Our Gotland 2040 : A study of participating organisations through the lens of collaborative governance

Abstract: On the island of Gotland in Sweden, “wicked problems” related to socioeconomic inequalities are growing. These are linked to the complex social sustainability issues that are tackled in the Regional Development Strategy “Our Gotland 2040”. With this strategy, Region Gotland aims at governing and coordinating stakeholders through collaborative governance toward a more sustainable future. The purpose of our research is to understand the experiences of participating organisations in this early stage of development of the social sustainability program, through the lens of collaborative governance theory. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews that underwent thematic analysis. Within the interviewed organisations two main themes have emerged: Collaborative Process and Political Influences. Each of them is discussed with additional subthemes. Given the exploratory character of our study, the findings create a basis for further, more conclusive research. Our recommendation for the ongoing collaboration is to pay attention to the political environment and how it impacts the collaboration. Furthermore, setting shared goals should be a priority, since participants encounter both strengths and challenges during this process.