Encyklopedia Administracji Publicznej MW Pivot Skin

NETWORK GOVERNANCE – one of the currents of governance: it is a process of a relatively stable, horizontal expression of interdependent, but operationally autonomous actors, affecting one another through negotiations. This process takes place within a regulated, normative, cognitive and imaginary framework, and it (self)regulates within limits set by external forces. N.gov. is a response to the fragmentation, complexity and high dynamics of contemporary social processes. N.gov. has no one empirical form, it can be strictly formalized or dominated by loose, informal contacts. The examples of the former are networks based on hierarchy, legalism, planning, management and structured allocation of resources, the latter – those founded on trust, discussion, collegiality and unstructured changes. N.gov. can be implemented within an organisation or between different organisations, it can be built from the bottom-up or created top-bottom, it can be open or closed, temporary or permanent, have a limited scope or cover the whole society. N.gov. can also contribute to the formulation and creation of policies or directly to their implementation. The practical implementation of its principles affects the roles of politicians, officials and citizens. Its important problem is the lack of sufficient transparency of the network’s functioning. The increase in the number of entities and stakeholders involved in the governance process often makes it – instead of becoming more pluralistic and democratic – less transparent and complicated. The n.gov. trend gained special popularity in the Scandinavian countries (→ governance) [ K. Radzik-Maruszak ].