Inspiration for Local Tripartite: Co-creation Success Depends on Seven Governance Factors

New global research based on 36 case studies from 28 countries shows that local co-creation can help strengthen the green transition if supported by seven governance factors. The results can inspire the local tripartite and other good forces that are in the process of creating a greener Denmark. The research also points to how the public sector can become even better at supporting local initiatives.

Complexity requires innovative co-creation

Problems for communities across the globe, and the realisation that urgent action is needed is growing. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that the threat to the climate and nature has noticeable consequences for people's well-being, lifestyle, health and ability to earn a living and on the road. However, preventing further climate change and dealing with the economic and social problems already created by the natural crisis is no easy task. It is an extremely complex problem that calls for new and innovative solutions.

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Co-creation research shows that local enthusiasts who seek to solve local climate and natural challenges with benefit can benefit greatly from involving a broad group of relevant and stakeholders who share a common effort to develop and realize innovative green projects that address local challenges. What neither of them can do alone, they can achieve together. Just think of the local tripartite, who are just now in the process of co-creating plans for one of the biggest land use changes in Danish history to create more wild nature and make agriculture more sustainable.

Success depends on seven structural factors

However, local cooperation in networks and partnerships is not always equally successful. The result depends largely on whether, in the given context, good conditions for co-creation have been established. This is shown by the global research project GOGREEN, led by researchers from Roskilde University.

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Over the past two years, the project has carried out 36 case studies of local co-creation projects aimed at developing and realizing green solutions to problems caused by the climate and nature crisis. The 36 cases come from 28 countries from different corners of the globe, including South Africa, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United States, Canada, Germany, Serbia and the Scandinavian countries.

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The aim of the project has been to identify which governance factors are crucial for the success of co-creation projects. By governance factors, we mean structural relationships such as regulation, programs and pools that provide incentive and opportunity for local actors to embark on doing things in a new way. These can be strategic-institutional relationships that help make it easy for different parties to come together, and tactical-operational relationships that support local co-creation processes by building trust and managing conflicts. The global study shows that seven out of the 16 governance factors we examined were particularly important for successful local co-creation of green projects.

Local and national necessity

The first factor is the experience of necessity. If local actors perceive that the natural and climate crisis is the cause of the problems that they experience locally, it makes them want to act, and do so together with others who possess important resources and competencies. In other words, whether local actors are willing to take action to counter the crisis depends largely on their view of what is causing the challenges they face.

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The second factor is national programmes with clear objectives and access to start-up resources. It is always difficult to get started on projects, but it helps a lot if there is support and support from above. It gives direction, momentum and legitimacy to local projects and a sense of being part of a larger movement.

Local meeting places

The third factor is the presence of local participation channels that make it normal for public and private actors to work together. When you are used to working together and have experience of how to deal with the challenges and conflicts that may arise in doing so, it is less “dangerous” to do it again.

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The fourth factor is the presence of digital and physical platforms, which make it easy for local actors to come together and collaborate. Platforms offer knowledge, resources, templates, guidelines, etc., that lower transaction costs by collaborating. They provide a good framework for maintaining and expanding existing collaborations, but also provide a framework for the start-up of new co-creation projects.

Self-confidence and burden-sharing

The fifth factor is local stories that great things have been achieved in the past by working together locally. Such stories give confidence, shared identity and the belief that it is possible to achieve great things together again, if only you are helped.

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Sixth factor is that projects are designed in such a way that all parties must contribute some of the resources necessary for the implementation of the project. It can be money or labor. In fact, it creates ownership and obligation and incentive to continue working together when the going gets tough. If you contribute resources, you will do more to make things succeed than if it is someone else who has something to lose. This is important, as there are always ups and downs in projects.

Facilitating leadership

Seventh factor is the exercise of a facilitative leadership that ensures direction and momentum in cooperation through agenda setting, process management and conflict management. Such leadership can be exercised by both public and private actors, and leadership can be exercised in many different ways, but crucially, the form of leadership is supportive rather than authoritarian.

Combine the control factors

The research results show that decision-makers who want to kick-start the green transition can benefit greatly from creating a good framework for local co-creation. Interest should not least be focused on how to combine different management factors so that the co-creation is as successful as possible.

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The research shows that different constellations of governance factors can lead to co-creation of local green solutions. It is not like 'one size fits all'. There are several paths to success. An interesting finding, however, is that the differences between the global south and north are smaller than we often think. It turns out that there are unique combinations of management factors that enable both successful green co-creation in the south and north.

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If you want to know more about GOGREEN, there is plenty of information to get at GOGREEN hereto