Coordination of networks for local integration policy: the importance of relational characteristics for regime performance and goal achievement.

The integration of migrants is a complex societal challenge. There is disagreement about both the causes and the consequences, but what we do know is that the problem cannot be tackled within one policy domain, nor by the government alone. The government has to collaborate with associations and citizens to jointly create an integration policy. In this study, we assume that the objectives of such a network of partners in the field of local integration policy are twofold. On the one hand, the aim of a network is to be steady and resilient. The number of actors, the relationships between these actors and the willingness of actors to participate in the network is important. On the other hand, the intention is to achieve certain explicit and implicit goals. In this PhD research will be examined how a network can be coordinated in order to achieve the objectives. Five Flemish central cities will be investigated. On the basis of document analysis, interviews and focus group discussions, insight will be gained into local integration policy and the relationships between the partners. By means of a network analysis, the relationships between the partners in the local integration policy will be visualized. Based on these findings, a number of conditions/good practices in the field of coordination will be detected.

Keywords:COORDINATION, INTEGRATION POLICY

Disciplines:Public policy, Social policy, Social movements and collective action, Citizenship, immigration and political inequality not elsewhere classified

Project type:Collaboration project