How Governance Influences Collaboration Between Scientific and Non-Scientific Stakeholders in Implementing and Evaluating Complex Interventions Regarding Health Issues

Abstract

Health problems affect everyone but people with a lower SES are more affected. Health problems can be addressed on different levels, however to target health problems efficiently it might be useful to target neighbourhoods where people with a lower SES live. This can be done via interventions where it is necessary to form a collaboration between scientific and non-scientific stakeholders. These kind of collaborations are new and not much research had been done. This research uses the theory of Governance from Hudson, et al. (1999) to research these kind of collaborations. In order to do so interventions that use these kind of collaborations in Overvecht are being used as a sort of case study. Different stakeholders with either a scientific or non-scientific background have been interviewed to get their perspective on these collaborations. Semi-structured interviews have been used that have been structured in accordance with the most relevant concept from the theory of governance: task division, conflict, legitimate basis for collaboration, collaborative capacity, shared vision and trust. These concept have been used to answer the following research question: “Which factors as specified in the Hudson-framework on governance play a role in the collaboration process between scientific and non-scientific stakeholders?” All the factors from the theory of governance play a role in the collaboration process. Most in accordance with the theory from Hudson, et al. (1999). This research found that governance as a concept can be used to investigate these kind of collaborations, but also expended on the existing theory to make it more fitting to be used in social sciences.