Policy integration is a substantive and innovative strategy, used to address complex problems that go beyond the scope of sectoral policies, and require a joint and integrated response. While theoretical advances have been made in the field, there have not been many empirical proposals of a comparative nature. This paper develops a proposal for the analysis of integrality in the domain of urban policies, in which the integrated strategy has become a key component. Following a literature review, three dimensions were defined, referring to the diagnosis, the action strategy, and the project governance, which have allowed us to examine the presence of an integrated strategy in the designs of the projects developed within the framework of the URBAN and URBANA, initiatives implemented in Spain between 1994 and 2013, promoted by the European Union (EU). The results show that, as occurs in other public policies, the extent of the integrated strategy is limited and varies according to the dimensions. Moreover, the differences found between the two initiatives support the idea that policy integration is a gradual and dynamic process, with a certain learning effect, which develops over time and in which the dimensions of integration do not evolve in a coordinated manner.
Policy design is a growing area of study in policy studies due to its importance in ensuring good implementation and impact. A ‘good design’ ensures good implementation processes and the proposed policy outcomes. Nevertheless, this issue has received little attention in urban initiatives promoted by the EU, at least through the analysis of local policy portfolios from a comparative perspective. This chapter applies the CUPPA approach to analyse the quality of local strategies design from a comparative perspective applying the comparative urban policy portfolio approach. The chapter establishes quality dimensions of local plans for each phase of the policy cycle (from diagnosis to evaluation); and two broad dimensions to analyse local plans’ evaluability: the practical dimension (information needed to evaluate local plans) and the analytical dimension (the coherence between problems, objectives and planned actions). The analysis of URBAN and URBANA Initiatives shows a medium level of quality of local plans design, although very low regarding evaluation. The comparison between URBAN and URBANA local projects shows learning processes regarding the design of governance processes and mechanisms in local strategies, a better definition of instruments designed to ensure coordination among policy sector departments in local governments, between local and supra-municipal authorities, and between public and societal actors. Therefore, portfolio design analysis shows a growing trend towards multi-level governance in urban initiatives, but it also indicates evaluation is a dimension that needs improvements (low levels of quality and no improvements between programmes analysed).
Policy integration is a central aspect of urban initiatives promoted by the EU since the 1990s. However, analyses about this issue usually define and measure policy integration as the diversity of policy sectors included in local plans portfolios. Nevertheless, this chapter sustains that policy integration and diversity are different concepts. Integration means interrelation among policy sectors and actors to cope with the complexity of urban problems. Diversity means the variety of policy sectors or actors included in local strategies portfolios. Therefore, diversity does not ensure integration into local strategies. Applying the CUPPA approach, both aspects are analysed by proposing specific measurement tools. The analysis shows that diversity and integration are different concepts, that the levels of policy integration are low in local strategies, and the increase of integration in their policy agenda from 1993 to 2013. Therefore, policy-learning processes exist regarding this central aspect of local strategies to promote sustainable urban development.
After reviewing the main research strategies applied to analyse urban initiatives promoted by the EU, this chapter proposes the ‘urban policy portfolio analysis’ (CUPPA) approach to perform comparative analyses at the level of local strategies. Previous exercises about EU urban initiatives have analysed their legal framework, applied the classical programme perspective (spending and other aspects) or studied specific case studies. These approaches study the urban dimension of the European Cohesion Policy or national applications as a whole or provide in-depth information about detailed local plans. However, these approaches do not provide systematic information to perform comparative analyses at the local strategies level. The CUPPA approach provided comparative methods to perform bottom-up analyses (from the local strategy level to policy frames) of design and implementation processes theoretically founded in previous research on urban policies. Therefore, this approach is aligned with the multi-level and complex character of integrated urban strategies promoted by the EU. And, therefore, allow for multi-scalar comparative analyses of strategies (at the local level) and the actual character of policy frames (regional, national, and EU levels) from a cross-time and cross-sectional perspective.
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