KNOWLEDGE, POLICYMAKING AND LEARNING: EXPERIENCES FROM BRUSSELS LESSONS LEARNT FOR A PLACE-BASED APPROACH TO LOCAL POLICY KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE

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1 KNOWLEDGE, POLICYMAKING AND LEARNING: EXPERIENCES FROM BRUSSELS LESSONS LEARNT FOR A PLACE-BASED APPROACH TO LOCAL POLICY KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE Nicola Francesco DOTTI (COSMOPOLIS, VUB) Brussels, January 2016

2 THE GREATPI PROJECT 3-YEAR RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDED BY INNOVIRIS, PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH FOR BRUSSELS ( ) PART-1: GEOGRAPHY OF RESEARCH IN EUROPE (26 NOV 2013) PART-2: TERRITORIAL POLICY INNOVATION (Today CENTRE FOR URBAN RESEARCH - VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL SUPERVISOR: BAS VAN HEUR SUPPORTED BY BRUSSELS STUDIES INSTITUTE

3 OBJECTIVES FOR DISCUSSION KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING WHAT TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE? STRATEGIES FOR POLICY LEARNING? HOW TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP? POLICY KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE & BROKERAGE? CHALLENGES OF A METROPOLITAN PERSPECTIVE?

4 OUTLINE (1) RESEARCH FRAMEWORK (2) METHODOLOGY (3) THE WATERMAEL-SCHUMAN-JOSAPHAT JUNCTION BRUSSELS WATER MANAGEMENT REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICY (4) LESSONS LEARNT (5) QUESTIONS

5 FRAMEWORK

6 INNOVATIVE MILIEU THE SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY TERRITORIAL INNOVATION MODELS REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEM TERRITORIAL POLICY INNOVATION BRUSSELS METROPOLITAN AREA - DIRECT CONTACTS - COMPLEX CHALLENGES - COMMON, BUT COMPLEX INSTITUTIONS - IMPORTANT, BUT LIMITED RESSOURCES KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING POLICY LEARNING POLICY CHANGE

7 BEYOND SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER COMMON ASSUMPTION EXPERTS KNOW THE TRUTH, POLITICIANS HAVE TO LISTEN! MORE RECENTLY SOCIAL LEARNING AS COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS FOR COMMON RESSOURCES GOVERNANCE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW WHAT-TO-DO. TOO MUCH ON POLICY MOBILITY; TOO LITTLE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OPEN ISSUES WHO (& HOW) CHANGES POLICIES? WHO LEARN POLICYMAKING? TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE: INDIVIDUAL vs. COLLECTIVE? RISE OF KNOWLEDGE BROKERS?

8 SOME DEFINITIONS KNOWLEDGE AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION, MODELS TO ELABORATE IT AND TOOLS TO BE IMPLEMENTED KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING IS NEVER NEUTRAL - INSTRUMENTAL USE AGAINST COMPETITORS - SUBSTANTIATION OF PRE-EXISTING PREFERENCES AND BELIEFS - NEW PERCEPTIONS/UNDERSTANDING OF EMERGING NEEDS CHANGE IS NOT LEARNING - CHANGE IS OCCASIONAL, IRREGULAR, NOT ALWAYS POSITIVE - LEARNING IS CUMULATIVE AND INTERACTIVE, EXPLICIT OR IMPLICIT

9 INNOVATIVE CHALLENGES A TERRITORIAL PERSPECTIVE KNOWLEDGE IS SCARCE, CONTEXT-SPECIFIC, AND POLICYMAKING IS ALSO INFLUENCED BY EXOGENOUS FACTORS

10 METHODOLOGY

11 APPROACHING CASE STUDIES CASE STUDIES FROM THE BRUSSELS-CAPITAL REGION 1) THE WATERMAEL-SCHUMAN-JOSAPHAT (WSJ) RAIL JUNCTION 2) BRUSSELS WATER MANAGEMENT 3) REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICY PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS (DENTE, 2011 & 2014, PETERS 2015) DESK ANALYSIS OF POLICY DOCUMENTS + >50 SEMI-STRUCTURED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS + DIRECT PARTICIPATION + VALIDATION WITH EXPERTS TIME PERSPECTIVE: FROM CREATION OF THE BCR (1989) UNTIL & (A BIT OF) METHODOLOGICAL NAïVETÉ

12 THE WATERMAEL-SCHUMAN-JOSAPHAT RAIL JUNCTION STORY-1 TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING

13 TYPES OF POLICY KNOWLEDGE LONG-TERM PLANNING COMPLEXITY OF LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE CONTEXT-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE KNOW-HOW vs. KNOW-WHAT DECENTRALIZATION REDISTRIBUTING COMPETENCES

14 A TAXONOMY OF KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING TECHNICAL POLITICAL KNOW-WHAT ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE PLANNING KNOWLEDGE KNOW-HOW PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE

15 THE BRUSSELS CONTEXT CORE OF THE BELGIAN RAIL NETWORK, EUROPEAN CROSSROAD & DENSELY URBANIZED METROPOLITAN AREA ACROSS 3 REGIONS LONG TRADITION OF UNDERGROUND WORKS CONTESTED LEGACY OF THE NORTH-SOUTH JUNCTION ADVANCED EXPERTISE OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (Tellier, 2013) 1989, REGIONALIZATION OF BELGIUM. RAILWAY IS ONE OF THE FEW COMPETENCES LEFT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SINCE 1988, DEBATE ON RER/GEN (Damay, 2014) GROWTH OF THE EUROPEAN DISTRICT AS POLE FOR OFFICES

16 THE NEW RAIL JUNCTION CONCEPT UPGRADE & LINK 2 RAILWAY LINES (26&161) OBJECTIVES _ REDUCE CONGESTION ON THE NORTH-SOUTH JUNCTION _ IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TO BXL-EAST (Source: Infrabel, 2008)

17 WHY IS A WIN-WIN PROJECT? ACTOR ROLE INTEREST FEDERAL GOV. - MIN. COMM. - BELIRIS PROMOTOR AND DIRECTOR _ RAILWAY NETWORK IS LEFT AS COMPETENCE _ BELIRIS AIMS TO INVEST IN BRUSSELS _ AN INVESTMENT FOR THE SNCB-GROUP FLANDERS SUPPORTER IMPROVED ACCESS TO EUROPEAN DISTRICT WALLONIA SUPPORTER IMPROVED ACCESS TO EUR. DISTRICT & AIRPORT BRUSSELS BENEFICIARY UNCLEAR: A PROJECT IN BRUSSELS PAID BY THE FED. GOV., BUT MORE FOR COMMUTERS EU INST. SUPPORTER IMPROVED ACCESS TO AIRPORT PUBLIC WORKS INDUSTRY SUPPORTER RESTART OF WORKS AFTER DECENTRALIZATION

18 THE POLICY PROCESS LONG PROCESS (1993 -> 2015) FIRST FEASIBILITY STUDIES BY EXTERNAL ENGINEERING GROUPS REJECTED, BUT THE MIN. INSISTED UNTIL THE FINAL APPROVAL: 2 PROJECTS PROPOSED (WSJ & SCH.-FORMATION STATION) TO GET AT LEAST ONE ACCEPTED PROBLEMS FOR EU BUILDINGS AND EMBASSIES: HIGH COMPLEXITY, MINOR CHANGES FOR SOME LOCAL CONFLICTS

19 THE FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR COMMUNICATIONS TECHNICAL POLITICAL KNOW-WHAT ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE (OUTSOURCED) PLANNING KNOWLEDGE (INTERNAL, WEAK) KNOW-HOW PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE (INTERNAL, STRONG) STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE (INTERNAL, STRONG)

20 BRUSSELS WATER MANAGEMENT STORY-2 PATTERNS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY CHANGE

21 CONCENTRATED KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSED KNOWLEDGE G R E AT P I PATTERNS FOR POLICY CHANGE EXTERNAL TO POLICYMAKERS COMMUNITY 2. POLICY ENTREPRENEURIAL 3. PARTICIPATIVE 1. TECHNOCRATIC INTERNAL TO POLICYMAKERS COMMUNITY

22 THE BRUSSELS CONTEXT FULLY URBANISED AREA REGIONAL BOUNDARIES MUCH SMALLER THAN THE ZENNE RIVER BASIN LONG TRADITION OF FLOODING (Source: De Bondt & Claeys, 2011)

23 POLICY PHASES [PHASE 1, ] TOWARDS A BRUSSELS WATER POLICY DRIVEN BY EUROPE [PHASE 2, ] SETTING THE REGIONAL SCENE [PHASE 3, ] THE CREATIVE PLANNING PHASE

24 PHASE 1: TOWARDS A BRUSSELS WATER POLICY DRIVEN BY EUROPE BRUSSELS POLICYMAKERS EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE URBAN WASTEWATER TREATMENT (1991/271/EC) BRUSSELS-SOUTH STATION BUILT BY VIVAQUA (2000); BRUSSELS-NORTH STATION BUILT IN PPP BY AQUIRIS (2007) AGREEMENT BRUSSELS - FLANDERS FOR TREATMENTS OF WASTE WATER IN SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES VIVAQUA (+SBGE & AQUIRIS) 2 STATIONS & NEW SEWERS + STORM WATER BASINS INCREMENTAL CHANGES PUSHED BY AN EXOGENOUS STIMULUS - > HYDROLOGICAL APPROACH ZENNE RIVER PLAN (ULB+KUL, 1984) AGREEMENT WITH FLANDERS

25 PHASE 2: DEFINITION OF THE REGIONAL SCENE FOR WATER POLICY [2000] EUROPEAN WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE [2005] FLOODING IN THE FLAGEY SQUARE [2006] REGIONAL ORDONNANCE RE/ORGANISING WATER GOVERNANCE BRUSSELS ENVIRONMENT+SBGE/BMWB+VIVAQUA+HYDROBRU+PORT OF BRUSSELS

26 PHASE 3: THE CREATIVE PLANNING PHASE BRUSSELS-ENVIRONMENT TAKES THE INITIATIVE: RAIN PLAN (2008) & WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (2012) EGEB (CIV. SOC. + ACAD.) _ NEW URBAN RIVERS _ WATER AS COMMON VUB - GEOLOGY _ FLOODING CAUSED BY SOIL SEALING - LEGAL OBLIGATION IMPOSED BY THE EWFD (2000) - POLITICAL PRESSURE AFTER THE FLOODING IN FLAGEY (2005) - NEWLY DEFINED REGIONAL GOVERNANCE (2006 s ORDONNANCE) BRUSSELS ENVIRONMENT INNOVATIVE WATER PLANS CHANGE OF POLICY GOALS BY EXOG. & ENDOG. STIMULI HYDRO-GEOLOGICAL APPROACH & SOCIAL LEARNING

27 CONCENTRATED DIFFUSED G R E AT P I PATTERNS OF POLICY CHANGES [1990s] VIVAQUA + ULB-HYDR WATER TREATMENT STATIONS & STORM WATER BASINS [TECHNOCRATIC] 2. INTER-REG. AGREEMENT [TECHNOCRATIC] VUB - GEOLOGY EXTERNAL EGEB [2000s] + B-ENV + VUB-GEO 3. CREATIVE WATER PLANNING [POL. ENTREPRENEUR] 4. WATER AS A COMMON [PARTICIPATIVE] VIVAQUA + BRUSSELS ENVIRONMENT INTERNAL

28 REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICY STORY-3 STRATEGIES FOR POLICY LEARNING

29 THE BRUSSELS CONTEXT BRUSSELS ECONOMY STRONG IN GDP, BUT HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICE-ORIENTED WITH A LARGE PUBLIC SECTOR (EU + BE), STRONG CONCENTRATION OF UNIVERSITIES & HOSPITALS. BRUSSELS-CAPITAL REGION IN CHARGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY (INCL. INNOVATION), BUT SMALL SIZE

30 POLICY STEPS 2000 EU LISBON AGENDA 2001 BELGIAN PRESIDENCY: BCR CHAIRS IND. & RESEARCH FISCAL INCENTIVES FOR R&D STAFF BY FED. GOV BELGIAN PRESIDENCY: BCR CHAIRS IND. & RESEARCH ST REGIONAL R&D SCHEMES 2000 REGIONAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH POLICY 2004 CREATION OF INNOVIRIS 2005 REG. CONTRACT FOR ECONOMY & JOBS 2012 UPDATE OF THE REG. INNOV. PLAN ST REGIONAL INNOVATION PLAN 2009 MEMORANDUM BY THE REG. COUNCIL

31 THE BRUSSELS INNOVATION POLICY RATIONALE: SUPPORT REGIONAL STRENGTHS SINCE 2000s, INCREMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS & BUDGET THROUGH DIRECT & INDIRECT INVESTMENTS SINCE 2005, A (SMART) SPECIALISATION STRATEGY: LIFE SCIENCE, ICT, ECOCONSTRUCTION LONG-TERM STRATEGY WITH A STABLE FRAMEWORK FOR R&D INVESTMENTS

32 SOME CRITICALITIES MINISTER S CABINET & REG. COUNCIL FOR POLICY RESEARCH RELIED MAINLY ON THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES OR CONSULTANTS. ONLY RECENTLY (2013), INNOVIRIS WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED. UNIVERSITIES AND IND. ASSOC. INTERVENE AS STAKEHOLDERS. EXOGENOUS STIMULI BY EU PRESIDENCIES We do not use all money we would like to invest in research. [Why?] Because we do not find projects! [I-08] LACK OF CRITICAL MASS FOR AN INNOVATION POLICY, BUT BRUSSELS IS ALREADY INNOVATIVE

33 AN INTERESTING PRACTICE FOR POLICY KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE THE SENNE SOURCE PLATFORM IS A BOTTOM-UP INITIATIVE OF BRUSSELS WATER SCHOLARS TO BRIDGE RESEARCH-POLICY GAP INNOVIRIS FUNDS MANY RESEARCH ON BRUSSELS WATER, AND SCHOLARS SELF-ORGANISED TO PROACTIVELY DISSEMINATE RESEARCH FINDINGS TO BRUSSELS ENVIRONMENT

34 LESSONS LEARNT

35 DIFFERENT STRATEGIES MAIN ACTORS WSJ WATER INNOVATION MINISTRY FOR COMMUNICATIONS VIVAQUA, THEN BXL-ENV INNOVIRIS INST. SETTING FEDERAL REGIONAL-ISED REGIONAL-ISED TIME PERSPECTIVE 30 YEARS ~10 YEARS 3-5 YEARS POLICY CHANGES BLOCKED IN 90s, THEN 'BUSINESS AS USUAL' YES, ENDOGENOUS & EXOGENOUS ONLY INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS KNOWLEDGE INTERNAL (MAINLY) INTERNAL & EXTERNAL EXTERNAL EXOG. FACTORS NONE EU DIRECTIVES & FLOODING IN FLAGEY EU PRESIDENCY & LISBON AGENDA RESEARCH NONE YES, ABUNDANT NOT REALLY KEY-FACTORS LONG TRADITION OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS LEARNING FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE AND PROACTIVE EXPERTS OUTSOURCING POLICYMAKING TO CONSULTANTS

36 REFLECTIONS ON LESSONS LEARNT [WSJ JUNCTION] POLICY KNOW-HOW AS KEY VARIABLE -> RISK OF MONOPOLY OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW KNOW-WHAT [WATER] IMPORTANT POLICY CHANGES AND LEARNING. HOW TO PROMOTE POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP? [INNOVATION] WHAT SCALE FOR INNOVATION POLICY? (1) KNOWLEDGE FOR LOCAL POLICYMAKING IS CONTEXT-SPECIFIC (2) LONG-TERM TRAJECTORIES TO LEARN POLICY KNOWLEDGE > (NEW?) ROLE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

37 AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO LOCAL KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICYMAKING VARIETY SELECTION PRESERVATION KEY-CONCEPT HETEROGENEITY OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OPENNESS OF POLICYMAKERS TO LEARN NEW KNOWLEDGE STABILITY TO ACCUMULATE COLLECTIVE POLICY KNOWLEDGE MAIN RISK HEGEMONY OF A COGNITIVE APPROACH PREDOMINANCE OF A POLICY PARADIGM INSTABILITY UNDERMINING LEARNING CHALLENGES FOR METR. AREAS CRITICAL MASS ON CONTEXT-SPECIFIC ISSUES RESOURCES TO SCAN FOR NEW KNOWLEDGE INDIVIDUALS AS GATEKEEPERS

38 RESEARCH-POLICY ROUNDTABLES QUESTIONS

39 FIVE QUESTIONS POLICY LEARNING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: WHAT TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE? HOW TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? ACADEMICS, EXPERTS AND THE EMERGING ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE BROKERS: HOW ARE THEY CHANGING? THE CHALLENGE(S) OF KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE FOR LOCAL POLICYMAKING: TOWARDS PLACE-BASED APPROACH? IS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE THE KEY-VARIABLE TO IMPROVE LOCAL POLICYMAKING? TOWARDS POLICY RESILIENCE?

40 Nicola Francesco DOTTI