I am Lizet Kuitert, an assistant professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Department of Public Administration and Sociology. My main research topic is the integration of values, goals, and interests in complex and dynamic networks. My research focuses on commissioning and procurement, process and governance aspects of value creation and safeguarding (public) values. I am passionate about research at the intersection of technical sciences and social sciences. This is why I work in Convergence, a collaboration between TU Delft, Erasmus MC and Erasmus University Rotterdam, to combine strengths, knowledge and methods to address issues in the areas of climate change, sustainability, healthcare pressures, urbanization and digitalization. I am also coordinator of GOVLAB010, a collaboration with the City of Rotterdam, in which we do demand-driven research with a focus on organizational development.
Project Title
The integration of values, goals, and interests in complex and dynamic networks
Social transition(s) addressed
The transitions facing society, such as the energy transition and the circular transition, make the integration of values, goals and interests only more important, as this ensures the introduction of new values that change the balance between old and new values. To solve contemporary societal challenges, it is increasingly important to collaborate - both internally and externally - in non-traditional networks.
My research focuses on commissioning and procurement, process and governance aspects of value creation and safeguarding (public) values. I focus on dealing with complexity and integrated decision-making in collaborations between public and private partners, as well as within public organizations across domains and professions, and different levels of decision-making. From a systems perspective, I look at how different levels, scales and time frames can come together and what changes are needed to accomplish this in governance, steering, organizations and processes. From a value perspective, I study innovative forms of collaboration, both within commissioning organizations (e.g. standards and structures for integrated working) and in new partnerships between public, private and societal actors (e.g. social innovation and self-organization). I also research multi-functionality, in projects (e.g. BGIs and heat collectives.), programs and portfolios (e.g. a program table or tender board), and at the strategic level (e.g. policy integration and procurement strategies).
The system and culture of the bureaucratic and sectoral government system landscape will have to change with it, it is necessary to change existing “boxes” (such as budgets), boundaries (e.g. sectoral structures) and constraints (such as laws and regulations) and introduce integrative forms of work. To discover how stakeholders interact within these transitions and to design effective interventions that add real value, it is important to understand different professional languages. As technical innovations become more important, I believe that social and institutional innovations are prerequisite for their success and acceptance By making explicit the tensions and dilemmas between, for example, fragmentation and integration, formal and informal rules, bureaucratic and social systems, top down and bottom up, and flexibility and control, I aim to look for interventions that add value rather than lead to trade-offs.
Systemic or behavioral change(s) addressed
In order to truly bring about sustainable change, both citizens and public officials need to change their behavior and tactics. To me, this means that to solve complex social issues, an integration-oriented mindset is needed among all stakeholders, supported by governance arrangements and resilient government organizations.
Theoretical approach
I use theoretical concepts such as value pluralism, coping mechanisms, (policy)integration, complexity, safeguarding, ambiguity, and hybridity.
Empirical research strategies
I acknowledge the importance of transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and multi-level research. Through co-creative and qualitative research approaches. In my role as coordinator of GovLab010 and being a researcher in the Convergence I am closely involved (demand-driven) research in close collaboration with a variety of (semi)public, private and civil society parties.
Possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration
I am generally open to inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, especially in the area of ‘soft’ and dynamic forms of safeguarding, and more flexibility and customization in decision-making processes as a counterpart to rational-technical decision-making that often leads to goal alignment rather than added value. Especially in the context of complex networks.
Important themes for social sciences
I see several lines for future research, such as: A) How can we introduce, safeguard and assess new types of values, such as resilience, values that are less easily translated into measurable criteria and e.g. spatial claims, important in relation to legitimacy and political accountability? B) How do we bring about system change, in which it is necessary to transcend existing ‘boxes’ (such as budgets), boundaries (e.g. sectoral structures) and limitations (such as laws and regulations) and introduce integrating forms of work, supported by governance arrangements and resilient government organizations? How can we innovate? both within public organizations (e.g. standards and structures for integral working and policy integration) and in new partnerships between public, private and societal actors (e.g. social innovation and self-organization).
Social transition(s) addressed
The transitions facing society, such as the energy transition and the circular transition, make the integration of values, goals and interests only more important, as this ensures the introduction of new values that change the balance between old and new values. To solve contemporary societal challenges, it is increasingly important to collaborate - both internally and externally - in non-traditional networks.
My research focuses on commissioning and procurement, process and governance aspects of value creation and safeguarding (public) values. I focus on dealing with complexity and integrated decision-making in collaborations between public and private partners, as well as within public organizations across domains and professions, and different levels of decision-making. From a systems perspective, I look at how different levels, scales and time frames can come together and what changes are needed to accomplish this in governance, steering, organizations and processes. From a value perspective, I study innovative forms of collaboration, both within commissioning organizations (e.g. standards and structures for integrated working) and in new partnerships between public, private and societal actors (e.g. social innovation and self-organization). I also research multi-functionality, in projects (e.g. BGIs and heat collectives.), programs and portfolios (e.g. a program table or tender board), and at the strategic level (e.g. policy integration and procurement strategies).
The system and culture of the bureaucratic and sectoral government system landscape will have to change with it, it is necessary to change existing “boxes” (such as budgets), boundaries (e.g. sectoral structures) and constraints (such as laws and regulations) and introduce integrative forms of work. To discover how stakeholders interact within these transitions and to design effective interventions that add real value, it is important to understand different professional languages. As technical innovations become more important, I believe that social and institutional innovations are prerequisite for their success and acceptance By making explicit the tensions and dilemmas between, for example, fragmentation and integration, formal and informal rules, bureaucratic and social systems, top down and bottom up, and flexibility and control, I aim to look for interventions that add value rather than lead to trade-offs.