Project properties
Title The politics and scale-framing by regional authorities in governing agricultural development, zero-deforestation and climate change
Group Public Administration and Policy
Project type thesis
Credits 33-39
Supervisor(s) Dr. Otto Hospes (PAP), Dr. Robbert Biesbroek (PAP)
Examiner(s) Prof. Dr. Katrien Termeer
Contact info otto.hospes@wur.nl
Begin date 2017/03/22
End date
Description Regional authorities (governors at state level of federal governments, public authorities at provincial level) play an increasing role in the development of power struggles over and new glocal governance arrangements for sustainable development. The goal of this project is to explore the strategies, power play and tensions of regional authorities in promoting sustainable development, seeing what (scale) frames and other tools and tactics they use in asserting power over sustainable development in interactions with international agencies, national governments, local governments and communities. They may facilitate national laws and guidelines to instruct local governments, but also ignore them, establishing direct relationships with international donors, bilateral governments and local communities. A special case is the Governors's Climate and Forest Task Force, established by Governors from all over the world (Indonesia, Brazil, Peru, Spain, USA, Mexico, etc.). This task force regularly meets (for instance from 25-30 September 2017 in East-Kalimantan). A specific purpose of the project could be to explore the governance and politics of one or more governors/provincial authorities, including their framing at the GCFTF meetings and in other arenas.
Used skills Qualitative research methods
Requirements We look for one or more highly ambitious student(s), who is/are capable of working autonomously, has/have affinity with both sustainable development and governance debates (like scale framing, multi-level governance, governmentality) and has/have experience with using qualitative research methods. Students are expected to further develop the above in a stand-alone research proposal. Students who choose to conduct research in developing countries are expected to be comfortable with working under tougher working conditions.

Indonesia, Brazil, and/or any other country of which the governor participates in the GCFTF