GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY IN RURAL ONTARIO

CANADIAN RURAL REVITALIZATION FOUNDATION

CONFERENCE

2004

GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY IN RURAL ONTARIO

AGENDA

A CRITICAL EXPLORATION OF CONCEPTS AND IDEAS IN THE “GOVERNANCE” DEBATE

THE EXPLORATION - POSSIBLE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS GOVERNANCE – THE EMERGENT CONCEPT CAPACITY – THE EMERGENT CONCEPT INTUITED INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND SOME SIGNALS

THE EXPLORATION - RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES

TO CRITICALLY EXPLORE THE NATURE OF THE CONCEPTUAL INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELECTED “CAPACITIES” THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO RURAL COMMUNITIES IN ONTARIO, AND SELECTED CONFIGURATIONS OF “GOVERNANCE” ALSO AVAILABLE TO THESE SAME COMMUNITIES.

GOVERNANCE

VERY MUCH A DEBATE IN PROGRESS NEW MODALITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OR NEW

AWARENESS OF CD PROCESS? CONTEXTUALLY CONFINED OR UNIVERSAL? CENTRALITY OF NETWORKS CENTRALITY OF FLUID PROCESS THROUGH

ASSOCIATIVE RELATIONS “JIT” INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS?

GOVERNANCE

IF AMORPHOUS, OPPORTUNISTIC, INFORMAL, EPHEMERAL - THEN WHAT IS THE NATURE AND RELEVANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION?

REGIMES ALREADY IN PLACE - GOVERNANCE AS COUNTER-HEGEMONIC OR BALANCING ALTERNATIVE?

NETWORKS, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND THE CONTESTED “COMMONS”

CONCEPT AS ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK OR CAUSAL CONSTRUCT?

CAPACITY

ANOTHER DEBATE IN PROGRESS DYNAMICS DEFICIT – STOCK SYNDROME MORE THAN SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE,

………… CONFIDENCE, …… BEYOND THE “ASSETS” LEDGER MUST INCLUDE INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS,

NETWORKS, LEADERSHIP RESOURCES

CAPACITY

MOVE TOWARD POSITIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE, GENERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS – SOCIAL CAPITAL?

MUST INCLUDE ASPECTS OF COHESION, SOLIDARITY AND COMMUNITY INTEGRITY

NEED TO INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY “FITNESS” VIA SOCIAL LEARNING CYCLES

“CAPACITY” IS RELATIVE TO THE CAPACITY REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB – SITUATE THE CONCEPT

RURAL ONTARIO - INTUITED RELATIONSHIPS AND SOME SIGNALS IN RURAL ONTARIO REGIMES RULE GOVERNANCE DYNAMICS ARE OPPORTUNISTIC

AND LIMITED LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHILE EMBATTLED AND

UNDER-RESOURCED, STILL HAS ENTRENCHED LEGITIMACY AND POWERS

PRAGMATICS OF THE “NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT” AND CONSTITUENCY DEMANDS SPURRING INCREMENTAL ASSOCIATIVE RELATIONS

INTUITED RELATIONSHIPS AND SOME SIGNALS

IN RURAL ONTARIO THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY DEFICITS

SOME OF THESE RELATE TO LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PARTICIPATORY PROCESS, “MAIN STREET” REVITALIZATION, COMMUNITY DESIGN

THERE IS ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE OF CAPACITY DEFICITS RELATING TO POLITICAL MOBILIZATION

ALTERNATIVE GOVERNANCE MODES (E.G. VIA COOPERATIVES, COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES) ARE ONLY MODESTLY DEVELOPED

INTUITED RELATIONSHIPS AND SOME SIGNALS

REIMAGINING THE ROLE OF LOCALGOVERNMENT IS IN THE EARLY STAGES

THE CONTESTED SPACE – PROVINCE’S “STRATEGIC LINES” AND ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN “ACCUMULATION STRATEGIES” AND EMERGENT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES UNCERTAIN

THANK YOU ~~~~~~~~ MERCI

David J.A. Douglas

Professor

Rural Planning and Development

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development,

University of Guelph

ddouglas@rpd.uoguelph.ca