Networking for development in the North: power, trust, and local democracy

This paper addresses modes and effects of local government involvement in development projects. In particular, it examines public – private interactions with regard to networking and power relations. The study is based on four development projects involving local authorities, located in two neighbouring municipalities in northern Norway. In these we find that most relationships are balanced and that a networking mode underpins the capacity of ‘getting things done’ or ‘power to’. ‘Power over’ relations, however, are observed over time, related to critical events in the implementation of the projects, and demanding explanations that exceed network analysis approaches. Rather than being classified as a distinct type of governance, networking and networks should be regarded as elements of varying importance in processes that also involve hierarchical and market-based inputs. In the processes studied, we found municipal leaders capable of resuming control by staging metagoverning activities.