Networks and Governance: Dimensions, Methods, Theories'

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Networks and Governance Dimensions, Methods,
Theories.

• Mark Considine
• University of Melbourne

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Actors Structures

• Demos says Hairdressers should be invited to
  shape local government policy because they are
  entrusted with special kinds of
  insights.Guardian, 23-01-06.
• Piaget says The child organises the world by
  organising himself (sic).
• Luhmann argues that systems aredefined by
  self-reference
• If networks really are alternatives to markets
  and heirarchies then they presumably can think
  and self-organise?

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Networks in Four

• Social networks (micro)
• Organisational networks (meso1)
• Interest group (policy) networks (meso2)
• Societal networks (macro)

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Some Typical Approaches

• (micro) Milgram, Granovetter, Rogers
• (meso1) Law Latour, Klijn Koppenjan, OToole
• (meso2) Rhodes, Skelcher, Sorensen, Torfing
• (macro) Putnam, Castells, Mayntz

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Strengths and Weaknesses

• Micro - systemic-empirical, good measurement,but
  - under-theorized, non-political
• Meso - case-based, political, theoretical, but,
  weak on system analysis, merge of
  actors/structures
• Macro - systemic-theoretical, only look good
  compared to hierarchy (black box), path
  dependence, Italian regions.
• All tend to be instrumental - lack clear link
  between networks norms.

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Networks and Governance

• Networks, Hierarchy Markets
• Steering Innovation
• Net effects of networks- after rules money

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Melville reciprocal strategic information ties
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Parkside reciprocal strategic information ties
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Kilbourne CEO Mayor advice ties
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Parkside CEO Mayor advice ties
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Kilbourne Community leader Strategic Info
Network Politician/Bureaucrat/Community Leader
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Millside Community leader Strategic Info
Network Politician/Bureaucrat/Community Leader
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Networks Explain Innovation

• Innovators tend to be
• Further up the hierarchy
• Bureaucrats rather than politicians
• Positive about culture of innovation in their
  government
• More externally engaged (contact, conferences,
  associations)
• More central in Advice and Strategic
  Information networks
• Network centrality explains more than
  position/council

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Study 2 Employment Services and Steering

• Job Network in Australia, 1994 -2006
• Composed of Benefit Recipients (400,000), Case
  managers (900?), Sites (2,700), Agencies (109),
  Bureaucrats (5000?).
• Organised through (1) tenders (2) contracts (3)
  payment incentives (4) social security rules (5)
  assessment tools (6) IT system (7) programs.

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Institutional Structure
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Network Attributes

• Ministers outside Tender
• Parliament outside Contracts
• Bureaucrats outside Agencies
• Agencies outside Jobseekers firms

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Steering Issues

• Network needs high discretion to foster
  flexibility innovation
• Discretion creates incommensurate risks
• Lack of recognized expertise limits
  independence
• Uncertain effects of instruments leads to regular
  re-tooling
• Fee-per-client fosters mean strategies
• Weak property rights stimulates herding by
  providers

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Governance Theory

• Example 1 Micro/Meso
• Can see patterns in actor connections and system
  differences
• Can track cases (decisions, policies, conflicts)
  along network pathways
• Good link between individual and institutional
  actors
• Demanding data requirements
• Each network is different within same collective
  of actors

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Governance Theory (2)

• Example 2 Meso/Macro
• Can see coupling and steering properties of
  agencies
• Can contrast systems/sectors
• Good link to interest identification
• Tends to path dependence accounts

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Governance Network Possibilities

• General theory of interaction structures ?
• New data effects - digital social memory ?
• Logics of action through matrix of instruments?
• Alternative branching points as the redundancy of
  networks?
• Steering plus innovation - self-production?