Private-Public Collaboration in Sweden’s Civil Preparedness

Abstract: Recent developments in Sweden’s security policy have prompted the rearmament of the total defence. The total defence comprises both military and civil defence. The civil defence, in conjunction with crisis preparedmess, forms Sweden’s civil preparedness. However, the civil preparedness has been assessed as inadequate in meeting the requirements arising from recent developments in external security policy. Additionally, Sweden’s imminent NATO membership imposes further requirements on civil preparedness. The operational activities within civil preparedness are predominantly carried out by private entities, necessitating private-public collaboration. Nevertheless, existing regulations and competing interests pose substantial obstacles to sustained and iterative collaboration. This thesis employs a comparative nested case study, analysing two sectors of operations coordinated by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority. These sectors demonstrate varying degrees of collaboration in civil preparedness. By utilizing Emerson & Nabatchi’s (2015) collaborative governance theory, this thesis identifies that drivers prompting collaboration play a significant role. Specifically, legal and policy frameworks are assessed to be the most crucial factor. The cases exhibit unique characteristics, thereby providing a reasonable test the of collaborative governance theory’s eligibility. This thesis acknowledges certain limitations in the theoretical assumptions due to technological advancements. Consequently, further assessment of the theory is encouraged, as it may require refinement to adequately address new forms of incentives for collaboration resulting from emerging threats.