GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY IN RURAL ONTARIO

1. GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY IN RURAL ONTARIO CANADIAN RURAL REVITALIZATION FOUNDATION CONFERENCE 2004

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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?

5. 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?

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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