Do strategic delta plans get implemented? The case of the Mekong Delta Plan

Seijger, Chris; Hoang, Vo Thi Minh; Halsema, Gerardo van; Douven, W.; Wyatt, Andrew

doi:10.1007/s10113-019-01464-0

Cited by 16 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The implementation of strategic delta plans asks for a different approach to more traditional implementation studies that are "checking" whether or not a plan has been implemented as intended. The strong focus on strategic level goals and vision creation in strategic delta plans (Seijger, Hoang, and Van Halsema 2019) implies a "soft implementation" perspective that emphasizes shared knowledge, commitment and consent to higher level planning goals (Cairney 2009;Faludi 2000;M€ antysalo 2013;Pressman and Wildavsky 1984). We aimed to complement this soft implementation perspective with action-oriented insights into possible implementation strategies for the embedding of strategic goals and objectives into the plans and activities of regional and local level actors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Strategic delta planning has emerged as an approach to support long-term (50-100 years) integrated planning in delta systems. The plan itself contains a strategic vision of the future, and allows for an adaptive framework to guide future actions (Haasnoot et al 2013;Seijger et al 2017;Seijger, Hoang, and Van Halsema 2019;van der Voorn et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Now that strategic delta plans are being developed in various deltas, such as Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Vietnam, England, the United States and Myanmar (Choudhury et al 2012;Delta Stewardship Council 2013;Environment Agency 2009;Kabat et al 2009Kabat et al , 2005Louisiana 2012;Royal Haskoning, Deltares, and Rebel 2013;Schiermeier 2014;Seijger, Hoang, and Van Halsema 2019;van Staveren, van Tatenhove, and Warner 2017) questions regarding the implementation aspects of these plans emerge. A characteristic of strategic planning is that exact implementation efforts are not prescribed in the strategic delta plan, but are the result of decisions and negotiations at the operational level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address the implementation of strategic delta plans a "soft implementation" perspective is proposed (Seijger, Hoang, and Van Halsema 2019). This perspective points to the importance of shared knowledge, ideas, commitment, consent and understanding between the actors involved in the implementation of strategic plans (Faludi 2000;Seijger, Hoang, and Van Halsema 2019). However, shared knowledge, commitment and consent are not always required and not always realistic to expect across the implementation spectrum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Navigating the bureaucracy: an analysis of implementation feasibility for the Mekong Delta Plan, Vietnam

Korbee

Nguyen

Hermans

et al. 2019

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

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Strategic delta planning focuses on strategic, long-term choices to stimulate sustainable development in deltas. Strategic delta plans outline a long-term vision to be embedded into the plans and activities of government agencies and semi-public actors at multiple levels. This implies a form of coordinated, yet decentralized, implementation. Although, its importance is widely acknowledged, there are few analytical approaches to assess the feasibility and possible bottlenecks of such implementation processes. This article applies a motivation and ability (MOTA) framework to assess the implementation feasibility of the Mekong Delta Plan in Ben Tre province, Vietnam. The results reveal diverging motivations and a perceived lack of ability among government actors at local and regional level. When not wellmanaged, this could hamper the translation of the strategic goals and visions into local and regional actions. This suggests the usefulness of the MOTA framework as a tool to help manage implementation processes for strategic delta planning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Navigating the bureaucracy: an analysis of implementation feasibility for the Mekong Delta Plan, Vietnam

Korbee

Nguyen

Hermans

et al. 2019

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This was indeed found to be true in our case. The agenda set by strategic delta planning underwent a long process of soft implementation, as the many minds and agendas involved did not automatically converge with the new strategic agenda set in the MDP (Seijger et al 2017b).…”

Section: Policy Windows Revealed By the Multiple Streams Approach Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political agenda-setting for strategic delta planning in the Mekong Delta: converging or diverging agendas of policy actors and the Mekong Delta Plan?

Halsema

Seijger

et al. 2019

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

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This article uses the lens of the Multiple Streams Approach to explore whether the agendas set by political actors in Vietnam converged with the agenda set in the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP). The MDP presents policy choices for the development of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The plan offers economically attractive, climate adaptive and environmentally sustainable paths forward in the face of climate change and economic uncertainties. We collected our data using qualitative techniques, including a literature review and interviews. We found convergence between the MDP's agenda and political actors' agendas, though divergences were also detected. Between the delivery of the MDP in 2013 and formal endorsement of its ideas in 2017, the problem stream, policy stream and politics stream were brought together by the actions of "policy entrepreneurs" (scientists and experts). Our findings suggest that agenda-setting and convergence were a crucial step towards endorsement of the strategic delta planning process for the Mekong Delta. Further research could explore issues of power mobilization in enabling or constraining decision-making.

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From national vision to implementation: governance challenges in sustainable agriculture transitions in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta region

et al. 2022

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This study identifies how the governance of the transition to sustainable agriculture in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is constrained by a lack of leadership, coordination, and funding. The Vietnamese Mekong Delta region is an important agricultural region yet highly vulnerable to climate change. In 2017, the Government of Vietnam issued Resolution 120, which calls for a transition towards sustainable development and climate change resilient agriculture in the delta. We evaluated the governance of implementing this resolution using an established transition governance framework, based on policy document analysis, ethnographic observations and interviews with national government agencies and ten departments in the delta provinces An Giang and Ben Tre. The analysis indicates that delays are caused by fragmented central government leadership and that friction exists between top-down plans and bottom-up action taken by the provinces in the delta. The transition is further constrained by the absence of inter-provincial coordination and funding mechanisms. Overall, this study shows that the required governance structure exists on paper but highlights how an insufficient governance process constrains climate change adaptation in Vietnam.

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Do strategic delta plans get implemented? The case of the Mekong Delta Plan

Cited by 16 publications

References 45 publications

Navigating the bureaucracy: an analysis of implementation feasibility for the Mekong Delta Plan, Vietnam

Navigating the bureaucracy: an analysis of implementation feasibility for the Mekong Delta Plan, Vietnam

Political agenda-setting for strategic delta planning in the Mekong Delta: converging or diverging agendas of policy actors and the Mekong Delta Plan?

From national vision to implementation: governance challenges in sustainable agriculture transitions in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta region

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