"Om jag hade bedömt att jag inte hade någon alls möjlighet till det, skulle jag absolut inte vara med". En explorativ fallstudie om påverkansmöjligheter i Vindelälven-Juhttátahkkas samverkansprocess.

Abstract

In recent decades globalisation has challenged government with governance. A societal change in which state-based governing has increasingly moved towards governance based on networks and collaboration between different actors. These actors come from all sectors of society and are often expected to collaborate on complex problems towards a common goal. One example of both global and collaborative governance is the hybrid-organisation of Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Biosphere reserve which is part of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere program. The common goal for the Biosphere reserve is being a model area for sustainable development. At the same time, there is a history, and presence, of conflict interests between actors. This thesis examines how the possibility of agenda-setting is experienced in the case of a hybrid organisation in relation to underlying conflicts. It draws on theories of effective collaborative governance and relational power to execute and analyse interviews with board members from the Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve. The material is triangulated with secondary material consisting of the application-document for the Biosphere reserve sent to UNESCO, and the statues of the organisation. The thesis proposes that there are some power dynamics related to the institutional design that affects the possibility of agenda-setting in the board. This power imbalance is accepted by most actors and argued legitimized through financial muscles. There are also some consensus-oriented features of the collaborative setup that might keep conflicting subjects off the agenda. Although, most respondents underline that the organisation is very young, and therefore most questions on the agenda so far relate to the construction of the organisation.