The authors of a new book, Collaborative Governance: Principles, Processes & Practical Tools, from Portland State University’s National Policy Consensus Center. Authors Stephen Greenwood, Laurel Singer, and Wendy Willis, with PSU President Stephen Percy, hosted a video webinar introducing the book to educators, practitioners, government and community problem solvers, and students.
The book is available in hardcover and paperback here - http://routledge.pub/CollaborativeGovernance
About the Book
Traditional governance, even when it is functioning effectively and fairly, often produces clear winners and clear losers, leaving smoldering resentments that flare up whenever there is a shift in the balance of power. Over the past two and a half decades, a new style of governance has arisen to disrupt some of that winner-takes-all dynamic, offering parties a means to collectively navigate their interests in a highly focused and democratic way. Collaborative Governance is a comprehensive practice-based textbook on the topic, presenting a solid grounding in relevant theory while also focusing on case studies, process design, and practical tools. Bringing together theory and tools from the fields of negotiation and mediation, as well as political science and public administration, this book introduces students and practitioners to the theory of collaborative governance in the context of practical applications.
Coverage includes:
• A connection of the practices of collaborative governance with the field’s theoretical underpinnings;
• Tools for students and practitioners of collaborative governance—as well as public administrators and other possible participants in collaborative governance processes—to discern when collaborative governance is appropriate in politically complex, real-world settings;
• A roadmap for students, practitioners, and process participants to help them design—and effectively participate in—productive, efficient, and fair collaborative governance processes;
• An exploration of constitutional democracy and the ways in which collaborative governance can be used as a tool in building a more just, fair, and functional society.