Arranging public support to unfold collaborative modes of governance in rural areas

Raising collective agency is key to successful place-based development approaches. Existing policy arrangements
have, however, been criticised, suggesting a need to effectuate more collaborative modes of
governance. This paper shall contribute to a better understanding of how public support can best be
arranged to raise collective agency for a more collaborative mode of governance in rural areas. The paper
elaborates on findings of empirical investigations conducted within the EU FP7 project DERREG. It will be
shown that differences in effectuating more collaborative modes of governance can partly be ascribed to
different political dynamics, economic and demographic situations as well as the presence of a shared
sense of place. To raise collective agency effectively requires a joint reconsideration and restructuring of
the division of roles and tasks, including those of public administration. This can be supported by
facilitating joint reflexivity among development actors and giving room for collaborative leadership and
operational flexibility within policy arrangements