Governance, coordination, and evaluation: the case for an epistemological focus and a return to C. E. Lindblom
By: Greenwood, Dan.
Material type:
ArticlePublisher: 2016Description: p.30-42.Subject(s): Public administration
In:
Political Research QuarterlySummary: While much political science research focuses on conceptualizing and analyzing various forms of governance, there remains a need to develop frameworks and criteria for governance evaluation. The post-positivist turn, influential in recent governance theory, emphasizes the complexity, uncertainty, and the contested normative dimensions of policy analysis. Yet a central evaluative question still arises concerning the capacity of governance networks to facilitate "coordination." The classic contributions of Charles Lindblom, although pre-dating the contemporary governance literature, can enable further elaboration of and engagement with this question. Lindblom's conceptualization of coordination challenges in the face of complexity shares with post-positivism a recognition of the inevitably contested nature of policy goals. Yet Lindblom suggests a closer focus on the complex, dynamically evolving, broadly "economic" choices and trade-offs involved in defining and delivery policy for enabling these goals to be achieved and the significant epistemological challenges that they raise for policy makers. This focus can complement and enrich both post-positivist scholarship and the process and incentives-orientated approaches that predominate in contemporary political science research on coordination in governance. This is briefly illustrated through a short case study evaluating governance for steering markets toward delivering low- and zero-carbon homes in England. - Reproduced.
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | Volume no: 69, Issue no: 1 | Available | AR111443 |
While much political science research focuses on conceptualizing and analyzing various forms of governance, there remains a need to develop frameworks and criteria for governance evaluation. The post-positivist turn, influential in recent governance theory, emphasizes the complexity, uncertainty, and the contested normative dimensions of policy analysis. Yet a central evaluative question still arises concerning the capacity of governance networks to facilitate "coordination." The classic contributions of Charles Lindblom, although pre-dating the contemporary governance literature, can enable further elaboration of and engagement with this question. Lindblom's conceptualization of coordination challenges in the face of complexity shares with post-positivism a recognition of the inevitably contested nature of policy goals. Yet Lindblom suggests a closer focus on the complex, dynamically evolving, broadly "economic" choices and trade-offs involved in defining and delivery policy for enabling these goals to be achieved and the significant epistemological challenges that they raise for policy makers. This focus can complement and enrich both post-positivist scholarship and the process and incentives-orientated approaches that predominate in contemporary political science research on coordination in governance. This is briefly illustrated through a short case study evaluating governance for steering markets toward delivering low- and zero-carbon homes in England. - Reproduced.
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