Coordination as showcasing
The establishment of Norway’s Afghanistan Forum
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12699367 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lene Ekhaugen (Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS), Norwegian Defence University College, Oslo, Norway, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 257-276 |
| Publication date | 2019-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Defence Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1470-2436 • E-ISSN: 1743-9698 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14702436.2019.1637258 |
| OpenAlex | W2954669300 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 28 |
In complex operations such as the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where multiple government ministries are involved in putting together a state’s contributions, the use of national-level coordination bodies has become more widespread. Research has taken for granted that the rationale behind these bodies reflects their declared aim – enhanced coordination as a means to improve mission effectiveness. However, they appear to have had modest effect on coordination. That notwithstanding, they seem to remain popular. This prompts us to ask why such bodies are actually established. This article – based on in-depth interviews and archival records – critically explores the establishment of Norway’s ad hoc, inter-ministerial, political-level Afghanistan Forum. Distinguishing between a structural-instrumental, a cultural-institutional and an environmental perspective from organizational theory to structure the analysis, this article shows that the declared purpose of the forum, inter-ministerial coordination, proved less important than showcasing coordination efforts and keeping the coalition together. In addition, national traditions in handling coordination challenges in the central government apparatus and powerful international reforms helped bring the forum about. This has implications for research on the rationale and effectiveness of these bodies, and also for understanding their policy relevance
Government (linguistics · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Relevance (law · Sociology · State (computer science · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security · Public Administration
Organizations
Joined-Up Government
Organization Theory and the Public Sector
The Challenge of Coordination in Central Government Organizations
How Bureaucratic Structure Matters
Administrative behavior
How Institutions Evolve
Canada and the Bureaucratic Politics of State Fragility
Bureaucracy Does Its Thing
Organising for Nation Building
The Whole‐of‐Government Approach to Public Sector Reform
Political appointees in executive government
Reform of the employment and welfare administrations — the challenges of co-coordinating diverse public organizations
Strengthening of the executive centre
Sovereignty
Comprehensive approaches, diverse coherences
Civil-military coordination for operational effectiveness
Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms
Institutionalized Organizations
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |