Facilitating Selfgovernance Possibilism and Pluralism in Citizen Cocreation

Facilitating Self-governance Possibilism and Pluralism in Citizen Co-creation Bryan Bruns bryanbruns@bryanbruns. com Sociologist, Independent Consultant Supporting the Bottom-up from the Top-down? Panel on External Induction & Support for Collective Action T. 41 Salon 16 15: 3017: 00 Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Edmonton, Alberta International Association for the Study of the Commons

Facilitating Self-Governance Overview • What is self-governance? – Levels of participation • What’s feasible? – Possibilism and the search for irregularities • What’s desirable? – Value Pluralism and co-evolving conversations • How to support self-governance? – Facilitation and other techniques Enable Advise Establish autonomy Delegate authority Partner Collaborate Involve Consult Inform

Self-governance • Ladder of Citizen Participation (Arnstein 1969)

Enable 9. Framework providing status and recourse for organizations and individuals, Accountability based on organizational charter, reporting and auditing requirements, property rights, contracts, liability, etc. Advise 8. Provision of information, guidance and other technical assistance as input to decisions, guidance for voluntary compliance, e. g, extension, statistical information and research, promotion of voluntary initiatives and coordination Establish autonomy 7. Autonomous decisions by communities, organizations, or individuals, subject to compliance with specific laws and regulations, e. g. regulatory review for issuance and renewal of permits and licenses, enforcement of environmental standards Delegate authority 6. Decisions by a group or organization with specific authorization, e. g. devolution by legal mandate, management concession, operating franchise, commission delegated power for final decision, court-sanctioned dispute settlement Partner 5. Joint decisions by mutual agreement, co-operation where both sides hold veto power, e. g. some co-management agreements, intergovernmental organizations, public-private partnerships, contracts Collaborate 4. Stakeholder representatives “at the table, ” active as team members in formulating and recommending alternatives, although final decision by one party. Task forces, working groups, negotiated rulemaking Involve 3. Interactive discussion and dialogue, as a supplement to an existing internal decision process. Workshops, town hall meetings, some advisory groups Consult 2. Two-way communications, receiving input, listening, exchange of views. Public hearings, written comments, question & answer sessions, interviews, focus groups, questionnaire surveys, etc. 1. One-way information dissemination about problems, analysis of alternatives and

Possibilism • Possibilism: Searching for irregularities – Albert O. Hirschman • Adjacent Possible: What’s next door? – Stanley Kauffman • Science and Art of Association – Alexis de Tocqueville, Vincent Ostrom

Value Pluralism • Value Pluralism Legal Pluralism Project State International – Diversity and dialogue Isaiah Berlin • Legal Pluralism – Multiple normative orders • Co-evolving Communities – A Patchwork Discourse Richard Norgaard Religious Local/ customary Adapted from Ruth Meinzen-Dick

Techniques for Facilitating Self-governance • Facilitation – Community organizers, etc. • PRA – Sketch mapping, transect/walkthroughs, calendars, matrix ranking, etc. • Workshops – Breakout groups and plenary sessions • Subsidies – Cost-sharing and other inducements • Enabling Policies – Information, legal authority, dispute resolution mechanisms Breakout Group Seating

Forms of Collective Action Community Government Association Consensus Hierarchy Command Market Discourse Exchange Contract Conversation Convention See Douglas & Wildavsky 1982 Risk and Culture; Lewis 1969 Convention

Conclusions Enable Advise • Self-governance – Autonomy or veto • Possibilism – Exploring the adjacent possible • Value pluralism – A patchwork discourse of coevolving communities • Techniques – Processes for citizen co-creation Establish autonomy Delegate authority Partner Collaborate Involve Consult Inform