Andersson, Krister

The literature on Multistakeholder Processes (MSPs) includes several studies that seek to specify the conditions under which MSPs perform well and deliver tangible governance improvements that would otherwise not happen. This is important research as MSPs are gaining popularity as an alternative to more traditional governance strategies, such as centralized, government-led activities. MSPs are often proposed in institutional settings where formal governance institutions are perceived to be ineffective or inequitable. In principle, studies that explain variation in MSP outcomes have the potential to inform MSP organizers and their decisions about how to organize their future MSPs in ways that save resources and improve outcomes. However, the existing MSP research programs demonstrate at least three limitations: First, the literature is characterized by the production of long lists of potential determinants of MSP performance, which makes it challenging for researchers to offer practical advice as to which of these factors is most important for MSP organizers to address first, and under which contextual conditions. Second, there is little agreement among scholars about what the core elements of a well-functioning MSP are, which elements affect mostly the emergence vis-à-vis effectiveness, and it is rare that studies specify which conditions or factors are essential and which may be helpful but not critical ingredients of success. Third, there is a dearth of theory-driven research that uses causal inference methods to test the theoretical propositions, which means that it is difficult to assess the quality of evidence in literature’s existing, mostly descriptive analyses. To advance knowledge about the emergence and flourishing of MSPs, and move beyond the production of long lists of associative success factors, there is an urgent need for researchers to come together in a community of practice to address the noted shortcomings. The Community of Practice will also promote the development of new and innovative ways of conducting MSP work, which will enable researchers to improve outcomes in terms of both cost-effectiveness and equity. in an efficient and high quality manner. In this paper, we review and synthesize the leading hypotheses on MSP emergence and effectiveness, develop a theoretical framework that captures the leading hypotheses, and discuss the viability of employing causal inference methods to test new hypotheses related to the emergence and flourishing of MSPs. We conclude by outlining the contours of a community of practice on MSPs.

The inclusion of women in environmental decision-making is widely believed to improve conservation outcomes and can be considered normatively desirable independent of outcomes. Gender quotas have been proposed as a policy intervention to ensure descriptive representation of women. In Nepal, Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) manage more than a third of forested land under the country’s community forestry program, which is regarded as a model forestry decentralization policy. Current governmental guidelines set a target of 50% women on the executive committee of these groups, though this target has not been fully achieved to date. One possible effect of a gender quota for executive committee membership is that the representation of women in leadership may motivate more people (perhaps especially other women) to participate in the CFUG more broadly. This study uses an original survey experiment framed around community-based forest management that was administered to survey respondents in 100 villages in rural Nepal (N = 1,243). The survey experiment exposed respondents to a vignette describing a hypothetical CFUG in the respondent’s village, which was randomly varied with respect to the number of women required to be included on the ten-member executive committee. This was followed by survey questions that asked respondents whether they would engage in a number of participation activities if the group existed in their village. We find that having more seats reserved for women on the executive council leads to a statistically significant increase in the probability that female respondents report being likely to join the group, and it also increases their likelihood of attending meetings. Furthermore, our results suggest that more women on the executive committee predicts a higher probability of ‘active’ participation’—joining the institution, attending a meeting, and speaking up at the meeting—among women respondents. Our findings suggest that gender quotas requiring the presence of a women in leadership roles can induce other women to engage more actively in community-based forest management, without discouraging participation among men.

This study investigates the barriers and opportunities for implementing nature-based solutions to improve water quality in the United States, utilizing a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and an online survey with an embedded survey experiment. The triangulation of these methods provided a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder perspectives across various sectors, including water treatment plant managers, government officials, regulators, and landowners. Regulatory constraints were consistently identified as a primary barrier, highlighting the need for policy reforms to facilitate green infrastructure. Funding availability was another critical challenge, with stakeholders emphasizing the importance of new financing models and incentive-based programs. To analyze what interventions might be able to overcome these barriers, we designed a survey experiment, targeting two linchpin actors for nature-based solutions: State agency regulators and water treatment plant managers. Without their support, most analysts and practitioners agree that policy proposals nature-based solutions for water treatment will go nowhere.
The survey experiment randomly assigned two different versions of a statement to respondents, one representing the status quo (control) and another describing a scenario in which pre-permitting had been approved by the state legislature (treatment). In both scenarios described, a water treatment plant manager faces non-compliance with state standards for Nitrogen and Phosphorous pollutants, requiring a 30% reduction in annual pollutant load over five years. The key difference between treatment and control versions lies in the status of a state pilot program for nature-based solutions: in the first scenario, the program has been approved and the plant is invited to participate, while in the second, the program is still under consideration and not yet approved by the legislature. Both scenarios explore the likelihood of the manager joining the pilot program, which aims to address water quality issues through upstream interventions like regenerative farming and habitat restoration, as an alternative to traditional water treatment methods. We find that treatments for both targeted groups have a statistically significant effect on these actors’ intended adoption of nature-based solution programs in their respective roles as regulators and plant managers.