Creating legitimacy in water governance networks through complexity sensitive management

Network management is of major importance for the functioning and the performance of governance networks, including their democratic legitimacy (see for example Koppenjan and Klijn, 2004; Edelenbos & Klijn, 2006; Klijn et al., 2010; Meier & O’Toole, 2001, 2007). Network management is especially focused on organizing connections between different actors in different spheres, political, governmental and societal (Edelenbos et al, 2011). However, empirical insights in water governance network about the relationship between a connective style of network management and legitimacy is lacking.
In this chapter we will investigate this relationship by elaborating connective management style through the concept of complexity sensitive management, and its effect on different kinds of legitimacy. Data is gathered through survey research (N=272), which was conducted in 2010 among respondents involved in water projects in the Netherlands. These water projects are developed in complex governance networks, because they touch on the interests of a variety of public and non-public actors and their realization is dependent on these same actors (e.g. Koppenjan and Klijn, 2004; Sabatier et al, 2005; Lubell and Lippert, 2011; Edelenbos and Teisman, 2011). Throughout the chapter we will illustrate the survey results with qualitative case material. These cases were also part of the survey. This case material is collected by interviews and document analysis and is part of a study on water governance in The Netherlands (see Van Buuren et al, 2010).