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Toward a General Theory of Boundary Work: Insights from the CGIAR’s Natural Resource Management Programs

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  • van Noordwijk, Meine
  • Dickson, Nancy M.
  • Catacutan, Delia
  • Guston, David
  • McNie, Elizabeth
  • Tomich, Thomas P.
  • Clark, William C.

Abstract

Previous research on the determinants of effectiveness in knowledge systems seeking to support sustainable development has highlighted the importance of “boundary work†through which research communities organize their relations with other fields of science, other sources of knowledge, and the worlds of action and policymaking. A growing body of scholarship postulates specific attributes of boundary work that promote used and useful research. These propositions, however, are largely based on the experience of a few industrialized countries. We report here on an effort to evaluate their relevance for efforts to harness science in support of sustainability in the developing world. We carried out a multi-country comparative analysis of natural resource management programs conducted under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). We discovered 6 distinctive kinds of boundary work contributing to successes of the CGIAR programs—a greater variety than has been documented in previous studies. We propose that these different kinds of boundary work can be understood as a dual response to the different uses for which the results of specific research programs are intended, and the different sources of knowledge drawn on by those programs. We show that these distinctive kinds of boundary work require distinctive strategies to organize them effectively. Especially important are arrangements regarding participation of stakeholders, governance, and the use of boundary objects. We conclude that improving the ability of research programs to produce useful knowledge for sustainable development will require both greater and differentiated support for multiple forms of boundary work.

Suggested Citation

  • van Noordwijk, Meine & Dickson, Nancy M. & Catacutan, Delia & Guston, David & McNie, Elizabeth & Tomich, Thomas P. & Clark, William C., 2010. "Toward a General Theory of Boundary Work: Insights from the CGIAR’s Natural Resource Management Programs," Scholarly Articles 4450046, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    • Handle: RePEc:hrv:hksfac:4450046
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephen Zehr, 2005. "Comparative boundary work: US acid rain and global climate change policy deliberations," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(6), pages 445-456, December.
    2. Tomas Hellström & Merle Jacob, 2003. "Boundary organisations in science: From discourse to construction," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(4), pages 235-238, August.
    3. Sujatha Raman, 2005. "Institutional perspectives on science-policy boundaries," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 32(6), pages 418-422, December.
    4. Neselle, M. & Makui, O. & Ogutu, J. & BurnSilver, S. B. & Galvin, K.A. & Dickson, Nancy M. & Onetu, L. & Kiruswa, S. & Goldman, M. J. & Boone, R.B. & Clark, William C. & Nkedianye, D. & Said, M. Y. & , 2009. "Evolution of Models to Support Community and Policy Action with Science: Balancing Pastoral Livelihoods and Wildlife Conservation in Savannas of East Africa," Scholarly Articles 9774652, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    5. Pender, John & Suyanto & Kerr, John & Kato, Edward, 2008. "Impacts of the Hutan Kamasyarakatan Social Forestry Program in the Sumberjaya watershed, West Lampung District of Sumatra, Indonesia:," IFPRI discussion papers 769, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Elizabeth McNie & Meine van Noordwijk & William C. Clark & Nancy M. Dickson & Prof Suyanto & Niken Sakuntaladewi & Lwxman Joshi & Beria Leimona & Kurniatun Hairiah & Noviana Khususiyah, 2008. "Boundary Organizations, Objects and Agents: Linking Knowledge with Action in Agroforestry Watersheds. Report of a Workshop held in Batu, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, 26-29 July 2007," CID Working Papers 34, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
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    Cited by:

    1. Manuel Rivera, 2013. "Political Criteria for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Selection and the Role of the Urban Dimension," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Leimona, Beria & Lusiana, Betha & van Noordwijk, Meine & Mulyoutami, Elok & Ekadinata, Andree & Amaruzaman, Sacha, 2015. "Boundary work: Knowledge co-production for negotiating payment for watershed services in Indonesia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 45-62.
    3. Röckmann, Christine & van Leeuwen, Judith & Goldsborough, David & Kraan, Marloes & Piet, Gerjan, 2015. "The interaction triangle as a tool for understanding stakeholder interactions in marine ecosystem based management," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 155-162.
    4. Hamel, Perrine & Bryant, Benjamin P., 2017. "Uncertainty assessment in ecosystem services analyses: Seven challenges and practical responses," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 1-15.

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