dc.contributor.advisor |
Jeffrey, Paul |
|
dc.contributor.advisor |
Smith, Heather M. |
|
dc.contributor.author |
Xerri, Francesca |
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2017-04-26T10:02:36Z |
|
dc.date.available |
2017-04-26T10:02:36Z |
|
dc.date.issued |
2016-08 |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/11824 |
|
dc.description.abstract |
Effective implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is
dependent on Member States’ national water institutions and organizations, often
designated as ‘competent authorities’. Although substantial research relating to the
Directive itself has been carried out, less is known about the extent to which competent
authorities have the organizational capacity to deliver it. The literature notes that
conceptual understanding of capacity has been hampered by lack of definitional clarity
making both its management and assessment challenging. In this contribution, several
conceptualizations of organizational capacity found in the literature are used to
construct a set of core qualitative organizational components that encourage analysts
to consider the ways in which legal authority, information and knowledge, skills,
resources and leadership shape a competent authority’s ability to deliver the WFD.
Malta, the smallest European Member State, is the case study used to test the
application of these components. Qualitative empirical data collected from policy
documents, face-to-face semi-structured interviews and online news media articles,
provided the evidence to thematically explore and evaluate the Maltese competent
authorities’ organizational capacity across the implementation of three main WFD
provisions that are in focus: Article 8, 9 and 14. As a result, the core components of
organizational capacity are expanded and refined to produce an organizational capacity
thematic map. The results show that competent authorities experience influences
across the institutional frameworks they work in as well as external factors (primarily
political). The results also support the idea of the organizational capacity components
being highly interlinked and the presence (or lack thereof) of one component having
knock-on effects on others within an organization. The combination of these two factors
highly affect management options and outcomes in the implementation of the WFD. In
the small state context of Malta these highlight the need to channel support in a
coordinated manner from European counterparts to the Maltese water network. In
turn, the water network can have positive knock-on effects on the organizational
capacity of the Maltese competent authorities, which currently struggle to perform and
seize available opportunities due to low possession of human resources and time availability. The approach and findings presented in this research provide a mechanism
and evidence base that can facilitate bilateral discussions between Member States as
well as with the European Commission, and help inform the WFD review process
planned by end of 2019. |
en_UK |
dc.language.iso |
en |
en_UK |
dc.publisher |
Cranfield University |
en_UK |
dc.rights |
© Cranfield University, 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder. |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
European Commision |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
competent authorities |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
organizational capacity profile |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
organizational institutionalism |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
qualitative thematic mapping |
en_UK |
dc.subject |
water governance |
en_UK |
dc.title |
The capacity of organizations to deliver effective water management through the provisions of the Water Framework Directive: the case of Malta |
en_UK |
dc.type |
Thesis or dissertation |
en_UK |
dc.type.qualificationlevel |
Doctoral |
en_UK |
dc.type.qualificationname |
PhD |
en_UK |