Mv
M. W.(Arwin) van Buuren
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8 records found
1
Seeing systemic design through policy eyes
A framework to navigate complexities of policy contexts
Book chapter
(2026)
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Elke Michel Wennekers, Geert Brinkman, Jotte Ilbine Jozine Charlotte de Koning, Arwin van Buuren
This paper examines why design practitioners experience tensions when applying systemic design approaches within policy contexts. Drawing on Bekkers’ four analytical perspectives (rational, political, cultural, and institutional), we reinterpret the systemic design activities to reveal how each perspective places distinct, and at times conflicting, demands on design processes. By comparing the lenses across the dimensions of principles, framing, validity, appropriateness, and embedding, we develop a theoretical framework to shed light on how these tensions emerge. The framework also shows that each perspective puts different demands on a design process in the policy context. The framework helps both designers and policy professionals understand their own normative positioning, recognize competing logics, and identify pathways to navigate complexity when collaborating on transformative societal challenges.
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This paper examines why design practitioners experience tensions when applying systemic design approaches within policy contexts. Drawing on Bekkers’ four analytical perspectives (rational, political, cultural, and institutional), we reinterpret the systemic design activities to reveal how each perspective places distinct, and at times conflicting, demands on design processes. By comparing the lenses across the dimensions of principles, framing, validity, appropriateness, and embedding, we develop a theoretical framework to shed light on how these tensions emerge. The framework also shows that each perspective puts different demands on a design process in the policy context. The framework helps both designers and policy professionals understand their own normative positioning, recognize competing logics, and identify pathways to navigate complexity when collaborating on transformative societal challenges.
Making way for design thinking in the public sector
A taxonomy of strategies
Journal article
(2023)
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Geert Brinkman, Arwin van Buuren, William Voorberg, Mieke van der Bijl-Brouwer
Public organizations are increasingly turning to design thinking to address wicked societal issues, enhance innovation, and improve services. However, in general, public organizations do not provide the most receptive context for design thinking. To be applied effectively, design thinking requires sufficient tolerance for uncertainty, capacity for risk-taking, receptiveness to new ideas, and flexibility to learn and adapt. Public organizations, instead, favor rationality, stability, and accountability, and are therefore generally characterized as rigid and risk-averse. Additional efforts are thus required to make way for design thinking within this context. Until now, research on strategies to support the application of design thinking in a public sector context is limited. In this paper, 14 design thinking projects in the public sector were analyzed to identify these strategies, resulting in a practical framework of strategic actions to build confidence, form an alliance, generate support, enhance compatibility, and thereby enable design thinking in the public sector. Accordingly, this study contributes to the theory and practice of design thinking for public issues.
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Public organizations are increasingly turning to design thinking to address wicked societal issues, enhance innovation, and improve services. However, in general, public organizations do not provide the most receptive context for design thinking. To be applied effectively, design thinking requires sufficient tolerance for uncertainty, capacity for risk-taking, receptiveness to new ideas, and flexibility to learn and adapt. Public organizations, instead, favor rationality, stability, and accountability, and are therefore generally characterized as rigid and risk-averse. Additional efforts are thus required to make way for design thinking within this context. Until now, research on strategies to support the application of design thinking in a public sector context is limited. In this paper, 14 design thinking projects in the public sector were analyzed to identify these strategies, resulting in a practical framework of strategic actions to build confidence, form an alliance, generate support, enhance compatibility, and thereby enable design thinking in the public sector. Accordingly, this study contributes to the theory and practice of design thinking for public issues.
Journal article
(2023)
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Vivian Visser, Jitske van Popering-Verkerk, Ellen Minkman, Arwin van Buuren
In their quest to create vital cities, West European city governments stimulate citizens to self-organize in citizens' initiatives. This trend it accompanied by conflicting scientific and governmental discourses: on the one hand, citizens' initiatives are praised for giving ‘power to the people’, on the other hand, citizens' initiatives are understood as mere ‘tools’ to roll-out government policies. By adopting a critical-constructive perspective, this study sets out to better understand the paradoxical attitudes of local governments toward the potential of CIs for stimulating urban vitality. We do so by uncovering patterns that explain the opening and closing of spaces for citizens to develop their initiatives. To this end, we conducted an in-depth case study into the relation between the local government and citizens initiatives in the energy transition in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). Our findings reveal that a configuration of different explanatory mechanisms leads to the ‘domestication’ of initiatives, which jeopardizes their unique transformative potential that can contribute to the vitality of cities.
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In their quest to create vital cities, West European city governments stimulate citizens to self-organize in citizens' initiatives. This trend it accompanied by conflicting scientific and governmental discourses: on the one hand, citizens' initiatives are praised for giving ‘power to the people’, on the other hand, citizens' initiatives are understood as mere ‘tools’ to roll-out government policies. By adopting a critical-constructive perspective, this study sets out to better understand the paradoxical attitudes of local governments toward the potential of CIs for stimulating urban vitality. We do so by uncovering patterns that explain the opening and closing of spaces for citizens to develop their initiatives. To this end, we conducted an in-depth case study into the relation between the local government and citizens initiatives in the energy transition in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). Our findings reveal that a configuration of different explanatory mechanisms leads to the ‘domestication’ of initiatives, which jeopardizes their unique transformative potential that can contribute to the vitality of cities.
Policy transfer in urban water management
Evidence from ten BEGIN cities
Book chapter
(2022)
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Jannes Willems, Ellen Minkman, William Veerbeek, Richard Ashley, Arwin van Buuren
As cities are increasingly experiencing climate change impacts, a rise in transnational networks for climate-sensitive cities can be seen. To date, little is known about the effectiveness of these networks and how they facilitate city-to-city learning. By using insights from the policy transfer and policy learning literature, we aim to examine how networks for climate-sensitive cities facilitate policy learning and how this leads to policy transfer. To this end, we researched the European Interreg project BEGIN, in which ten local governments are exchanging lessons for creating Blue and Green Infrastructure (BGI) as subset of nature-based solutions for urban climate adaptation. Our findings demonstrate how the horizontal network enabled joint sensemaking, in which common themes regarding BGI were defined leading to policy inspiration between cities. City partners were identified as frontrunners, which spurred policy transfer to other city partners. Although the network would provide resources required for successful learning and transfer, commitment and authority still have to be found and the absence of clear learning deliverables made learning not a priority for the participating governments. Networks can become more effective by defining learning deliverables upfront, and the projects provided by the city partners should appeal to all partners in the network.
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As cities are increasingly experiencing climate change impacts, a rise in transnational networks for climate-sensitive cities can be seen. To date, little is known about the effectiveness of these networks and how they facilitate city-to-city learning. By using insights from the policy transfer and policy learning literature, we aim to examine how networks for climate-sensitive cities facilitate policy learning and how this leads to policy transfer. To this end, we researched the European Interreg project BEGIN, in which ten local governments are exchanging lessons for creating Blue and Green Infrastructure (BGI) as subset of nature-based solutions for urban climate adaptation. Our findings demonstrate how the horizontal network enabled joint sensemaking, in which common themes regarding BGI were defined leading to policy inspiration between cities. City partners were identified as frontrunners, which spurred policy transfer to other city partners. Although the network would provide resources required for successful learning and transfer, commitment and authority still have to be found and the absence of clear learning deliverables made learning not a priority for the participating governments. Networks can become more effective by defining learning deliverables upfront, and the projects provided by the city partners should appeal to all partners in the network.
This study identifies network management as a facilitator of effective policy transfer. We reconstruct the unconventional collaboration between Dutch private-sector experts and national governments of Vietnam and Bangladesh to develop multi-sectoral, long-term strategies (‘delta plans’). We identify the network management strategies used by the Dutch actors and use these to explain how problem perceptions of state and non-state actors were aligned in order to define solution pathways. Based on these cases, we argue that network analysis is a tool for policy transfer studies. This paper further concludes that the ‘soft’ nature of the transferred policy (in the form of principles, norms and ideas) increased its transferability, as being ambiguous and abstract left room for interpretation and translation to the local context.
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This study identifies network management as a facilitator of effective policy transfer. We reconstruct the unconventional collaboration between Dutch private-sector experts and national governments of Vietnam and Bangladesh to develop multi-sectoral, long-term strategies (‘delta plans’). We identify the network management strategies used by the Dutch actors and use these to explain how problem perceptions of state and non-state actors were aligned in order to define solution pathways. Based on these cases, we argue that network analysis is a tool for policy transfer studies. This paper further concludes that the ‘soft’ nature of the transferred policy (in the form of principles, norms and ideas) increased its transferability, as being ambiguous and abstract left room for interpretation and translation to the local context.
Reconstructing the impasse in the transfer of delta plans
Evaluating the translation of Dutch water management strategies to Jakarta, Indonesia
Journal article
(2019)
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Ellen Minkman, Peter Letitre, Arwin van Buuren
This study takes the stagnation in the transfer of knowledge about strategic delta planning as a starting point and identifies the interplay of constraining factors. We conclude that the way the process of policy transfer is executed is crucial. The Dutch government aims to transfer the Dutch approach to delta planning (labelled ‘the Dutch Delta Approach’) to other–often developing–countries. However, policy transfer is a complex process that depends on a variety of factors. Deadlocks can occur when the transferred knowledge and the corresponding policy ideas are neither adopted nor rejected. Taking the impasse in the transfer process in the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development project in Jakarta as a case study, we demonstrate that fundamental policy change is needed to adopt strategic delta planning in Jakarta and present three interrelated explanations, related to the policy transfer process, that illustrate why this change is not yet observed.
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This study takes the stagnation in the transfer of knowledge about strategic delta planning as a starting point and identifies the interplay of constraining factors. We conclude that the way the process of policy transfer is executed is crucial. The Dutch government aims to transfer the Dutch approach to delta planning (labelled ‘the Dutch Delta Approach’) to other–often developing–countries. However, policy transfer is a complex process that depends on a variety of factors. Deadlocks can occur when the transferred knowledge and the corresponding policy ideas are neither adopted nor rejected. Taking the impasse in the transfer process in the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development project in Jakarta as a case study, we demonstrate that fundamental policy change is needed to adopt strategic delta planning in Jakarta and present three interrelated explanations, related to the policy transfer process, that illustrate why this change is not yet observed.
Branding in policy translation
How the Dutch Delta approach became an international brand
Journal article
(2019)
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Ellen Minkman, Arwin van Buuren
This article explains the rise of the Dutch Delta Approach (DDA) as the Dutch trade-mark for exporting knowledge about adaptive delta management. We consider policy branding a specific tool for policy translation that can enhance our understanding of how policy is mobilised for international application. Using the concepts of policy translation and branding, we analyse and explain the translation of the original Dutch policy regarding delta management and its mobilisation for an international audience. We reconstruct how the DDA became the basis for an international policy brand and conclude that a strong brand was created because of a strong national network of stakeholders, sufficient resources, and the confluence of various developments that contributed to the perceived importance of developing such a brand. However, contrary to what the branding literature suggests, international application is ad hoc rather than the result of a keen strategy. The way the DDA is applied shows many pragmatic strategies in which the brand is used as discursive camouflage or to legitimate cherry picking and opportunistic reframing. As a result, durable impact of the DDA brand is vulnerable due to weak brand maintenance. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of branding for studying policy transfer process.
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This article explains the rise of the Dutch Delta Approach (DDA) as the Dutch trade-mark for exporting knowledge about adaptive delta management. We consider policy branding a specific tool for policy translation that can enhance our understanding of how policy is mobilised for international application. Using the concepts of policy translation and branding, we analyse and explain the translation of the original Dutch policy regarding delta management and its mobilisation for an international audience. We reconstruct how the DDA became the basis for an international policy brand and conclude that a strong brand was created because of a strong national network of stakeholders, sufficient resources, and the confluence of various developments that contributed to the perceived importance of developing such a brand. However, contrary to what the branding literature suggests, international application is ad hoc rather than the result of a keen strategy. The way the DDA is applied shows many pragmatic strategies in which the brand is used as discursive camouflage or to legitimate cherry picking and opportunistic reframing. As a result, durable impact of the DDA brand is vulnerable due to weak brand maintenance. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of branding for studying policy transfer process.
Policy transfer routes
An evidence-based conceptual model to explain policy adoption
Journal article
(2018)
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E. (Ellen) Minkman, M. W.(Arwin) van Buuren, V. J.J.M.(Victor) Bekkers
Although studies on policy transfer have expanded, a general and comprehensive understanding of policy transfer is lacking. This study offers an evidence-based explanation of policy transfer processes. We extracted constraining and facilitating factors from 180 empirical studies using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis) and aggregated these factors into a conceptual framework. We synthesize our findings in four “transfer routes”. We conclude that actors could shape a subset of those factors by taking certain decisions regarding transferability, adoptability and process design, albeit within the boundaries of the environment.
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Although studies on policy transfer have expanded, a general and comprehensive understanding of policy transfer is lacking. This study offers an evidence-based explanation of policy transfer processes. We extracted constraining and facilitating factors from 180 empirical studies using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis) and aggregated these factors into a conceptual framework. We synthesize our findings in four “transfer routes”. We conclude that actors could shape a subset of those factors by taking certain decisions regarding transferability, adoptability and process design, albeit within the boundaries of the environment.