Horizontal Intergovernmental Coordination at Local and Regional Levels

The most pressing policy challenges of our time require complex and coordinated strategies that transcend territorial borders. Issues such as climate mitigation, sustainable development and the migration crisis all require policy solutions that compel sub-national governments at regional and local level to coordinate intensely with others across policy sectors, territorial units and state boundaries. Yet horizontal coordination is often rendered difficult due to complexities and high transaction costs, both in terms of time and effort.

Adopting a comparative approach, this open access volume provides a unifying perspective and a shared conceptual tool-kit for analysing the nature, intricacies and possibilities of horizontal coordination at local and regional level. It also offers guidelines and recommendations for achieving coordination in everyday policymaking. Bringing together scholars and practitioners from twenty European countries, the book provides profound insights into patterns of horizontal coordination across the continent. It will appeal to scholars and students of public administration, public policy, governance and territorial politics, as well as practitioners and policy makers.

Provides a theoretical understanding of the nature, intricacies and possibilities of horizontal coordination Brings together scholars from 20 European countries to offer a comparative perspective on horizontal coordination Offers guidelines and recommendations for achieving coordination in everyday policy-making This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Autorentext

Nathalie Behnke is Professor and Head of the working group 'Public Administration, Public Policy' at the Institute of Political Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.

Bettina Petersohn is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Swansea University, UK.

Klappentext

Nathalie Behnke and Bettina Petersohn have made a significant contribution by shedding light on the dynamics of horizontal intergovernmental coordination from various angles and perspectives. I am confident that this volume will be an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand the importance of effective horizontal coordination and multilevel governance."

Felix Knüpling, Vice President, Forum of Federations

The most pressing policy challenges of our time require complex and coordinated strategies that transcend territorial borders. Issues such as climate mitigation, sustainable development and the migration crisis all require policy solutions that compel sub-national governments at regional and local level to coordinate intensely with others across policy sectors, territorial units and state boundaries. Yet horizontal coordination is often rendered difficult due to complexities and high transaction costs, both in terms of time and effort.

Adopting a comparative approach, this open access volume provides a unifying perspective and a shared conceptual tool-kit for analysing the nature, intricacies and possibilities of horizontal coordination at local and regional level. It also offers guidelines and recommendations for achieving coordination in everyday policymaking. Bringing together scholars and practitioners from twenty European countries, the book provides profound insights into patterns of horizontal coordination across the continent. It will appeal to scholars and students of public administration, public policy, governance and territorial politics, as well as practitioners and policy makers.

Nathalie Behnke is Professor and Head of the working group 'Public Administration, Public Policy' at the Institute of Political Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.

Bettina Petersohn is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Swansea University, UK.

Inhalt

Part I: Introduction .- 1: Horizontal coordination: challenge and dimensions.- Part II: Country Reports .- 2: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Albania.- 3: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Belgium.- 4: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.- 5: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Estonia.- 6: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Georgia.- 7: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Germany.- 8: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Greece.- 9: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Iceland.- 10: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Israel.- 11: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Latvia.- 12: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Lithuania.- 13: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Norway.- 14: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Poland.- 15: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Portugal.- 16: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Romania.- 17: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Serbia.- 18: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Spain.- 19: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Sweden.- 20: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in Turkey.- 21: Horizontal intergovernmental relations in the UK.- Part III: Case studies .- 22: Government task forces as instruments of horizontal coordination.- 23: Cross-border functional areas in sustainable development.- 24: Cross-border coordination in South Tyrol: lessons from closed borders during the pandemic.- 25: Local policy networks and citizen participation in education in Portugal.- 26: Regional coordination in intergovernmental councils: comparison of federal and non-federal countries.- 27: Green finance in Turkey: coordination and regulation of fiscal policies.- 28: Forestry and local development in Slovakia.- 29: Danish-German cross-border cooperation.- 30: Intergovernmental coordination of data standards assessed through the lens of Ostrom's governance principles.- Part IV: Conclusion .- 31: Conclusion: patterns and practices of horizontal coordination.