The Challenge of Externally Generated Collaborative Governance: California’s Attempt at Regional Water Management

• Author: Iris Hui,Bruce E. Cain,Elisabeth R. Gerber
• Published date: 01 May 2020
• Date: 01 May 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0275074020908578
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074020908578

American Review of Public Administration

2020, Vol. 50(4-5) 428 –437

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0275074020908578

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Article

Introduction

Because rivers and aquifers often span state and local bor-

ders, and because the actions on one part of a river or aquifer

can affect others who share the same common pool resource,

many experts believe that water planning and management

should be undertaken at a regional or water basin scale. All

too frequently, however, water operations are managed in a

silo-like fashion by a diverse set of fragmented political enti-

ties such as cities, counties, private water utilities, and spe-

cial districts (Mullin, 2009). This fractured governance

approach often results in uncoordinated policies that serve

parochial local needs as opposed to producing cohesive,

comprehensive regional policy solutions (Kim et al., 2015;

Mullin, 2008; Pincetl et al., 2016).

In recent decades, the management of water and other

natural resources has turned to “collaborative governance”

as a possible path toward a more integrated approach to

water management (Ansell & Gash, 2008; Blomquist &

Schlager, 2005; Emerson et al., 2012; Kallis et al., 2009;

Sabatier et al., 2005). Ansell and Gash (2008) define “col-

laborative governance” as “a governing arrangement where

one or more public agencies directly engage nonstate stake-

holders in a collective decision-making process that is

formal, consensus-oriented, and deliberative and that aims

to make or implement public policy or manage public pro-

grams or assets.” Emerson et al. (2012) expand the defini-

tion more broadly as “the processes and structures of public

policy decision making and management that engage peo-

ple constructively across the spheres to carry out a public

purpose that could not otherwise be accomplished.”

Beyond the task of solving a particular policy problem,

collaborative governance aspires to engage multiple govern-

ment agencies and other stakeholders in consensus-oriented

decision-making (Ansell & Gash, 2008). With respect to

water management, this should ideally lead to a less paro-

chial and more regional common orientation by the member

agencies and stakeholders. However, recent empirical

research suggests that the success of collaborative efforts in

this respect has been limited, at best. Based on a survey of

stakeholder participants in California’s Integrated Regional

908578ARPXXX10.1177/0275074020908578The American Review of Public AdministrationCain et al.

research-article2020

1Stanford University, CA, USA

2University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

Corresponding Author:

Iris Hui, The Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford University,

Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Email: irishui@stanford.edu

The Challenge of Externally Generated

Collaborative Governance: California’s

Attempt at Regional Water Management

Bruce E. Cain1, Elisabeth R. Gerber2, and Iris Hui1

Abstract

Creating successful collaborative governance regimes is difficult, but can be especially hard when collaborations are externally

generated by higher levels of government as opposed to self-generated by local agencies and stakeholders due to the lack

of spontaneity. We analyze this problem as it applies to California’s Integrated Regional Water Governance Program. Public

administration theory indicates that a core element in a successful collaboration is empowering local leaders who share

the collaboration’s intended goal. However, the political concessions to local autonomy necessary to enact an externally

generated collaboration can undermine its success. The tensions between maintaining local autonomy and creating a regional

approach are inherently strong in a “layered collaborative governance” approach that acknowledges and accommodates

local boundaries. Drawing on the concept of role differentiation, we hypothesize that the roles participants play in layered

collaborative governance will frequently derive from their preexisting issue areas, geographic orientations, and power

relations, but that program design incentives can influence which groups participate in the effort and how they engage. We

test these hypotheses in the context of California’s Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program. We find

evidence of role differentiation on grant leadership both with respect to the initial goal of regional collaboration as well as

later efforts to address the water issues of disadvantaged communities.

Keywords

collaborative governance, integrated water management, institutional layering, role differentiation, grant design