Belgium and the Czech Republic) and developing countries (South Africa, Lesotho and Brazil). The data was analysed using DEDOOSE, a web-based software application that analysed the qualitative interview data. The description codes created in the tree code organise and categorise the themes in relation to the research objective. Four broad themes emerged from the data.

Findings

The participants’ lived experiences revealed significant cross-cutting lessons for uncovering the nexus between the political-administrative dichotomy and coalition-led governments in developed and developing countries. Thus, the empirical differences and similarities across and within developed and developing countries’ realpolitik and administrative realities are crucial for gaining new insight into the political-administrative dichotomy in coalition-led governments.

Proposals

The article proposes an alternative multifaceted contextualised approach to creating a positive and engaging learning environment between developed and developing countries in order to improve the contemporary political-administrative interface.

References

Bergman, T.H. Back and J. Hellström, eds. (2021). Coalition governance in Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kadima, D. (2014). An introduction to the politics of party alliances and coalitions in socially-divided Africa. Journal of African Elections, 13(1), 1–24.

Khumalo, P. & M. Netswera, (2020). The complex nature of coalitions in the local sphere of government in South Africa. African Journal of Democracy and Governance, 7(3), 173–192.

Klüver, H. & Bäck, H. (2019). Coalition agreements, issue attention, and cabinet governance. Comparative Political Studies, 52(13–14),1995–2031.