Commissions of inquiry and pathways to accountability in Plateau State, Nigeria

ABSTRACTFor decades, Plateau State in Nigeria's Middle Belt has witnessed repeated ethnoreligious violence. Over this period, both state and federal governments have established formal Commissions of Inquiry (COIs) in response to unrest, tasked with investigating violence, identifying perpetrators, and – ultimately – strengthening accountability. While commissions’ mandates and specific outcomes varied, there is general consensus that inquiries have been largely ineffective at securing justice or establishing accountability for violence. This study seeks to understand the expectations placed on, and role of, COIs in Plateau State as pathways to formal accountability in a context of recurring violence. We argue that COIs are embedded in the complex, multilevel networks and politics of state and non-state institutions. Civil society, in turn, has diverse expectations and demands, and articulates these in fragmented ways. As a result, COIs served primarily as another avenue for interest-based negotiations.

The Co-evolution of Organizational and Network Structure: The Role of Multilevel Mixing and Closure Mechanisms

We present a dynamic multilevel framework for analyzing the mutual dependence of change in interorganizational networks and internal organizational structure. Change occurring at the former (interorganizational) level involves decisions to change the portfolio of network ties to external partners. Change occurring in the latter (intraorganizational) level involves decisions to change the portfolio of internal activities. We estimate a recently derived class of stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) that we adopt and adapt to specify how decisions to change internal portfolios of activities and external portfolios of partners are connected by theoretically derived multilevel mechanisms that link organizational and network structures. We show that statistical models for multilevel networks reproduce with high fidelity the structural regularities observed in the distribution of (a) activities within organizations, (b) network ties between organizations, and (c) knowledge available in the organizational field. We discuss the implications of the study for theory development, and for empirical research on interorganizational and other kinds of multilevel networks.

Empowering cities and citizens within emerging models of multilevel governance

The article will be dealing with the empowerment of local institutions within a complex context of multilevel governance. The strengthening of cities will lead us to consider a new transformative municipalism. The transition from classic government to relational forms of governance paves the way to consider both emerging multilevel networks and models of citizen involvement at local level. The case of Barcelona today will be shown as an example of boths trends: initiatives of community engagement in urban policymaking, and local-global action at European and international level. KEYWORDS: Networks. Governance. Empowerment. Multilevel.

Multilevel networks for climate change adaptation – what works?

Purpose The paper aims to compare and evaluate two Norwegian municipal networks for climate change adaptation, to see how such networks should be initiated and implemented as a means of achieving adaptation measures within municipalities. Design/methodology/approach The findings are based on 12 qualitative interviews taken from two case studies, and the results are explained in relation to the multilevel network framework and environmental psychology. Findings Multilevel networks can promote learning and identification of specific actions in connection with climate change adaptation. The aim should be to establish interdisciplinarity, with participants from at least two authority levels. Representatives should be in positions that enable them to introduce acquired knowledge to the organization and influence its application. A network requires organizational commitment, during the initial phase and throughout the follow-up process. Municipal leaders (mayors) must be aware of the network, act as signatories to relevant documents, and be familiar with participating representatives. Commitment to knowledge application within the organization also requires that participants understand where and how to work strategically to convert new ideas into action. Practical implications This paper presents practical and research-based guidelines for the management of climate change adaptation networks at municipal, county and national authority levels. Originality/value This paper combines political science and environmental psychology perspectives as a means of analysing network achievements. A psychological approach may help to promote a greater understanding of why and how network knowledge is transferred.

Multiplex and Multilevel Networks

Multiplex and Multilayer Networks is a collection of some of the results obtained in the new field of complex networks theory with respect to multilevel, multiplex, and interacting networks. The ever-increasing availability of data in fields ranging from computer science to urban systems, medicine, economics, and finance shows that networks that were usually perceived as distinct and isolated are, in reality, interacting with other networks. While this sounds like a trivial observation, the interactions in multilevel complex networks can lead to unexpected behaviors and allow systemic vulnerabilities to emerge. The research activities of many different laboratories and groups in this field have been financed by the EU MULTIPLEX project (http://www.multiplexproject.eu). This project utilized 23 distinct research teams across Europe and, from 2012 to 2016, explored this new area of research. The results, presented in this volume, range from the theory of static multinetworks to dynamical process on them, to their percolating properties, and, finally, to applications in the case of social systems.