How effective and democratic are governance networks?

In search of relevant evaluation criteria and metagovernance techniques

Authors

  • Eva Sørensen Institut for Samfund og Globalisering, Roskilde Universitet
  • Jacob Torfing Institut for Samfund og Globalisering, Roskilde universitet

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v15i2.16174

Keywords:

Metagovernance, Network governance, Efficiency, Democracy, Metastyring, Netværksstyring, Effektivitet, Demokrati

Abstract

The increasingly consolidated governance research has shown that governance networks play an important role in public governance processes and that networks between public and private actors are today regarded as an effective and legitimate management tool. However there is considerable uncertainty among governance scholars about the implictions of governance networks for the effecitiveness and democratic quality of public governance proceses. This uncertainty is related to uncertainties about how to measure and evaluate their effects. The article provides some criteria for empirical analysis of specific governance networks’ effectiveness and democratic quality. These criteria can be used to detect variations in the effects of different types of governance networks as well as they provide information about specific networks’ behaviour that can form the basis for the organisation of focused effeciency and democracy promoting metagovernance strategies.

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Author Biographies

Eva Sørensen, Institut for Samfund og Globalisering, Roskilde Universitet

Eva Sørensen is Professor of Public Administration and Democracy at the Department of Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University. She has written numerous books and articles on public governance and democracy. Most recently she has authored: Sørensen, E. and Torfing, J. 'Enhancing Collaborative Innovation in the Public Sector', forthcoming in Administration and Society, and Sørensen, E., Sehested, K. and Reff, A. (2011), 'Emerging theoretical understandings of pluricentric coordination in public governance', American Review of Public Administration, 41(4): 375 -394.

Jacob Torfing, Institut for Samfund og Globalisering, Roskilde universitet

Jacob Torfing is Professor of Politics and Institutions at the Department of Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University. For a number of years, he has researched policy processes, network governance, democracy and innovation. His most recent publications include Agger, A., Löfgren, K. and Torfing, J. (2010), Nærdemokrati efter kommunalreformen, Copenhagen: DJØF, and J. Torfing (Ed.) (2009), Ledelse efter kommunalreformen, Copenhagen: DJØF.

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Published

2011-06-15

How to Cite

Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2011). How effective and democratic are governance networks? In search of relevant evaluation criteria and metagovernance techniques. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 15(2), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v15i2.16174

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Section

Original Articles

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