Assessing organisational capacity for transition policy programs

Abstract

Socio-technical system change demands engagement of and interaction between different types of social actors. Within the sustainability transitions scholarship there is limited understanding of the characteristics and capacity of these social actors in transition processes. In particular, little is known about the organisation as a social actor that can exert influence on transition policy programs. In addition, no analytical tools exist in the sustainability transitions literature to map organisational attributes that affect transition processes. This paper presents a multi-actor assessment procedure for studying characteristics of organisations engaged in purposive transition programs. Application of this procedure, which fundamentally provides insight into the capacity of organisations to pursue a specific sustainability goal, reveals the importance of systemic multi-actor assessment processes; demonstrates the utility of such procedures; and outlines important insights for the design of purposive transition programs. By presenting the multi-actor assessment procedure, this paper provides pragmatic guideposts for the design of future transition policy programs.