Interorganizational dynamics in large-scale integrated resources management networks: Insights from the CALFED Bay -Delta Program.

Abstract

The scope and complexity of natural resource management problems increasingly exceed the capabilities and concerns of existing organizations working alone. Experimentation with collaborative approaches that link longstanding organizations in new ways and reframe problems in more comprehensive manners has led to enthusiasm for enhanced inter-organizational collaboration in managing large-scale integrated resource management problems. There is need for an expanded understanding of the organizational and institutional implications and potentials of this new management model. What challenges do they encounter? What is their impact on both partner organizations and the individuals who represent these organizations? What can they accomplish? How do they inform existing theories of collaborative processes and of network organizations? How do they influence institutions for resource management? A complex case study of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program---a long-term, collaborative effort to integrate water resources management for ecosystem restoration and improved water quality and supply at the hub of California's water supply system, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of Northern California---provided insights into these questions. Research included semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document analysis. There have been notable achievements of the CALFED program, including improved project and program coordination, expanded data and knowledge of the system, improved decision criteria, enhanced relationships between organizations, redirected organizational attention and attitudes about cross jurisdictional problems, and wide-reaching actions that exceed the capacity of individual partner organizations. While resource-intensive for the organizations involved, the program has made information more readily available, pooled resources, increased their collaborative capacity, and provided models for new practices. While introducing challenges in their relationships with their home organizations and demanding substantial time and energy commitments, the program has provided opportunities for experimentation and creativity for the individuals participating in it, enabling them to become change agents. The CALFED Bay-Delta experiment in inter-organizational collaboration suggests an expanded conception of the nature and functioning of network organizations. It also challenges some long-standing theories about the potential of mandated collaboration.