[Jaar] Guardian of Dutch regional water management The reinvention of the expertise role of the Dutch regional water authority Noorderzijlvest to govern for climate change adaptation Elna Minderman S2963736 27-06-2021 Colophon Title: Guardian of Dutch regional water management Subtitle: The strategic and political repositioning of the Dutch regional water authority Noorderzijlvest Author: Elna Minderman [email protected] S2963736 Master program: Environmental and Infrastructure Planning Faculty of Spatial Sciences University of Groningen & Water and Coastal Management University of Oldenburg Supervisor: Dr. Margo van den Brink Second reader: Dr. Britta Restemeyer Date: June 27, 2021 Version: Final Word count: 28,813 1 Preface Dear reader, A red line in my studies at the Faculty of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen has been the development in spatial planning towards a more communicative and integrative way of working. Fascinated by water management, I regard studying this movement in the oldest democratic organizations in Europe which arguably had the most influence on the Dutch landscape and society than anything else - Dutch regional water authorities - as the icing on the cake. Thank you, Margo, for your genuine interest in both the research topic and me. Your ideas and feedback, as well as your uplifting words, kept my spirit high during the whole research. I would also like to thank my friends and family for their unconditional support, encouragement, and the needed distraction. Finally, thank you to all participants who enthusiastically contributed to this research. I am proud to present to you this master thesis and hope it will provide you with valuable insights in strengthening the positioning of Noorderzijlvest to govern for climate change adaptation. Elna Minderman Groningen, 27th of June 2021 2 Abstract At the end of the 20th century, climate change has pushed for a new paradigm in water management towards flood resilience. In this new paradigm for water management, three approaches are put central to enable integrative and effective water management. This goes hand in hand with the need for more responsive governments, which put focus on communication between all aspects of society. As Dutch regional water authorities carry the institutional responsibility to address long-term policy problems within water management, they are expected to play a key role in this shift. However, as these authorities have a history of centuries long water management based on the urge to control through technical expertise, they are still mainly focused on technical solutions. Although technical expertise remains important in the management of water quality, quantity, and safety, Dutch regional water authorities must adapt to balance their expertise role with the need to become more responsive governments to govern for climate change adaptation. The aim of this research is to study how Dutch regional water authorities deal with this dilemma by gaining insight in the repositioning of the regional water authority Noorderzijlvest. The analysis of this research shows that Noorderzijlvest is currently actively establishing its new position. Noorderzijlvest is on the right track, but improvements can be made. Based on this research, several recommendations for strengthening the institutional center of Noorderzijlvest are created, such as: elaborate and reflect on who Noorderzijlvest perceives as ‘partners’ in differing projects and the partner role Noorderzijlvest sees for itself, for example: Noorderzijlvest as an initiating partner, an executing water expert, or a policy partner. As limited research has been done on the relation between Dutch regional water authorities and climate change adaptation, this research contributes to planning theory by focusing on this knowledge gap. Besides this, this research explores the role of language in the adaptation of Dutch regional water authorities by adopting a framing perspective. With which is contributed to the theoretical debate on the role of meaning-making in institutional adaptation. Key concepts: Dutch regional water authorities, Noorderzijlvest, climate change adaptation, public institutions, framing perspective, organizational mission mystique. 3 Table of contents Colophon ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Climate change and the need for adaptation and a responsive government ................................. 7 1.2 Problem statement ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.3 Theoretical approach: institutional adaptation from a framing perspective ................................. 8 1.4 Research design ............................................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Scientific and social relevance .................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Reading guide ............................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 2: Water authorities as public institutions......................................................................... 12 2.1 A new paradigm for water .......................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Dutch water management riding waves of change ..................................................................... 13 2.3 The importance of Dutch regional water authorities .................................................................. 14 2.4 Conceptualizing public institutions ............................................................................................ 15 2.5 Mission mystique: a hidden meaning ......................................................................................... 17 2.6 Framing a mission mystique: the role of language ..................................................................... 19 2.7 Conceptual framework and analytical steps ............................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 A qualitative and interpretive embedded single-case design ...................................................... 23 3.2 Step 1: Historical literature review of regional water authorities in general .............................. 25 3.3 Step 2: Zooming in on the strategic level of Noorderzijlvest: a framing analysis of documents and semi-structured interviews ......................................................................................................... 26 3.4 Step 3 and 4: Analyzing the internal framing process on operational level and the external perspective through semi-structured interviews ............................................................................... 27 3.5 Data analysis ............................................................................................................................... 30 3.6 Ethical considerations ................................................................................................................. 32 Chapter 4: Dutch regional water authorities as public institutions ............................................... 33 4.1 The history of Dutch regional water authorities ......................................................................... 33 4.2 The institutionalization of Dutch regional water authorities ...................................................... 40 4 Chapter 5: Noorderzijlvest: towards a pro-active and true partner in area-based planning projects ................................................................................................................................................. 42 5.1 The birth of Noorderzijlvest ....................................................................................................... 42 5.2 Waves of change: current perceived trends by employees of Noorderzijlvest ........................... 42 5.3 The repositioning of Noorderzijlvest: towards a communicative mission mystique .................. 44 5.4 Key observations ........................................................................................................................ 51 Chapter 6: The translation of Noorderzijlvest's new organizational mission mystique in concrete water planning practices .................................................................................................................... 53 6.1 Focus on a new, voluntary, long-term vision: the BOVi ............................................................ 53 6.1.1 The translation of Noorderzijlvest's new organizational mission mystique in the BOVi ... 55 6.1.2 Tensions in the translation of Noorderzijlvest's ambition to the BOVi ............................... 57 6.2 The