The effects of institutions on perceptions of legitimacy in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

Abstract

Collaborative planning in natural resource management involves a number of non-state actors and different institutions to make decisions that fall under the realm of governance. However, legitimacy, a quality considered necessary in successful governance, has not been thoroughly investigated empirically. This research examines the perceived importance of three different dimensions of legitimacy — representativeness, meaningfulness, and effectiveness — by actors in the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR) decision-making process and the perceived roles of three institutions — shadow networks, bridging organizations, and boundary objects — in relation to the legitimacy of the GBR plan. Based on semi-structured interviews (n = 17), this research examines the perspectives of those involved or otherwise affected by the GBR decision-making process on perceived legitimacy in this context. The results illustrate the importance of representing the different participants’ interests and values in the final outcome, trustworthy relationships to build accountability and ensure commitments, strategically using representation to ensure a fair and meaningful decision-making process, and using small groups of capable negotiators to ensure that different values and interests are included at the different levels of decision-making. By analyzing the roles of shadow networks, bridging organizations, and boundary objects, these observations highlight the importance of not just representation but meaningful engagement, of actors in negotiating processes.