Policy Entrepreneurs and Strategies for Change: The Case of Water Management in the Netherlands

“Stijn Brouwer’s study of policy entrepreneurs in the Dutch water sector is an excellent
example of how an investigation into these political actors needs to be conducted. In
this investigation the author was very thoughtful in how he defined policy entrepreneurs
(pp. 3–8). The treatment of the theoretical dimensions of policy entrepreneurs and the
strategies they can employ were also well developed and presented. The fact that Stijn
investigates a number of policy process theories was for me an indication that he had
investigated the subject matter from a solid theoretical foundation. I particularly enjoyed
reading the theoretical section, since I am interested in the theoretical side of water governance
and management. Stijn investigates four policy process theories: process streams
and windows of opportunity, policy images and policy venues, the advocacy coalition
framework and the network approach (pp. 22–32). He then goes on to indicate the ‘room
for policy entrepreneurs’ in the four theories (pp. 33–34). What I also found interesting
and a useful learning experience is the way Stijn treats these theories after he had outlined
them. He revisits the four theories and distils, so to speak, 10 strategies from the theories.
The 10 strategies are Stijn’s ‘new typology’ of policy entrepreneur strategies (pp. 54–64),
under four categories: attention- and support-seeking strategies, linking strategies, relational
management strategies and arena strategies (p. 64).”

© Baltzer Science Publishers

(Citaat: Meissner Book review Brouwer, S. – Policy Entrepreneurs and strategies for change, the case of water management in the Netherlands – International Journal of Water Governance 3(2015), p.140-144)