The thesis takes as its starting point the importance of community in contemporary political societies across the world, most notably, for present purposes, the Third World. Community importantly determines questions of social inclusion, exclusion, identity, belonging and well-being. As is no surprise, the role and significance of community is well recognised in several academic disciplines today. Consider this one example. Recent literature on development has generally drawn attention to the potential benefits of participation in certain aspects of governance. More specifically, proposals for community participation have emerged in response to State failure, or now the pervasiveness of market exclusion. Community participation is motivated by several grievances, the most emphatic of which is the profound gap between the lived experiences of the poor and institutions that affect their lives. This gap between discourse and lived experience is more vividly evident in human rights practice, and this not only reflects the dominance, but also the inadequacies of State and market-based understandings alike. A fundamental aspect of this debate – largely overlooked by human rights discourse – is the role of community. Whilst there remain marginal references to community in certain aspects of human rights discourse, over all it has not sufficiently or comprehensively embraced community. More specifically, the Declaration of Right to Development, Rights-Based Approaches to Development and the World Bank‘s concept of good governance fail to offer an adequate role for community in human rights terms. Drawing from a range of literature in legal theory, political theory, philosophy and sociology, and developing its insights in the context of the supply of the – human right and – public good of electricity in Nigeria, the thesis offers a theory of community, which seeks to enable individuals, particularly, the poor and vulnerable, to organise themselves democratically, to claim ownership of the processes that determine their human rights.

This thesis applies interdisciplinary approaches to explore interactions between two forms of community governance in Acholiland from 1898 to 2010, locating itself within Peace Studies. One form, kaka, was “traditional”, featuring varied forms of “facultative mutualisms” among two or more gangi agnates – with one gang as dominant in the realm. Gangi were kinship-based polities. Like kaka, gangi manifested autopoietic attributes and strong internal “fiduciary cultures”. Then in the 1900s, kaka as governing systems were reshuffled under colonialism and a tribal unit, the Acholi Local Government was created and was subordinated to the Uganda state. Unlike kaka, Acholi Local Government was hierarchal and has consistently been redesigned by various postcolonial governments in their attempts to renegotiate, reshape and control the Acholi people. The study advances a concept of community governance as “socialpolitical” and moral, and counters that kaka was about brotherhoods - not rulersubject relationships. It further distinguishes what was “traditional” from “customary” systems, and demonstrates how colonialism in Acholiland, and a crisis of legitimacy manifested in a trifurcation of authorities, with: i) the despotic civil service - the “customary system”, fusing modernity and the African tradition, ii) a reshuffled kaka system as traditional, and, iii) the cross-modern, manifested as kinematic lugwok paco, linking ethno-governance with the nascent national and global arenas. The study concludes that both colonialism and “coloniality” have reshuffled the mores of kaka along an African neo-patrimonial legitimacy. Conversely, Acholiland is a “limited statehood” – manifesting a higher order of societal entropy - where the “rule by law and customs” dovetail with violence and poverty, demonstrating a genre of exceptionalism.

This thesis applies interdisciplinary approaches to explore interactions between two forms of community governance in Acholiland from 1898 to 2010, locating itself within Peace Studies. One form, kaka, was “traditional”, featuring varied forms of “facultative mutualisms” among two or more gangi agnates – with one gang as dominant in the realm. Gangi were kinship-based polities. Like kaka, gangi manifested autopoietic attributes and strong internal “fiduciary cultures”. Then in the 1900s, kaka as governing systems were reshuffled under colonialism and a tribal unit, the Acholi Local Government was created and was subordinated to the Uganda state. Unlike kaka, Acholi Local Government was hierarchal and has consistently been redesigned by various postcolonial governments in their attempts to renegotiate, reshape and control the Acholi people. The study advances a concept of community governance as “socialpolitical” and moral, and counters that kaka was about brotherhoods - not rulersubject relationships. It further distinguishes what was “traditional” from “customary” systems, and demonstrates how colonialism in Acholiland, and a crisis of legitimacy manifested in a trifurcation of authorities, with: i) the despotic civil service - the “customary system”, fusing modernity and the African tradition, ii) a reshuffled kaka system as traditional, and, iii) the cross-modern, manifested as kinematic lugwok paco, linking ethno-governance with the nascent national and global arenas. The study concludes that both colonialism and “coloniality” have reshuffled the mores of kaka along an African neo-patrimonial legitimacy. Conversely, Acholiland is a “limited statehood” – manifesting a higher order of societal entropy - where the “rule by law and customs” dovetail with violence and poverty, demonstrating a genre of exceptionalism.

Drawing upon the concept of governance, this dissertation refers to the two most commonly employed mechanisms that ensure high quality knowledge in electronic repositories as expert-governance and community-governance. In three related but distinct essays, the dissertation examines the governance concept, and investigates contributing knowledge to and using knowledge from electronic repositories governed by these two mechanisms. The first essay sets the conceptual foundations of knowledge governance in repositories, and examines the salient aspects of expert- and community-governance that contribute to knowledge quality. The essay adopts an interpretive research methodology and analyzes empirical data collected from a range of organizations using interviews and online questionnaires. Findings suggest that executing governance functions thoroughly, experts' credibility, and experts' ownership of content contribute to knowledge quality in expert-governed repositories; and executing governance functions continuously and by a diverse set of members, and members' involvement in governance contribute to knowledge quality in community-governed repositories. The second essay investigates the factors that influence individuals to make voluntary contributions to expert- and community-governed repositories. This essay employs the same research methodology used in Essay I and suggests that personal benefits is a stronger motivator for contributing to expert-governed, and reciprocity is a stronger motivator for contributing to community-governed repositories when these two repositories are implemented on an individual basis in organizational settings. When the two repositories are implemented simultaneously, two sets of factors influence contribution behaviors: knowledge-based factors include the type, formality, and sensitivity of knowledge; and need-based factors include the need for collaboration, expert validation, and recognition. The third essay investigates knowledge use from expert- and communitygoverned repositories using a positivist perspective. It conducts a controlled experiment drawing upon elaboration likelihood model, and finds that the credibility of a governance mechanism positively affects subjects’ perceptions of knowledge quality as well as their intentions to use knowledge, which in turn affect their actual knowledge use. This essay also conducts within-subject comparisons using repeated measures ANOVA to shed light on subjects’ perceptions of expert- and community-governed knowledge assets.

自90年代北投溫泉公共浴場成功保存再利用後，北投的市民力量崛起、社區組織集結，社區組織開始在北投社區治理中扮演重要的角色。然而，最初為了推動北投溫泉公共浴場而成立的社區組織「八頭里仁協會」，隨著發展過程中兩次的組織分裂，另外兩個社區組織「北投生態文史工作室」、「北投文化基金會」相繼成立，形成社區中三大社區組織鼎立的狀態，彼此之間呈現多元的動態關係，因此，北投社區組織間將如何運作與互動，其所具體實踐治理結構，即本文的最終核心目的。 本研究係以社區治理作為論述基礎，以社區組織參與社區治理作為研究主體，觀察北投的社區治理，分析參與其中的社區組織「八頭里仁協會」、「北投生態文史工作室」、「北投文化基金會」，並以特定的社區議題「新北投車站歸鄉」、「復育北投石」及「北投空中纜車興建」作為組織互動分析的操作媒介，在不同議題中，透過議題網絡的建構，運用網絡分析途徑探討參與其中的社區組織，藉以分析社區組織間的互動關係。研究發現，三大社區組織間由於組織運作上的差異，及在社區發展過程中組織分裂與議題合作的基礎，使得北投社區中已有一定程度相關的人力和資源，會基於經驗的傳承或議題的需求，形成治理上的分流，進一步形成「議題型」與「計畫型」社區組織的差異，建構出社區的雙元治理結構。 / In a newly emerging pluralistic democracy, how grassroots organizations interact? They tend to compete against each other for limited resources, having different positions in one issue, and need to cooperate to pursue common goals. Most importantly, they are in a repeated-game scenario in which they need to face each other in a very long period of time. This setting gives them important incentives to coordinate their actions to avoid possible conflicts. By a case study in the Beitou area of Taipei, Taiwan, this thesis examines the dynamics between civil associations, specifically Peitou Li Zen, Beitou Ecology Cultural, and History Workshop, and Beitou Cultural Foundation. This research indicates an equilibrium of dual-pole structure in grassroots level: associations would divide themselves by either “issue-oriented” or “project-oriented” automatically: the former is ideology-driven while the latter is resource-driven. Such identity-division avoids confrontation in fighting for resources in the meantime facilitates division of labor among them, and thus stabilize their relationship.

Este artículo analiza los cambios en el gobierno comunal en contextosde negociación minera. Nos centramos en tres temas: el roldel gobierno comunal en la regulación de los recursos comunalesy del territorio; la diversidad de intereses que surgen ante la presenciaminera, y la comunidad como institución política frente a lapresión externa sobre la tierra. Para ello, partimos de un estudiode caso: el proceso de negociación entre la comunidad campesinade Michiquillay y la empresa Anglo American, en Cajamarca, querealizamos a partir de un trabajo de campo en la comunidad. Delanálisis se desprende que las transformaciones en la regulación delos recursos comunales, sus usos y su valoración, así como el cambioen el peso de los actores económicos y políticos, han complejizadolas relaciones al interior de la comunidad y han creado nuevosniveles de toma de decisión y espacios de disputa por el controlde recursos. Al mismo tiempo que surgen nuevos conflictos intracomunalesy aumenta la fragmentación territorial, la comunidad como institución está jugando un rol central en la negociación yasumiendo nuevas funciones: ahora, el gobierno comunal no regulasolo el acceso a recursos productivos, sino también la distribucióndel capital financiero. / This paper analyzes changes in community governance in the contextof negotiations with a mining company. We focus on three issues:the role played by the community government on the regulation ofcommunity resources and territory, the diverse and complex intereststhat emerge in the presence of mining activity; and, the communityas a political institution confronting external pressures over its land.We develop a study case focusing on the negotiation process betweenthe Michiquillay peasant community and Anglo American MiningCompany in Cajamarca, Peru. This information was obtained doingfieldwork in the community in 2009. In our analysis we observe thatchanges on community resources regulation, its uses and valorization,as well as changes on the balance of power between economicand political actors, have created a greater level of complexity in thecommunity, creating new levels of community decision and spaces fordisputing resources’ control. At the same time, new inter communalconflicts emerge and fragmentation of community lands increases.In this context the community as an institution plays a central rolein the negotiation process over access productive resource and thedistribution of financial capital.

The research examines New Labour’s Third Way policies and the impact New Deal for Communities (NDC) regeneration programme had on participation in health care. This longitudinal study (1998-2007) explores participatory joint working, welfare state, social capacity, health inequalities, citizen involvement and community capacity. It captures the experiences of local community and front-line workers whilst delivering the Health Focus Group (HFG) in the NDC programme. Using action learning reflection techniques, the study analyses a purposeful sample of 15 from the local community, front-line workers, and strategic respondents involved in the NDC health programme. The research demonstrated the NDC did increase participation, joint working and involvement of local actors 1998–2003. The importance of communication, leadership and relationships was recognised as an important catalyst for developing community governance models. The new action learning spaces initiated, designed and delivered 19 new models of joint local clinical, community and complementary health and well-being projects. In 2001, New Labour introduced public private finance initiatives with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) which conflicted with the local actors’ involvement in the participatory joint decision-making. The reconfiguration of health and social care services and the new public health models introduced complex governance and monitoring models, further distancing the local actors from the process. Strategic staff changes in key governance positions also adversely affected the communication and trust established with local actors. The research concluded operational, tactical, and strategic alignment is necessary to maximise joint participation in decision-making.

Sustainable urbanization is crucial for the Agenda 2030. The purpose of this study is to provide insights into how organizational structures of public institutions can be optimized for sustainable urban development.  This study utilizes an explorative research design. A cross-case analysis had been chosen to investigate cross-sector collaboration for environmentally sustainable urban development by studying two areas in Malmö: Västra Hamnen and Sege Park. Cross-sector Collaboration and Community Governance theories are selected as a foundation of the study. Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with municipality representatives, residents, representatives of the third organizations, and external experts in sustainable urban development. Thematic coding was used to identify patterns in the interviews, and was followed by the empirical analysis.  The present study uncovered key findings related to public governance, sustainability evaluation, cross-sector collaboration and communication in complex sustainable development projects. The findings indicate that balancing stakeholder interests with project’s requirements and embodying the responsibilities of each actor in formal agreements followed by interim follow-ups are vital for successful cross-sector collaboration in sustainable development. Another finding suggests that sustainability should be a central element in a municipality's strategy, as politics and power dynamics play a significant role. In the studied cases the use of climate-friendly materials in construction fell short due to industry lobbying and the lack of national regulations. Finally, the research reveals contradictions between environmental and economic sustainability, as well as environmental and social sustainability. These contradictions, though, are arguably solvable with proper project management and cross-sector communication. Overall, there is room for improvement in recognizing the need for socially just and inclusive development that prioritizes the desires and well-being of the people. These findings shed light on the complex nature of sustainable urban development and emphasize the importance of aligning diverse interests to achieve long-term environmental and social goals.

The New Zealand Government is striving to improve the way it measures progress and plans for change in an integrated ‘whole of government’ manner. The Local Government Act 2002 serves to strengthen participatory democracy and community governance. Under the Act, local authorities are charged with monitoring, and, not less than once every three years, reporting on the progress made by the community in achieving its outcomes for the district or region. These outcomes belong to the community and encompass what the community considers important to progress towards. Indicators that measure economic, social, environmental, cultural and democratic progress at local level are a primary tool that local authorities use to measure the progress towards their desired outcomes. To successfully track progress, it is important that indicators are technically sound and reflect the values of the entire community. The monitoring of indicators is expected to be ongoing and participatory. The New Zealand Government has leant heavily towards a decentralised locally driven approach to community indicators. The purpose of this study was to explore the manner in which different local authorities have undertaken community indicator: development, monitoring and reporting. This was undertaken through a two pronged approach: 1). A scoping exercise assessing the contents of eighteen local authority LTCCPs, 2). In-depth case studies of community indicator programmes of five of the eighteen local authorities. It was found that the approaches used to develop, monitor and report community indicators ranged abruptly across local authorities. Some councils appear to have relatively robust and meaningful indicator processes in place, which are both technically sound and have gained representative community input. In contrast, other councils hold a compliance mentality towards community indicators and have done the bare minimum when designing their indicator frameworks. These frameworks have tended to be council dominated with few opportunities for community involvement. In addition to this, local authorities poorly communicated indicators through their LTCCPs. The inadequate information detailing indicators processes is unlikely to both educate and promote community buy-in. Councils must place greater emphasis on the engagement of the entire community including other governmental departments, to ensure that indicators are relevant and meaningful for all. Consistency across local authority indicator frameworks will also help to ensure that all local authorities are working in an integrated manner towards the common goal of improving community well-being. Initiatives such as the Linked indicators Project and the Quality of Life Project are possible methods of ensuring consistent indicator frameworks. Finally, councils must provide greater information about community indicators within their LTCCPs.