Bridging Boundaries: Making scale choices in multi-actor policy analysis on water management

Bridging Boundaries: Making scale choices in multi-actor policy analysis on water management

Karstens, S.A.M.

Thissen, W.A.H. (promotor)
Bots, P.G.W. (promotor)

Technology, Policy and Management

Policy analysis

2009-09-25

This thesis synthesizes different perspectives on scale choices (spatial boundary setting, temporal boundary setting and the selection of the level of aggregation) in policy analysis. Scale choices influence the content of a study: the problems on the agenda, the options found and the impacts addressed. This also affects the process, because scale choices are not politically neutral: they may benefit or disadvantage certain actors by putting their urgent problems and/or preferred options on the agenda, and may hide or stress the positive or negative impacts of options. They may also influence the actors that are involved, the possibilities for consensus building and the political sensitivity of the study. It is important, therefore, to pay sufficient attention to scale choices in the design of policy analyses. Yet little is known about the specific effects of scale choices and how they are made in practice. In this research, the making of scale choices was studied using two empirical cases: the Long-Term Vision for the Scheldt Estuary and the Netherlands Water Shortage Study. Scale choices appear to be an important framing instrument that can be used by policy analysts. The tool presented in this thesis to make scale choices a subject of discussion can also serve as a means for the policy analyst to address other fundamental issues that are usually present below the surface but are hardly ever out in the open, such as differences in power, interests and hidden agendas. For more information: sonja.karstens@deltares.nl

policy analysis
scale choices
water management

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:3f1ff10e-1e43-490d-860e-66bde165a85d

IOS Press

2009-10-22

9781607500513

Institutional Repository

doctoral thesis

(c) 2009 Karstens, S.A.M.