On the island of Gotland in Sweden, “wicked problems” related to socioeconomic inequalities are growing. These are linked to the complex social sustainability issues that are tackled in the Regional Development Strategy “Our Gotland 2040”. With this strategy, Region Gotland aims at governing and coordinating stakeholders through collaborative governance toward a more sustainable future. The purpose of our research is to understand the experiences of participating organisations in this early stage of development of the social sustainability program, through the lens of collaborative governance theory. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews that underwent thematic analysis. Within the interviewed organisations two main themes have emerged: Collaborative Process and Political Influences. Each of them is discussed with additional subthemes. Given the exploratory character of our study, the findings create a basis for further, more conclusive research. Our recommendation for the ongoing collaboration is to pay attention to the political environment and how it impacts the collaboration. Furthermore, setting shared goals should be a priority, since participants encounter both strengths and challenges during this process.

Denna fallstudie har syftat till att undersöka hur samverkan mellan region och kommuner i framtagandet av en regional utvecklingsstrategi kan uppnås och främjas. Studiens syfte är också att undersöka hur kvalitetsteknikens teorier kring kund- och leverantörssamverkan samt teorier kring partnerskap kan användas för att förstå relationen mellan region och kommun i arbetet med den regionala utvecklingsstrategin. Studien undersöker arbetet med att ta fram en ny regional utvecklingsstrategi för Gävleborgs län. Datainsamlingen består av kvalitativa intervjuer med kommunala politiker och tjänstepersoner med ett övergripande ansvar för kommunernas verksamhet. Resultatet visar att Region Gävleborg har skapat förutsättningar för kommunerna att påverka arbetet med och utformningen av den regionala utvecklingsstrategin. Upplevd otydlighet kring ansvar och förväntningar på deltagande har gjort att kommunernas organisation av och deltagande i arbetet med den regionala utvecklingsstrategin inte har varit optimal. Det gör att arbetet inte når upp till de krav som ställs på samverkan utifrån de teorier som presenterats. Genom att använda sig av modeller för partnerskap och leverantörssamverkan skulle regioner kunna åstadkomma en bättre samverkan inom det regionala utvecklingsarbetet i allmänhet och arbetet med att ta fram en ny regional utvecklingsstrategi i synnerhet. / This case study aims to examine how a fruitful cooperation between county councils and municipalities can be achieved and promoted when they set out to develop a regional development strategy. This case study also explores how theories concerning customer- and supplier cooperation within quality management can be used to understand the relationship between county councils and municipalities in relation to regional development. The case study concerns the creation of a new regional development strategy for Gävleborg County. Data collection consists of qualitative interviews with politicians and officials from municipalities in Gävleborg County with an overall responsibility for within the municipalities. The results show that Gävleborg County has managed to create the prerequisites needed for the municipalities to influence both the process and the regional development strategy. Ambiguity concerning roles and responsibilities led to a less efficient organization and participation from the municipalities’ side in shaping the regional development strategy, with the consequence that the commitment doesn’t meet the criteria for cooperation in the presented theories. By using the models for partnership and supplier cooperation counties could achieve a better cooperation within regional development, including the commitment of shaping a new regional development strategy. / <p>2021-06-06</p>