Meta-Governance Principles

Core Principles of Meta-Governance

• Rationality is a core principle, which involves basing governance on verifiable facts, logical choice of instruments, and a defendable strategy.
• Other core principles include responsiveness and performance.

Modes of Fisheries Governance

• There are three main modes of governance: hierarchical, self-governance (market governance), and participatory governance (co-governance).
• In reality, governance often occurs along a continuum of modes, from top-down hierarchical governance to bottom-up self-governing modes.
• Hybrid modes of governance can also exist, where different modes are combined to respond to governability issues.

Hierarchical Governance

• Hierarchical governance is characterized by a top-down structure, with the state or equivalent system as the key role player.
• Interaction between the state and citizens occurs through implementation of policies and laws.
• Steering and control are key concepts in this approach, focusing on solving problems in the fish chain.

Problem Solving in Governance

• Problem identification is subjective, and problems only become objective when recognized by societal actors.
• The localization and formulation of societal problems involve distinguishing them from private problems by their scale and shared nature.
• Attention shifts to the solution space, where risks are assessed and deemed acceptable.

2nd Order Governing (Institutional Arrangements)

• 2nd order governing focuses on the institutional arrangements within which 1st order governing takes place.
• Institutions provide the framework for decision-making and constitute the meeting ground of those being governed and those governing.
• They provide the criteria for measuring success and failure.

3rd Order (Meta-Governance) Governing

• Meta-governance is the core of the governing exercise, introducing structure, order, and predictability into human relations.
• Institutions can be viewed as rules, norms, or cognition, influencing human interactions and expectations.
• A broader governance perspective on institutions is essential, emphasizing their regulatory, normative, and cognitive attributes.

Institutions in Governance

• Institutions are essential for social actors to know how to interact and what to expect of others.
• Institutions are embedded in social networks, which are often institutions themselves.
• The system-to-be-governed is partly natural (ecosystems and resources) and partly social (users and stakeholders).