Christian Jensen

Narrating the Triple Helix concept in "weak" regions: lessons from Sweden

This paper critically examines the positive narrative surrounding the Triple Helix concept as a model for development in all kinds of regions. We claim that existing and problematic structural preconditions should be taken into consideration when applying the Triple Helix concept in weak regions. Empirically, we base our paper on two longitudinal case studies in Sweden, where government are trying to break the negative trends in weak regions by initiating Triple Helix-like programs. However, due to poor preconditions, such initiatives tend to fail. Thus, a negative narrative can be related about Triple Helix cooperation when applied in weak regions.

The project organization as a policy tool in implementing welfare reforms in the public sector

Organizational design is considered in policy literature as a forceful policy tool to put policy to action. However, previous research has not analyzed the project organization as a specific form of organizational design and, hence, has not given much attention to such organizations as a strategic choice when selecting policy tools. The purpose of the article is to investigate the project as a policy tool; how do such temporary organizations function as a specific form of organization when public policy is implemented? The article is based on a framework of policy implementation and is illustrated with two welfare reforms in the Swedish public sector, which were organized and implemented as project organizations. The case studies and the analysis show that it is crucial that a project organization fits into the overall governance structure when used as a policy tool. If not, the project will remain encapsulated and will not have sufficient impact on the permanent organizational structure. The concept of encapsulation indicates a need to protect the project from a potential hostile environment. The implication of this is that organizational design as a policy tool is a matter that deserves more attention in the strategic discussion on implementing public policies and on the suitability of using certain policy tools.

Policy implementation in the era of accelerating projectification: Synthesizing Matland's conflict-ambiguity model and research on temporary organizations

It has become increasingly common to use the project as a form of organization when implementing public policies. Previous research has identified political, administrative and organizational motives behind this trend towards more project-based organizations within the public administration. The problem is that project-based organization carries inherent problems and special challenges when these projects are supposed to be implemented in permanent agencies and organizations. The purpose of this paper is to identify problems and challenges that public administrations face when ‘the project organization’ is used as a structural form of organization in implementing different kinds of public policies. The article takes its starting point in the policy implementation research and especially in Matland’s conflict-ambiguity model. This research tradition is complemented by a review of research on temporary organizations, which draws attention to some inherent and significant characteristics of project organizations, that is the concepts of entity, relationship and time. Our analysis shows that the use of project organization puts special demands on the players involved, and if these are not taken into account, there is a high risk that projects designed to bring about social change will not produce the effects that policymakers and citizens expect.