Polycentric Transformation in Kenyan Water Governance: A Dynamic Analysis of Institutional and Social-Ecological Change
DOWNLOADMay 31, 2018 - Paul McCord, Jampel DellΓÇÖAngelo, Elizabeth Baldwin, Tom Evans
Journal or Book Title: Policy Studies Journal
Keywords: water governance; polycentricity; institutional analysis; Kenya; collective action
Volume/Issue: Online
Year Published: 2016
Beginning in 2002, Kenyan water governance transitioned from a monocentric, topâ€down system to one exhibiting traits of polycentricity. In this paper, we investigate the changes made to water policy following the 2002 reform, outcomes produced in a collection of community†and catchmentâ€level user groups in the Mount Kenya region, and the conformance of these changes and outcomes with principles of polycentricity. A new framework is used to capture the complex institutional arrangements and interactions existing before and after the polycentric transformation. Unlike many previous polycentricity studies, the present research focuses primarily on the outcomes of the polycentric shift and determines if these correspond to predictions from polycentricity theory. We utilize survey data collected in 2013 from water managers, as well as archival research to interrogate congruence with principles of polycentricity. This study contributes to the broader discussion on polycentricity in two fundamental ways: (i) It documents the functioning of a water management system following a topâ€down imposed polycentric reform, and (ii) It empirically inspects whether these polycentric reforms have produced benefits predicted by polycentricity theorists, such as experimentation by local water users, increased collective action, and improved coordination between levels of management.
DOI: 10.1111/psj.12168
Type of Publication: Journal Article