How To Map Coordination: Issues of Methodology

Abstract

Empirical research on coordination in general and in the public sector in particular is quite limited. But empirical coordination research based on a systematic research methodology is even more scarce. Exceptions are case studies on specific inter-organizational cooperation between organizations and within networks of organizations (James and Moseley 2006; Bardach 1998; Torfing and Sorenson 2002). These case studies have examined the manner in which decisions on particular coordination problems have been made, and the characteristics of the individual policy networks that can serve as the basis for coordination. However, even these scarce descriptive studies on coordination strategies, used by governments within policy domains or at government-wide level (6, 2004; Röber and Schröter 2006) refer in most cases to more anecdotal, illustrative evidence without much systematic data-gathering, analysis and presentation.