Crafting or designing? Science and politics for purposeful institutional change in Social–Ecological Systems

Thiel, Andreas; Mukhtarov, Farhad; Zikos, Dimitrios

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2015.07.018

Cited by 39 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…We employ the distinctions systemic, meaning pertaining to a whole, and systematic meaning linear, sequential or step-by-step. In line with the purpose of this special issue we understand institutional change to involve the deliberate, or purposeful, replacement of existing formal and informal institutions or the creation of new institutions in a socially desired way (Thiel et al, 2013). In other words, changing institutions is a form of praxis (theoryinformed practical action); this praxis can be understood as crafting or designing institutions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Institutionalising social learning: Towards systemic and adaptive governance

Ison

Collins

Wallis

2015

Environmental Science & Policy

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mentioning

confidence: 98%

Institutionalising social learning: Towards systemic and adaptive governance

Ison

Collins

Wallis

2015

Environmental Science & Policy

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“…The last quarter of a century provided valuable experience in experimenting with institutional design in pasture management. However, it also illustrated the complex processes unfolding in the aftermath of formal institutional change (Thiel, Mukhtarov, and Zikos 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Role of Power in Changes to Pastoral Institutions in Kyrgyzstan

Kasymov

Thiel

2019

International Journal of the Commons

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Our article reflects on the Kyrgyz experience of a transformation in pasture use and management, seeking to contribute to the literature on institutional change in post-socialist contexts. We employ the distributional theory of institutional change in order to understand gradual, informal de facto institutional change which emerged because of changes in formal institutions (laws) that changed the bargaining positions of actors involved. The study findings demonstrate the dynamics of change of interrelated formal institutions, power resources, informal institutions, and their distributional consequences. We observe that the enforcement of new pasture legislation introduced in 2009 gradually reducing bargaining asymmetry among actors, in the long run potentially favouring less powerful pasture users, who are herders providing herding services to their community. Evaluating the potential implications of formal institutional change for day-today pasture management and informal institutions, we expect changes to contribute to maintenance of pasture health in the medium to long term. However, traditionally powerful actors (individual herders) typically try to resist these changes and the shift to new informal institutions is therefore still highly contested.

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“…Cleaver (2002) likewise stresses the importance of facilitating or allowing bricolage by arguing that development interventions "should be based on socially informed analysis of the content and effects of institutional arrangements, rather than their form alone" (Cleaver 2002, 11). There are also other related institutional concepts, such as institutional crafting (Bromley 2012;Thiel et al 2015), that likewise emphasise the process nature of institutional reality.…”

Section: Organic Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating bricolage through more organic institutional designs? The case of water users’ associations in rural Nepal

et al. 2016

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This study scrutinizes the institutional realities of water project implementation in remote, rural Nepal. It demonstrates that both sound institutional design and local bricolage capabilities are required for sustainable operation and maintenance of local institutions in the challenging operational environment. Institutional bricolage processes are best facilitated through providing locally legitimate, inspiring spaces to local agencies for continued learning, adaptation, and innovation. However, the apparent institutional designs do not explicitly facilitate such bricolage processes. We therefore outline more organic institutional design that accounts for and addresses the interlaced institutional design Facilitating bricolage through more organic institutional designs? 1173 and bricolage processes in development intervention contexts for advancing more sustainable natural resources management.Keywords: Development project implementation, institutional bricolage, institutional design principles, Nepal, organic design, Water Users Associations Acknowledgement: We are grateful for the participation of the WUSCs and the personnel of RVWRMP; and 'Maa-ja vesitekniikan tuki ry' for funding the research.

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Crafting or designing? Science and politics for purposeful institutional change in Social–Ecological Systems

Cited by 39 publications

References 24 publications

Institutionalising social learning: Towards systemic and adaptive governance

Institutionalising social learning: Towards systemic and adaptive governance

Understanding the Role of Power in Changes to Pastoral Institutions in Kyrgyzstan

Facilitating bricolage through more organic institutional designs? The case of water users’ associations in rural Nepal

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