Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning in European Sea Basins: Experimenting with Collaborative Planning and Governance

Figures & data

Table 1. The Key Dimensions of Collaborative Governance and Planning

Collaborative Governance and Planning Dimension	Dimension Description
Entrepreneurial Leader/Initiator	Entrepreneurial leaders and initiators drive the collaborative process and have the time, resources and support to establish a collaborative framework. They usually possess excellent social and diplomacy skills, the capacity to communicate information clearly, and inspire trust between participants.
Informal Institutional Arrangements	Institutional structures tend to be less hierarchical and more fluid operating procedures. Informal norms will usually be supplemented by more formalized structures the longer collaboration goes on.
Open and Inclusive Stakeholder Involvement	All relevant and interested stakeholders have equal access to the process based on mutual respect. Inclusivity is regarded as both normatively and instrumentally important as stakeholders bring different attitudes, values, interests, ideas and knowledge into the policymaking process.
Conflict and Shared Problem Solving	A sense of collective uncertainty and interdependence around a common problem is important to create the conditions and incentives for stakeholders with competing interests and values to engage in collaborative actions. Participants are willing to pool and share resources if there is agreement on the need to address urgent common problems and shared conflict issues.
Deliberative and consensus-based decision-making	Participants engage in constructive and reasoned communications, based on reciprocal persuasion where competing ideas and interests are challenged, which enhances mutual understanding between stakeholders and reduces the chance of conflict escalation. Deliberation will lead to joint concrete decisions included in strategic policy documents and recommendations that resolve conflicts and maximize opportunities. Decisions made do not reflect an aggregation of different interests but a consensus view on what represents the common good.
Enhanced Social Capital and Learning	Collaboration enhances trust and facilitates the development of shared meanings, values and common definitions among stakeholders.
Policy Impact	Policies developed through collaboration have a physical, environmental, social, economic and political impact.

Source: Authors own elaboration