The research programme Urban Regions in the Delta (URD) wielded an approach worthy of emulation. Create ‘vital’ project consortia, crosslink the research project with on-going planning and policy making processes, give senior scientists a major role and engage expert process managers. These are four key success factors for knowledge co-creation in the field of area development, according to the programme (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research; URD, 2010-2014 http://urd.verdus.nl). Within URD scientists and practitioners were cooperating from the very beginning. The scientific insight and innovations generated are considered not very visible in traditional scientific publications, but the knowledge that was developed provides considerable added value to society. |
Artikel |
Kenniscocreatie rond vernieuwing gebiedsontwikkeling is zinnigNWO-programma Urban Regions in the Delta hanteerde navolgenswaardige aanpak |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 4 2015 |
Trefwoorden | knowledge co-creation, area development, transdisciplinarity, boundary work |
Auteurs | Drs. Ymkje de Boer en Ir. Jan Klinkenberg |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Artikel |
Leerproces voor planologisch wetenschappelijk onderzoek en de praktijk |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 4 2015 |
Trefwoorden | practice-oriented research, practice-academic divide, learning cycle, cost benefiet analysis, transit-oriented development |
Auteurs | Dr. Els Beukers en Dr. Wendy Tan |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Planning research is increasingly focused on bridging the gap between practice and academia. However, this requires much effort and is not as commonplace as it seems. To ensure success, innovative research approaches, practitioners and academics are required. The experiential learning cycle of Kolb and Fry (1974) offers a research framework for the authors to reflect on their practice-oriented research on Cost Benefit Analysis processes (CBA) and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) respectively. Both research projects are compared using the learning cycle. The cycle was completed in the CBA project but only partially resolved in the TOD project. Reflecting on their experiences with applying the learning cycle, the authors conclude on the possibilities and limitations of this application and offer insight into how the interaction between theory and practice can occur. |
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Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 4 2015 |
Trefwoorden | Public administration |
Auteurs | Dr. Caelesta Braun, Dr. Menno Fenger, Prof. dr. Paul ’t Hart e.a. |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Forty years ago, Dutch Public Administration started as an independent academic discipline. The founding fathers considered empirical application and multidisciplinarity the most important characteristics of public administration. This article assesses the current state of the discipline in the Netherlands. The assessment is the result of a series of five debates throughout the country, focussing on different elements of the Public Administration discipline: education, academic research, consultancy and policy advice. In brief, the article argues that the discipline has reached maturity in these forty years. It has become an accepted academic discipline, on the verge of a mono-discipline. The Netherlands is considered as one of the leading countries in public administration research. However, these successes also create a gap between public administration as a successful academic discipline and its roots as a multi-disciplinary, applied science. Renewing the balance between these two will be the main challenge for the decades to come. |
Artikel |
Bereikt coproductie kwetsbare burgers?Een analyse van belemmeringen voor kwetsbare burgers in drie fasen |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 4 2015 |
Trefwoorden | co-production, public services, vulnerable citizens, trust |
Auteurs | Joost Fledderus MSc |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Co-production is regarded as a way to actively involve vulnerable citizens with public service delivery. However, there are several critical aspects that may lead to the unexpected exclusion of this group by public organizations, which have been insufficiently addressed hitherto. On the basis of a dissertation research, these critical aspects are analyzed for three phases of co-production. In the first phase, self-selection and organizational selection may lead to the exclusion of vulnerable citizens. In the second phase, a lack of commitment of the user and organizational support increase the chance of early discontinuation of co-production by vulnerable citizens. Finally, in the evaluation phase, it is likely that disadvantaged citizens attribute potential success of co-production to themselves and do not reward the public service provider for this. This has the possible consequence that there is no recognition for the added value of co-production, which may lead to less co-production that involves vulnerable citizens in the future. |
Artikel |
Verdien ik niet te veel?Loonfatsoen voor bestuurskundigen |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 3 2015 |
Trefwoorden | income differences, maximum wage in the public sector |
Auteurs | Prof. dr. Margo Trappenburg |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
During the first decades after World War II income policy was an important topic of public debate in the Netherlands. This changed in the eighties and nineties when gross wages were ‘demoralized’ and taken off the political agenda. Income policy was deemed pointless, inefficient, or superfluous. Moreover wages were determined according to technocratic schemes designed by consultancy firms. These schemes encourage employees to compare themselves with people with a comparable education in other organizations rather than with coworkers in their own organization thus fostering a caste mentality. |
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Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 3 2015 |
Trefwoorden | public administration, discipline, survey, Practice orientation |
Auteurs | Stefanie Gadellaa, Dion Curry en Steven Van de Walle |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
As long as the existence of public administration, there is discussion whether public administration should focus on practice or mainly be a purely scientific field. Opinions of public administration scholars are divided on the matter. Moreover, the question is whether public administration is a discipline in itself or part of other disciplines such as political science, law or the management sciences. This article shows how public administration scholars see the discipline and the developments therein, based on a survey among scholars. Dutch public administration scholars are compared with their European colleagues. There are major differences between the Netherlands and the rest of Europe with regard to the status of the discipline. Firstly, as a separate discipline, public administration in the Netherlands is more important in comparison with other European countries. In the rest of Europe, in particular political sciences play an important role. Secondly, regarding the tension within the discipline, the public administration in the Netherlands is developing less towards practitioners than public administration in other European countries. |
Artikel |
Externe advisering binnen de Nederlandse overheidNaar een empirisch en theoretisch onderbouwde onderzoeksagenda |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 3 2015 |
Trefwoorden | external policy advisors, policy advisory systems, survey research |
Auteurs | Dr. Caspar van den Berg, MSc MA Arjen Schmidt en Carola van Eijk MSc |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In this article we discuss the influence of external policy advisors on the policy process. In the Dutch context, little is known about the role, function and influence of external policy advisors (like consultants) who are hired on a temporary basis by the government. Based on a survey (N = 378) this study provides a profile of external policy advisors and the nature of their advice work. An interesting result is that external advisors generally conduct process-related policy work, but may also provide policy substance. Furthermore, the article develops an empirically and theoretically informed research agenda as a starting point for additional research. |
Artikel |
Coördinatie in complexe systemen: het ontstaan van stuurloosheid in het Nederlandse spoorwegsysteem |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 3 2015 |
Trefwoorden | Dutch railway system, sensemaking, coordination, disruption management |
Auteurs | Danny Schipper, Joop Koppenjan en Lasse Gerrits |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
We are only fully aware of our dependency on large scale technical infrastructure systems when they fail to provide reliable services. Yet, at the same time we have witnessed the dismantling of the organizations providing these services due to privatization and liberalization policies. In this article we provide insight into the complexity of managing these now networked systems, consisting of several private and public organizations, by looking at the Dutch railway system. More specifically we analyze a case in which the decision to take several railway tracks and switches out of service resulted in a large scale disruption during rush hour in one of the busiest parts of the Netherlands. With the concept of sensemaking we show that the different actors involved were unable to create a common understanding of the situation to enable coordinated action. |
Artikel |
Snijden in eigen vleesDe waarden van topambtenaren en het implementeren van bezuinigingen |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 3 2015 |
Trefwoorden | cutback management, top civil servants, public values, public management |
Auteurs | Eduard Schmidt MSc |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Governments throughout the whole world feel the need to cut spending due to the current financial crisis. The Netherlands are no exception in this matter. Top civil servants are up to the task to implement these cutbacks within their own organizations. However, not much is known about what influences their choice for certain implementation strategies. One factor of interest are the values of top civil servants, which are supposed to be influenced by their work experience. This is a relevant factor, since the introduction of New Public Management made it more common for managers from the private sector to reach the higher echelons of government. Top civil servants with different backgrounds and from different Dutch ministries were interviewed for this study. It seems that using across-the-board cuts are present within Dutch ministries, sometimes combined with targeted cuts. Surprisingly, no differences in values and implementation strategies were found between managers with and without experience in the private sector, contrary to expectation. The implementation strategies used seem mainly influenced by values such as soberness and thrift, values which are not present in current public values literature. |
Artikel |
Burgercoöperaties. Speler of speelbal in de nieuwe verhoudingen tussen overheid, markt en samenleving |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 2 2015 |
Trefwoorden | citizen cooperatives, self-organization, social innovation |
Auteurs | Dr. Meike Bokhorst, Prof. dr. Jurian Edelenbos, Prof. dr. Joop Koppenjan e.a. |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In the Netherlands citizens increasingly unite in cooperatives to realize common facilities and services in their neighborhood themselves. Apparently neither markets nor governments succeed in providing all the public goods and services that citizens strive for. Although these forms of self-organization are still young and their success is far from sure, they are seen as sources of social innovation and new ways of organizing that inspire many. Their example is followed widely: cooperatives seem to be rapidly emerging almost everywhere. Yet not much systemic knowledge is available on their nature, drivers, and impacts, nor on the conditions under which they flourish. In this special issue the state of the art regarding these cooperatives is examined in the areas of energy, care, broadband connections and housing. The various contributions show that the main challenge that cooperatives have to deal with is finding the balance between the ambition to preserve their identity as grass root organizations and the need for professionalization. Also they have to learn to build and maintain relationships with other organizations and actors in their environment on which they are dependent: governments, private parties and professionals. |
Artikel |
De opkomst van wooncoöperaties in Nederland? |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 2 2015 |
Trefwoorden | housing, cooperatives, success factors |
Auteurs | Dr. Meike Bokhorst en Prof. dr. Jurian Edelenbos |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
There is a growing interest for cooperatives in housing. Recently a new housing law was signed that stimulates the rise and creation of citizen cooperatives in this sector. It is argued that in this way people, especially in the low- and middle-income category, get more opportunities to influence their own living situation. Some housing cooperatives have existed for years, but recently we have seen the rise of dozens of cooperatives. The knowledge network Platform31 has initiated an experimental program to facilitate the implementation of cooperatives in housing in the Netherlands. An important condition is that the cooperatives need to develop a strong business case. Cooperation with established housing corporations in the sector is also of vital importance. Moreover, a helping hand from municipalities is needed and some local governments have already developed policies and undertaken actions. Yet there are still bottlenecks in policy and law that needs to be solved. A paradigm shift is needed to make cooperatives in housing feasible. |
Artikel |
Lokale energiecoöperaties: nieuwe spelers in de energie |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 2 2015 |
Trefwoorden | energy co-operatives, wind energy, solar parks |
Auteurs | Hans Elzenga en Anne Marieke Schwencke |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Currently, in the Netherlands there are about 150 energy co-operatives are actively working on the promotion of energy use reduction and renewable energy production. Among them are 15 experienced wind energy co-operatives that started almost 25 years ago, but the majority started in 2007 or later. Their aim is to mobilize investments in local renewable energy and social projects, and to use the revenues to enhance the local economy and social cohesion. The members of the co-operative become co-owners of the production units and collectively decide about the allocation of the revenues for new energy projects.In practice, new, inexperienced co-operatives in particular have difficulties realizing larger projects like wind turbines and solar parks. Fierce resistance from the local community is hampering wind projects, while limited financial support (i.e. subsidies) is the main obstacle for the realization of solar parks. In our view, it would help Dutch co-operatives if local politicians were to take a clear position on wind energy and act accordingly, and if the Dutch government were to broaden the financial support schemes for cooperatively owned and financed solar parks. |
Artikel |
Breedbandcoöperaties op het plattelandLeerscholen voor Next Generation Plattelandsontwikkeling |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 2 2015 |
Trefwoorden | community broadband, rural development, cooperatives, neo-endogenous development, Netherlands |
Auteurs | Koen Salemink MSc en Prof. dr. Dirk Strijker |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Based on a database with 75 rural community broadband initiatives in the Netherlands and a longitudinal analysis of a specific initiative in the municipality of Oldambt, the authors discuss how citizens campaign for improved internet connections in a cooperative setting. The authors present an 8-step model which shows that at each step citizens, governments and private telecom companies affect the completion of the step. Both telecom companies and governments, however, stick to their old way of working. The market parties try to slow down the process and prevent their market areas from being affected by the initiatives, while governments are unclear about (potential) policies. Community broadband initiatives learn ‘on the job’ and they need perseverance as well as social, intellectual and financial capital in order to be successful. The realization of rural broadband requires efforts from citizens and the involvement of facilitating and supportive governments. |
Artikel |
Van stedelijk onderzoek naar praktijken voor probleembewerking |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 1 2015 |
Trefwoorden | governance of wicked problems, local administration, research, translation, problem structuring |
Auteurs | Drs. Robert M. Duiveman |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
In his much praised book on mayors, Benjamin Barber argues it’s up to cities to address the world’s most acute problems. These include wicked problems such as climate change, terrorism, poverty and trafficking of drugs, weapons and humans. Cities are not only excellent problem solvers, they are also given a prominent role in innovation and economics, democracy and citizenship, and more recently domestic care. Complicated, wicked and thus knowledge intensive problems are stacking up at the local level. But where to get the appropriate knowledge to tackle these issues? |
Artikel |
Van Slingelandt-lezing: wie stuurt er (in) de stad? |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 1 2015 |
Trefwoorden | local administration, city management, New York |
Auteurs | Drs. Henk de Jong |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
Henk de Jong, former chief clerk of the municipality of Amsterdam, spent some years as a management consultant in New York. Back home, he describes what the Netherlands can learn from the American way of managing big cities. Klaartje Peters, professor of Maastricht University, reflects on the lessons he draws. |
Nieuws |
Juryrapport G.A. van Poelje Jaarprijs 2013 |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 1 2015 |
Artikel |
Is er een trade-off tussen wetenschappelijke impact en praktijkrelevantie?Een analyse van de publicaties van bestuurs- en politieke wetenschappers in Nederland (2006-2011) |
Tijdschrift | Bestuurskunde, Aflevering 1 2015 |
Trefwoorden | publications, public administration theory, public administration practice, internationalisation, relevance |
Auteurs | Prof. dr. Sandra Groeneveld, Robin Bouwman MSc en Prof. dr. Steven Van de Walle |
SamenvattingAuteursinformatie |
This article examines whether there is a trade-off between publishing articles in international peer reviewed journals vis-à-vis national and professional work among scholars in the administrative and political sciences. A cluster analysis on their publications results in three publishing profiles: a professional profile, an international profile and a traditional profile. The professional profile author publishes a relatively high number of professional publications. The international profile author publishes a relatively high number of international peer-reviewed papers. The traditional author profile is characterized by a lower number of publications and a more balanced distribution of publications in both international and national categories. The profiles showcase that indeed there is a trade-off between publishing international scientific articles and publishing for practitioners, but only to some extent. Furthermore, the profiles are associated with the university where authors are employed and whether they got their Ph.D. at a Dutch university or abroad. |