Empowerment via delegation? The administrative capacity-building potential of Cohesion Policy urban development strategies

Polverari, Laura and Domorenok, Ekaterina and Graziano, Paolo (2022) Empowerment via delegation? The administrative capacity-building potential of Cohesion Policy urban development strategies. Regional Studies, 58 (4). pp. 733-744. ISSN 0034-3404 (https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2022.2058698)

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Abstract

The study examines the implementation of urban development strategies in Scotland, UK, and the Veneto Region of Italy and fills an important gap in the knowledge about the capacity-building potential of such strategies. Following a principal-agent approach, the investigation shows that narrow delegation models incentivize compliance, are less conducive to capacity-building and reinforce an administrative capacity paradox. By contributing an original framework for the study of delegation models, a fine-grained understanding of administrative capacity that acknowledges the importance of agency for the success of capacity-building initiatives and policy recommendations for the period 2021–27, the research will be of interest to scholars and practitioners alike.

ORCID iDs

Polverari, Laura ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2242-6320, Domorenok, Ekaterina and Graziano, Paolo;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)