We present you a four step framework to build reflection processes that can improve territorial governance. This model was developed based on the project Gipuzkoa Sarean.

1. ridges
uilding

2. A four step framework to build
reflection processes that can
improve territorial governance
Result of a knowledge
cogeneration process between
researchers and territorial
stakeholders
A proposal put forward
by researchers
Based on concepts that emerged
during an action research
process: social capital, territory,
governance, facilitators,
competitiveness, participation,
complexity and strategy
Based on concepts
previously defined by
the research group
A framework for obtaining
short-term results
What it is What it isn’t

3. The Framework:
Step by Step

4. Step 1
Build the main blocks that will
support the bridge
Questions to ask:
1. What is the status of each
participant (the role that they
play) and, therefore, what is
their decision-making
capacity?
2. Has each person embraced
their status?
3. Does everyone recognise each
other’s respective status?
Questions to ask:
1. Do people trust that
everyone has good
intentions?
2. Do people have trust in
the abilities of each
person?
3. Is it a transparent
process?
Questions to ask:
1. Are participants able to
explain what the process
consists of?
2. What differences are there in
the way the participants
interpret the overall objective
of the project and the
philosophy behind the work?
3. Have minimum elements
shared by all been identified?
Structure Trust Shared Vision

5. Step 2
Develop a common agenda around the
WHAT and the HOW of the process
Questions to ask:
1. What are the specific
objectives of the project?
Questions to ask:
1. How many people share
those objectives?
2. What are their interests
regarding those objectives?
3. Who facilitates the process?
4. Who makes the decisions?
5. How are the decisions
implemented?
What How

6. Step 3
Reflect on the New Governance
Questions to ask:
1. Are all relevant actors involved in the process?
2. When the language associated with the project is
analysed: Whose process is it? In other words, how
many people talk about “our” process?
3. To what extent is the decision-making capacity
shared? For example, who decides what to use the
project’s budget for and how does this happen?
New Governance

7. Institutionalise Change
Questions to ask:
1. Have new working methods been developed?
2. Has a process that defines regional development as
something continuous and that involves everyone been
developed?
Changes and innovations in policy-making
Step 4

8. BASES
DEVELOPING A COMMON AGENDA
NEW GOVERNANCE MODEL
CHANGES AND INNOVATIONS IN POLICY-MAKING
Structure Trust Shared vision
What How
Participation

9. Facilitators
The Magic Ingredient:
Facilitators are important because they make things
happen. Bridges are not built spontaneously.

10. BASES
Structure Trust Shared Vision
DEVELOPING A
COMMON AGENDA
What How
NEW GOVERNANCE MODEL
Participation
CHANGES AND INNOVATIONS IN POLICY-MAKING
Facilitators

11. Something to keep in mind
Building a bridge is just one step. It needs to be taken
care of so that it doesn’t fall apart.
In cases of multilevel governance, other bridges would
need to be built, starting from Step 1.

12. Check the following news
See “Territorial Development and Action Research”
For more information