Working Group 5.3

Temporary Organisations and Rural-Urban Relations: Can Long-term Sustainability Goals be Achieved Through Short-term Interventions?

Convenors:

Stefan Sjöblom, University of Helsinki
Kjell Andersson, University of Helsinki (contact person) kjell.andersson@helsinki.fi
Sebastian Godenhjelm, University of Helsinki Minna Lehtola, University of Helsinki

WG website:
http://sockom.helsinki.fi/forum/workshops/vaasa.html

An important and widespread trend is increasing reliance on temporary organisations to achieve sustainable development objectives. Non-permanent organisations offer the possibility of hyper-rational responses to social problems, through seemingly mobilizing appropriate competencies and expertise on a just-in-time basis.  While attractive, such logic ignores the friction of coordination and continuity. Especially in policy fields like regional development, characterised by cross-sectoral and multi-level policy problems and implementation processes, there is a tremendous need for a broader assessment of the possibilities and limitations of pursuing long term sustainability related objectives by means of structures characterised by a high degree of administrative short-termism.

The workshop will focus on comparative differences in key institutional mechanisms especially the proliferation of organizational and administrative structures that contribute to sustainable regional development through short-term organizations and instruments (partnerships, agencies, networks, and projects). The empirical focal point will be rural-urban relations,a field where short term projects and partnerships are widely deployed. Different social groups, rationalities and discourses are involved and the issue crosses important administrative borders within a multilevel governance system. The relationship between temporary and permanent institutions is crucial in combining long-term objectives for sustainable regional development.

The following questions are especially important:

• What are the main national characteristics of the governance structure in the field of regional development, especially rural-urban relations?
• To what extent – and how - are short-term organisations and instruments utilised as means for achieving regional development objectives?
• How are the achievements (new knowledge, procedures, outputs) of short-term organisations sustained and transferred to permanent institutions?
• What are the mechanisms for participation? To what extent can communities and individuals be effectively consulted and involved by means of short-term organisations and instruments?

The convenors invite researchers to submit papers on administrative short-termism and rural-urban relations that address the above mentioned questions in their respective countries. The aim is to develop existing networks in the field and possibly to publish a book based on the papers of the workshop. The book will focus on comparative differences in administrative short-termism and rural-urban relations in Europe. More detailed instructions will be given to the participants after their abstracts have been accepted.

Contact:
Kjell Andersson
kjell.andersson (AT) Helsinki.fi
+358-(0)9-19128463
P.O.Box 16
University of Helsinki, Swedish School of Social Science, FO-RUM