Facilitating collaboration in publicly mandated governance networks

ABSTRACT

Central and local governments are increasingly inclined to mandate governance networks in order to spur collaborative solutions to wicked problems. However, institutional logics of government are likely to impede cross-sector collaboration in such networks. This article develops a theoretical framework for analysing the role of network managers in facilitating collaboration in publicly mandated governance networks and applies it in a multiple-case study of three Local Crime Prevention Councils in Denmark. The study shows how the most effective network managers adapt the institutional design to local conditions and link the publicly mandated networks to self-convened stakeholder networks.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaborative governance
• network management
• mandated networks
• institutional design
• collaborative leadership

Acknowledgments

I greatly appreciate the insightful comments I received from the anonymous reviewers. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the Roskilde School of Governance for contributing their ideas and critical reflections when commenting on an earlier draft of this article. Special thanks to Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing for highly qualified feedback and encouragement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Danish Ministry of Justice; Danish Crime Prevention Council; Danish National Police.

Notes on contributors

Andreas Hagedorn Krogh

Andreas Hagedorn Krogh is a postdoctoral researcher at the Roskilde School of Governance, Roskilde University, Denmark. He has previously published on collaborative governance, network management, collaborative innovation, co-creation, and legitimacy.