dr hab. Marcin Zawicki, prof. UEK (Associate Professor)

The issue of network management was introduced to considerations on management in the public sector by Hugh Hecl and A. Wildavsky (Heclo 1978; Heclo, Wildavsky 1974). It is to these researchers that we owe the formulation of key categories for network analysis. The issue of network management mechanisms attracts the attention of many theorists. It was undertaken by researchers: neo-corporatism (Schmitter 1974; Streeck, Schmitter 1985) and public management theorists (Marin, Mayntz 1991, Kooiman 1993; Scharpf 1994; March, Olsen 1995; Kickert, Klijn Koppenjan 1997; Rhodes 1997; Pierre, Peters 2000; Hill , Hupe 2002; Sorensen, Torfing 2007).

The assumption about the network nature of the social world and the potential of network mechanisms of public management is axiomatic for co-management. They are seen as a new convention for managing public affairs.

The aim of the research conducted as part of this project was to explore the following issues:

• limits of self-regulation of co-management sub-systems;
• fragmentation (functional division of society into many relatively autonomous sub-systems);
• comprehensiveness (the occurrence of many interdependent, difficult to define problems and threats and the inability to clearly determine the cause and effect relationships of these problems);
• types (interdependence of network actors and co-management systems)
• dynamics of social processes (intensification of social relations and blurring of boundaries between sectors, organizations and actors);
• various mechanisms for agreeing decisions and instruments for their implementation online: negotiations, deliberation, tenders, agreement, rarely unanimity);
• basic network management mechanisms: self-management; dominant narrative; support and facilitation; participation.

Team members: dr hab. Stanisław Mazur, prof. UEK (Associate Professor), dr hab. Przemysław Kisiel, prof. UEK (Associate Professor), prof. dr hab. inż. arch. Aleksander Noworól (Full Professor)