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In this paper we explore the impact of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic on the governance of healthcare in the Netherlands. In doing so, we re-examine the idea that a crisis necessarily leads to processes of transition and change by focusing on crisis as a specific language of organizing collective action instead. Framing a situation as a crisis of a particular kind allows for specific problem definitions, concurrent solutions and the inclusion and exclusion of stakeholders. Using this perspective, we examine the dynamics and institutional tensions involved in governing healthcare during the pandemic. We make use of multi-sited ethnographic research into the Dutch healthcare crisis organization as it responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on decision-making at the regional level. We tracked our participants through successive waves of the pandemic between March 2020 and August 2021 and identified three dominant framings of the pandemic-as-crisis: a crisis of scarcity, a crisis of postponed care and a crisis of acute care coordination. In this paper, we discuss the implications of these framings in terms of the institutional tensions that arose in governing healthcare during the pandemic: between centralized, top-down crisis management and local, bottom-up work; between informal and formal work; and between existing institutional logics. • The COVID-19 pandemic is framed as a crisis of different kinds in healthcare. • Framing impacts decision-making and inclusion of stakeholders. • Ethnographic research provides insights into the consequences of these frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In linking the literature on the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with the lead user theory, the paper presents the results of a living lab study on the adoption of high speed broadband and advanced ICT services in the Netherlands. The paper proposes that advanced users are able to shape ICT technologies based on their status, their needs and their ability to propose new solutions. In order to examine the role of advanced users, we use data from an on-line survey conducted in a living lab called “Kenniswijk” (Knowledge District) in the Netherlands carried out among 2994 residential users in July 2009. In a first step, the paper examines the leading-edge status of advanced users. Afterwards it studies the extent to which the choice of these users to adopt high speed broadband is related to their decision to adopt advanced ICT services. Finally, the paper utilizes an experimental choice design in order to examine the role of advanced users in defining new product and service characteristics of advanced ICT services. Our research shows that an advanced group of users expected to benefit from using a variety of advanced ICT services in areas such as e-surveillance and local television. In addition, they can contribute to the product and service generation phase within a living lab environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With the rise of the risk society came the regulatory state. Increasingly, governments are turning to law for achieving their policy goals, also in the field of urban and environmental planning. Legal rules do not only reduce the risks for society but also for policy makers, since those standardise decision-making, hence reducing discretion and chances of personal failure. The result is an increasingly complex legal system and a juridification of planning in practice. While planning has become more legalistic, in the Netherlands we see at the same time that the access to the legal system is being reduced. How can this seeming contradiction be explained? In this paper we explore, conceptually, the relationship between the risk society and the regulatory state. Then we turn to the empirical body of the paper, in which we observe that Dutch government is responding to the negative consequences of the regulatory state by taking major decisions with regard to the entrance to the legal system. Third-party rights are under scrutiny. We conclude our paper by arguing that government has chosen the easiest way out of the juridification of planning. Rather than a fundamental contemplation on the relationship between law and society, government pragmatically chooses to limit access to the legal system. This leads to a paradoxical situation where our (environmental) quality requirements for a land-use plan are becoming greater, while the means available to citizens for ensuring that these requirements are met move in the opposite direction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we focus on potato late blight control in the Netherlands to analyse the social-ecological interactions between farmer behaviour and disease dynamics. An agent-based model was developed to analyse the use of crop resistance for sustainable disease control. The framework on farmers' decision-making was based on a behavioural theory and supported by data from literature and interviews with Dutch potato farmers. This framework was integrated with a previously developed spatially explicit model on potato late blight dynamics. We assumed a scenario where a new resistant potato variety was introduced to the market. The model reproduced a boom-and-bust cycle: the percentage of farmers growing the resistant variety increased until resistance breakdown occurred by emergence and spread of a virulent strain, and in response farmers switched to other potato varieties and management strategies. Several factors and processes were identified that could contribute to the development of sustainable disease management strategies. • A spatially explicit model was developed on potato late blight control. • We analysed the use of crop resistance in disease control. • We simulated the interactions between farmer behaviour and disease dynamics. • The model showed a regime shift in the control of potato late blight. • Resistance management is needed to increase resistance durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Environmental assessment (EA) aims to enhance environmental awareness and to ensure that environmental values are fully considered in decision-making. In the EA arena, different discourses exist on what EA should aim for and how it functions. We hypothesise that these discourses influence its application in practice as well as its effectiveness in terms of achieving the above goals. For instance, actors who consider EA as a hindrance to fast implementation of their projects will probably apply it as a mandatory checklist, whereas actors who believe that EA can help to develop more environmentally sound decisions will use EIA as a tool to design their initiatives. In this paper we explore discourses on EA in The Netherlands and elaborate on their implications for EA effectiveness. Based on an innovative research design comprising an online survey with 443 respondents and 20 supplementary semi-structured interviews we conclude that the dominant discourse is that EA is mainly a legal requirement; EAs are conducted because they have to be conducted, not because actors choose to do so. EA effectiveness however seems reasonably high, as a majority of respondents perceive that it enhances environmental awareness and contributes to environmental protection. However, the ‘legal requirement’ discourse also results in decision-makers seldom going beyond what is prescribed by EA and environmental law. Despite its mandatory character, the predominant attitude towards EA is quite positive. For most respondents, EA is instrumental in providing transparency of decision-making and in minimising the legal risks of not complying with environmental laws. Differences in discourses seldom reflect extreme opposites. The ‘common ground’ regarding EA provides a good basis for working with EA in terms of meeting legal requirements but at the same time does not stimulate creativity in decision-making or optimisation of environmental values. In countries characterised by less consensual political cultures we may expect more extreme discourses on EA, the consequences of which are reflected upon in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims at clarifying factors that played a role in the formation of public attitudes towards nuclear power generation in the 1970s and 1980s in the Netherlands. The paper especially focuses on the effects of a government initiated societal discussion on energy policy between 1980 and 1985. It thereby intends to draw lessons from the controversies of the past for discussions that might return as several groups are arguing in favor of a “nuclear renaissance”. The concept of ‘interpretive package’ is used as an intermediate concept to link the controversy on nuclear power to wider societal issues. First, the paper briefly describes the nuclear power controversy in the Netherlands. It then reconstructs public opinion on the nuclear power issue between 1974 and 2006. Finally, it analyzes how the media linked the nuclear power issue to wider issues in society. In its final analyses, the explanation of public opinion formation in terms of interpretive packages is compared to other explanatory models. The paper concludes that there is a strong indication that a main explanation for changes in the ‘nuclear public opinion’ in Western countries can be found in styles that governments apply in dealing with their citizens. The paper finally reflects upon possible consequences of these findings for future debates on nuclear power generation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores how the concept of robustness can be defined and made operational for flood risk management. Decision making about taking actions to reduce the flood risk is complicated by uncertainties about the current and future flood probabilities and impacts. Because decision makers are increasingly aware of uncertainties, new decision-making approaches are being explored. Among other concepts, robustness is put forward by decision makers in the Netherlands as a way to deal with uncertainties. However, they cannot specify what makes a system more robust. This paper defines robustness as the ability of a system to remain functioning under disturbances, where the magnitude of the disturbance is variable and uncertain. We present a conceptual framework for analysing system robustness, and we suggest how the robustness of flood risk systems can be quantified. The ideas are tested on the Westerschelde flood risk system in the Netherlands. This case shows that analysing system robustness provides additional insight into the effect of flood risk reduction measures on system behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Land and property development processes obviously can be seen as a social situation in which the interaction of individuals or groups of individuals is one of the essential elements. To study and understand social situations, it is important to analyse how the decisions of actors are interrelated and how those decisions result in outcomes. In this paper, we propose a game theoretical modelling approach to analyse it. Hence, the objective of the paper is to investigate the usefulness as well as the limitations of game theoretical modelling for analysing and predicting the behaviour of actors in decision-making processes with respect to the development of land and property. For that purpose, we have developed game models for the case study of the development of a greenfield residential location in the Netherlands with respect to the implementation of new Dutch legislation on cost recovery. Our study demonstrates that game theory could help us to identify the key strategic decisions of land and property development projects by showing the different payoffs for stakeholders of their chosen strategies and selecting the equilibrium in which all stakeholders involved are best of. We also found many limitations of using game theory in our case study especially regarding the assumptions underlying the model. However, we conclude that game theoretical modelling can be a useful decision support tool in spatial planning, because it provides a way to think about the complexity of strategic interaction and, in particular, about the conflicting structure of collective decision-making processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Models are essential in a decision support system for river basin management. In a decision support system for integrated planning and management, the use of appropriate models is important to avoid models being either too simple or too complex. In this paper, appropriate models refer to models that are good-enough-but-not-more-than-that to obtain an acceptable ranking of river engineering measures under uncertainty. A systematic approach called ‘appropriateness framework’ is proposed to determine appropriate models that can be used in a decision support system. The approach is applied to a decision support system for the Dutch Meuse River. One important component of this decision support system, flood safety, is used in this paper to demonstrate how this approach works. The results show that the approach is very useful in helping to determine appropriate models. Potential applications of the approach in other decision support systems are discussed. The approach presented in this paper is designed as a tool to stimulate the communication between decision makers and modelers and to promote the use of models in decision-making for river basin management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A serious game for policy integration on food-water-energy nexus is developed. • Methodologically, multi-objective optimization and game theory are combined. • Players experiment with possible scenarios and examine the implications. • Systemic thinking and possibilities for policy integration are discussed. • The need for stakeholder engagement to effectively integrate policies is stressed. Food-water-energy nexus is a complex problem characterized by multiple alternatives, conflicting objectives, and multiple uncertainties about key drivers like climate change, urbanization, and population growth. Serious games are becoming a popular means to support decision-makers who are responsible for the management of urban food, water, and energy systems. However, the effectiveness of these games in improving decision-making and the quality of their outcomes remains low. Therefore, in this paper, we developed a serious game, namely S.N.O.G., which offers a safe decision-making environment where impacts of decisions may be tested and rated. Methodologically, S.N.O.G. is developed based on a combination of multi-objective optimization programing and game theory. Spatial representation, forecast, automatic feedback, ease of information communication, transparency, ease of modification add to the competence of S.N.O.G.'s application into effective decision-making for food-water-energy nexus. The game was tested in a smart-eco district in the Netherlands for which balanced food production, water management and energy generation is the goal. By using an activity theory-based model, we evaluated and mapped how S.N.O.G. contributes to the advancement in decision-making. Our research shows the game helped participants identify and indicate key drivers of integrated resource management, and how the game can strengthen the learning policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapting social-ecological systems to the projected effects of climate change is not only a complex technical matter but above all a demanding governance issue. As climate change has all the characteristics of a wicked problem, conventional strategies of governance do not seem to work. However, most conventional governance institutions are poorly equipped to enable, or at least tolerate, innovative strategies. This paper analyses the various strategies used to cope with the wicked problem of climate adaptation across scales, and the institutional conditions that enable or constrain such strategies. For this, it relies on a theoretical framework consisting of five governance capabilities that are considered crucial for coping with wicked problems: reflexivity, resilience, responsiveness, revitalization and rescaling. This framework is used to analyse the governance of adaptation to climate change at three different levels: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its activities to assist adaptation; the European Union and its climate adaptation strategy; and the Netherlands and its Delta Program. The results show that conventional governance strategies are rather absent and that mixtures of reflexive, resilient, responsive, revitalizing and rescaling strategies were visible at all levels, although not equally well developed and important. In contrast to the literature, we found many examples of enabling institutional conditions. The constraining conditions, which were also present, tend to lead more to postponement than to obstruction of decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support decision-making about the implementation of demand response, insight into the prospects and value creation is essential. As the potential benefits are diverse and distributed amongst various power system stakeholders, a system perspective is necessary for their assessment. This paper describes a methodology to model the long-term demand response benefits from a system perspective. To quantify the benefits both the energy market value and the grid value are assessed. In a liberalized power system these benefits can generally be assigned to the two main electric utilities, i.e., the energy supplier and the grid operator. The applicability of the developed approach is demonstrated using the Netherlands as a case study and a model developed from actual data from the Dutch power system. Within this model, different demand-response strategies are implemented to shape the flexible future load available for residential areas. The potential benefits of the following demand-response strategies are quantified: grid based , energy market based and energy market based with capacity constraints . The results show that from a system perspective, a demand-response strategy that is energy market based with capacity constraints is most effective in terms of realizing system benefits from residential flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Community-based monitoring initiatives are embedded in existing contextual settings. • The paper presents a systematic baseline analysis of two initiatives. • Baseline analysis generates a lot of useful insights about the contextual realities. • The generated insights can inform the design and development of the two initiatives. Much attention is being paid to the design and implementation of community-based monitoring initiatives of water and environment, and how to attract more citizens to participate in such initiatives. Although mass participation in collecting and sharing water-related or environmental data and good project design and implementation are key factors for the success of community-based monitoring, these initiatives do not operate in a void. Community-based monitoring initiatives are embedded in, and can influence, existing social, institutional, political and technological settings. In spite of the fact that these contextual factors are not static and constantly change over time, capturing their status quo at the initiation of a community-based monitoring activity delivers critical insights for establishing a sustainable initiative and can be used as a benchmark for assessing its subsequent outcomes and impacts. Yet, the salience of understanding the initial contextual settings is often underestimated, or these are only considered once an initiative has already been established. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of early stage research about such contextual realities. In order to do so, we employed the CPI Framework (Gharesifard et al., 2019) for conducting a systematic analysis of the baseline situation of two newly established community-based monitoring initiatives, one in the Netherlands and one in Kenya. The case study in the Netherlands focuses on the issue of pluvial flooding in an urban setting, while the Kenyan case study deals with balancing sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity management in a rural area. Our baseline analysis showed that aside from the fact that these initiatives have different thematic foci, there are distinct differences between the two in terms of access to technology, availability and accessibility of data, the institutional arrangements for public participation in decision making processes, and the level of citizen trust in the authorities in charge of managing the respective water-related and environmental issues. Based on the findings of this research, a number of recommendations are provided that can be beneficial for the future development and functioning of the two initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first to apply prospect theory to societal health-related decision making. In particular, we allow for utility curvature, equity weighting, sign-dependence, and loss aversion in choices concerning quality of life of other people. We find substantial inequity aversion, both for gains and losses, which can be attributed to both diminishing marginal utility and differential weighting of better-off and worse-off. There are also clear framing effects, which violate expected utility. Moreover, we observe loss aversion, indicating that subjects give more weight to one group's loss than another group's gain of the same absolute magnitude. We also elicited some information on the effect of the age of the studied group. The amount of inequity aversion is to some extent influenced by the age of the considered patients. In particular, more inequity aversion is observed for gains of older people than gains of younger people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrants and ethnic minorities are under-represented in spaces created to give citizens voice in healthcare governance. Excluding minority groups from the health participatory sphere may weaken the transformative potential of public participation, (re)producing health inequities. Yet few studies have focused on what enables involvement of marginalised groups in participatory spaces. This paper addresses this issue, using the Participation Chain Model (PCM) as a conceptual framework, and drawing on a case study of user participation in a Dutch mental health advocacy project involving Cape Verdean migrants. Data collection entailed observation, documentary evidence and interviews with Cape Verdeans affected by psychosocial problems (n = 20) and institutional stakeholders (n = 30). We offer practice, policy and theoretical contributions. Practically, we highlight the importance of a proactive approach providing minorities and other marginalised groups with opportunities and incentives that attract, retain and enable them to build and release capacity through involvement. In policy terms, we suggest that both health authorities and civil society organisations have a role in creating ‘hybrid’ spaces that promote the substantive inclusion of marginalised groups in healthcare decision-making. Theoretically, we highlight shortcomings of PCM and its conceptualisation of users' resources, suggesting adaptations to improve its conceptual and practical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multi-level decision-making strategy for the preparation of high magnitude bridge load tests is presented. • Multi-level assessment procedures should be combined with multi-level prediction procedures. • The preparation of a shear failure test on the Nieuwklap bridge is detailed. • The multi-level method showed that a shear failure could not be achieved on the Nieuwklap bridge. • The proposed method standardizes preparation steps for high magnitude load tests (proof load tests and failure tests). Load testing and in some cases failure (or collapse) testing of bridges is a method to learn more about the behaviour of full-scale bridges in site conditions. Since such experiments, especially failure tests, are expensive, an extensive preparation of these tests is important. This paper addresses the question of when a bridge is a good candidate for a load test or a failure test. To answer this question, a multi-level assessment methodology is developed. The proposed method includes a decision tree that helps users decide which method should be used to reach the desired level of accuracy. These procedures are followed to carry out an assessment based on the load and resistance models and factors from the code, as well as to estimate the maximum required load in a collapse test based on average values and a single tandem. The procedures are illustrated with the case of the Nieuwklap Bridge in the province Groningen, the Netherlands. The multi-level analysis showed that testing the Nieuwklap bridge would most likely not result in a shear failure, and thus the test would not meet the goals of a collapse test in shear, which would provide valuable research insights. On a more abstract level, the result of this research is the development of a multi-level decision-making procedure that can be used to evaluate if a field test should be planned and can meet the identified goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Western cultural practices and values have largely shaped advance care planning (ACP) policies across the world. Low uptake of ACP among ethnic minority groups in Western countries has been interpreted with reference to cultural differences. This paper adopts a life-history approach to explore attitudes towards ACP among older, first-generation Dutch-Australian and Italian-Australian migrants. Thirty people participated in extended ethnographic interviews (N = 17) and group discussions (N = 13) during 2012. Transcripts were thematically analyzed and interpreted using a Foucauldian perspective on knowledge and power. Migration experiences, ongoing contact with the native country and participation in migrant community support networks influenced attitudes towards ACP. Dutch participants framed ACP discussions with reference to euthanasia, and adopted a more individualist approach to medical decision-making. Italian participants often spoke of familial roles and emphasized a family-based decision making style. The importance of migrant identity has been neglected in previous discussions of cultural factors influencing ACP uptake among ethnic minority groups. The unique migration experience should be considered alongside culturally appropriate approaches to decision-making, in order to ensure equitable access to ACP among migrant groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The German concept of Heimat is closely related to ideas of place, place attachment and sense of place. Despite its difficult history, it is currently experiencing a renaissance in public interest and also in geographical, ethnological and psychological research. This paper explores the perception of Heimat by residents on the German North Sea coast. It traces the specific values the concept embodies, asking whether these particular values can ultimately be tapped to engage people in the process of preserving and developing their Heimat. Survey results reveal that Heimat is constituted by social values, such as feeling connected to family, friends and the wider community. Heimat is also a distinct place linked to a wide range of intangible values such as the aesthetic value of the seascape or the symbolic values assigned to the sea. Heimat can also be regarded as a practice, as it represents a conscious or subconscious act of putting one''s surroundings into meaningful order. Identification with Heimat is strong, and there is demonstrable willingness to become involved in preserving it which springs from people''s connectedness to place and their felt responsibility for Heimat. Viewed from this perspective, Heimat is an interesting concept in the context of decision-making processes and regional management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports on a public opinion survey designed to examine how the local public thought about a proposed CCS demonstration project in Barendrecht, the Netherlands. The survey was administered to a large sample of the Barendrecht population (N =811) shortly before it was decided to cancel the project. The results indicate that most residents were rather negative about the CCS project and found it an important issue. Furthermore, most residents thought it was unsafe to transport and store CO2 in the region and thought it was very likely that the project would cause a fall in local property value. These beliefs only partially explained the mostly negative public attitudes. Socio-political factors also contributed significantly to negative attitudes among the local public: Most residents perceived the decision-making process as unfair and mistrusted those who would decide about whether or not to proceed with the project. They further felt that project developer Shell and the national government — parties that were trusted less than the Barendrecht town council and the local activist group “CO2isNee” — had too much influence in the decision-making process and that the people of Barendrecht had too little influence. Implications and challenges for future CCS projects are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Strategic decision-making on long-term drought risk management can be supported by integrated assessment models to explore uncertain future conditions and potential policy actions. Such models have to meet many – sometimes conflicting – requirements posed by policy-makers, model developers, and stakeholders. This paper discusses the case of the National Water Model (NWM) that is applied for national policy-making on drought risk management in the Netherlands. The case demonstrates that the chosen assembled model set-up (in which several existing models are combined) is cost-effective and increases stakeholder acceptance, but also leads to high model complexity and computation time. To be effective for policy-making, integrated assessment models need to produce relevant model outcomes that are accepted by stakeholders, within acceptable time and cost limits. For this, the model set-up must support simulations at different aggregation levels (allowing both detailed analysis and exploratory analysis of many scenario/strategy combinations) while maintaining internal consistency. • Decision-making for drought risk management requires Integrated Assessment Models. • Integrated Assessment Models must meet many – sometimes conflicting – requirements. • There is a clear trade-off between model complexity and timeliness. • Effective models are those that allow simulations at different aggregation levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urban development and regeneration present windows of opportunity to reduce flood vulnerability that are often not taken advantage of. Collaborative planning is needed to integrate planning and flood risk management and can be achieved by a social learning framework: Learning and Action Alliance (LAA). This paper presents a new framework on how to organise a LAA to support collaborative planning. The framework is verified based on empirical evidence from 2 case studies in The Netherlands where LAAs supported the adoption of an integrated approach to flood risk management and urban development. More than 60 interviews reported that the LAA helped develop and applied relevant knowledge in 3 types of joint activities: system analysis; collaborative design; and governance. These supported demonstration projects through 3 threads by: establishing facts; creating images; and setting ambitions. This was done via 3 streams by: addressing problems; developing solutions; and influencing politics. The new framework has been demonstrated to provide an effective guide to the organisation of a LAA and provides a new analytical tool to assess the impact of LAAs. Other success factors for LAAs and the better integration of flood risk management into the planning process are considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to show if, and to what extent, spatial planning procedures affect residential property prices. To answer this question we used data on residential property prices from an area in the Netherlands called Midden-Delfland. In this area policy plans and decisions on the construction of the highway A4 have been made since the 1960s. However, the plans have yet to be executed. The data we used are from the period 1996 to 2006. Using a hedonic pricing method we were able to investigate the effect of the policy plans and decisions made on property prices in this period. When the construction plans seemed to be rather definitive, sellers and buyers on the market for residential properties wanted to pay significantly lower prices for properties in close proximity to the planned A4. However, if plans fell apart, because of protests or other reasons, the prices sellers and buyers wanted to pay were insignificantly affected by the proximity to the planned A4. Outcomes of this research could be used to develop efficient compensation schemes helping to reduce resistance against large infrastructural plans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The construction of new infrastructure is hotly contested. This paper presents a comparative study on three environmental policy domains in the Netherlands that all deal with legitimising building and locating infrastructure facilities. Such infrastructure is usually declared essential to environmental policy and claimed to serve sustainability goals. They are considered to serve (proclaimed) public interests, while the adverse impact or risk that mainly concerns environmental values as well is concentrated at a smaller scale, for example in local communities. The social acceptance of environmental policy infrastructure is institutionally determined. The institutional capacity for learning in infrastructure decision-making processes in the following three domains is compared: [1.] The implementation of wind power as a renewable energy innovation; [2.] The policy on space-water adaptation, with its claim to implement a new style of management replacing the current practice of focusing on control and ‘hard’ infrastructure; [3.] Waste policy with a focus on sound waste management and disposal, claiming a preference for waste minimization (the ‘waste management hierarchy’). All three cases show a large variety of social acceptance issues, where the appraisal of the impact of siting the facilities is confronted with the desirability of the policies. In dealing with environmental conflict, the environmental capacity of the Netherlands appears to be low. The policies are frequently hotly contested within the process of infrastructure decision-making. Decision-making on infrastructure is often framed as if consensus about the objectives of environmental policies exists. These claims are not justified, and therefore stimulating the emergence of environmental conflicts that discourage social acceptance of the policies. Authorities are frequently involved in planning infrastructure that conflicts with their officially proclaimed policy objectives. In these circumstances, they are often confronted with local actors who support alternatives that are in fact better in tune with the new policy paradigm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The use of science to inform and underpin decision-making on natural resources is not self-evident as stakeholders often use science in a selective and strategic way. Scientific analyses of science utilisation often focus on how the science–policy interface is organised and from this perspective provide recommendations to scientists about how they can increase their contribution to decision-making. Yet in this paper we argue that a wider perspective on the science–policy interface, in particular by analysing the roles and interactions of actors other than those directly involved, provides both additional explanations and new points of application for strategies aimed at enhancing science utilisation. We illustrate our claim by means of an analysis of decision-making on cockle fisheries and gas mining in the Dutch Wadden Sea between the 1990s and 2004. For many years, scientific studies addressing the ecological effects of these activities were not used to meaningfully contribute to decision-making. In 2004 this situation changed radically. Explanations include the role of intermediaries between scientists, stakeholders and decision-makers and new legislation. Scientists could enhance the chances of knowledge utilisation both by creating a more open science–policy interface and by reframing the policy problems at issue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Farm diversification is stimulated by the societal demand to transform production countryside into consumption countryside. In most empirical studies on farmers’ decision making for diversification, geographical information is either omitted or reduced to a variable that links the farm to an administrative unit. Therefore, the influence of the exact farm location on farmers’ decision making is often lacking. The paper addresses the role of location, in terms of site specific natural conditions as well as neighboring dynamics, in influencing farmers’ decision making to diversify. Moreover, it investigates to what extend low returns from primary production stimulate farmers to find new survival strategies, and therefore explains diversification. The Gelderse Vallei area, a region in the center of the Netherlands, is used as a case study. For this area an extensive farm survey data could be combined with topographic data and soil maps (GIS). Both the number of activities as well as the kind of activities that are taken up are analyzed. Landscape attractiveness turns out to be a driver of diversification. Daily recreation most frequently occurs close to national parks, green services are more likely to occur on relatively wet soils. Activities resulting from diversification might produce positive externalities: new activities have the tendency to emerge next to already existing ones, therewith explaining the formation of “hotspots” in the landscape. Finally, diversification was found to be sensitive to returns from primary agriculture production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Controversies in decision and policy-making processes can be analysed using frame reflection and mental model mapping techniques. The purpose of the method presented in this paper is to improve the quality of the information and interpretations available to decision makers, by surfacing and juxtaposing the different frames of decision makers, experts, and special interests groups. The research provides a new method to analyse frames. It defines a frame to consist of perspectives and a mental model, which are in close interaction (through second order learning processes). The mental model acts like a “filter” through which the problem situation is observed. Five major perspective types guide the construction of meaning out of the information delivered by the mental model, and determine what actors see as their interests. The perspective types are related to an actor''s institutional and personal position in the decision making process. The method was applied to a case, in order to test its viability. The case concerns the decision making process and environmental impact assessment procedure for the improvement of dike ring 53 in the Netherlands, which was initiated by the Dutch “Flood Defences Act 1996”. In this specific case the perspectives and mental models of stakeholders were elicited to explain controversies. The case was analysed with regard to the conflicts emerging between stakeholders, on an individual level. The influence of institutional embedding of individuals on the use of information and the construction of meaning, and the limits of a participatory approach were analysed within the details of controversies that emerged during the case analysis. Complicating factor appeared to be the interaction between national dike safety norms (short term) and local water management problems (long term). Revealed controversies mainly concerned disputes between an organisational and a technical perspective. But also disputes on distribution of responsibilities between different institutes, on legal and political liability, and on funding issues, involving persons of both perspectives, were found. The case reveals a lack of possibilities to search for an integrated solution which involves all levels of authority, and a lack of possibilities to discuss the additional problems that were raised by the integrated approach in the initial phase of the case project. The complex and unstructured nature of the problem situation caused the traditional substantive approach to fail to deliver a good solution. Legal, socio-economic and institutional factors ultimately dominated the decision making process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a methodology for making decisions based on uncertain information through the use of an analytical feasibility study of an airport island in the North Sea as an alternative to the present inland airport, Amsterdam Schiphol, in The Netherlands. The multidisciplinary project, called Flyland, quantified several conflicting aspects, including uncertainties, for each of five alternative locations for the new airport. The methodology combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Monte Carlo approaches and allows comparison of the alternatives on the basis of their morphological and ecological effects. The resulting scores rank the alternatives and quantify the distinctions between them by taking uncertainties into account. We found that with respect to morphology and ecology, it is most favourable to keep the Dutch national airport inland. The methodology can easily be extended to include other factors and reflect a wider range of multidisciplinary aspects (costs, accessibility, environmental aspects) of the airport island location. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As more and more new vaccines are developed and brought to the market, governments have to make decisions about which vaccinations to include in public programmes. This paper describes the experience in the Netherlands in developing a framework for assessing whether a vaccination should be included in the National Immunization Programme (NIP). Bearing in mind the public nature, the factors that determine a vaccine''s suitability for inclusion in a communal vaccination programme have been translated into seven selection criteria, grouped under five thematic headings: seriousness and extent of the disease burden, effectiveness and safety of the vaccination, acceptability of the vaccination, efficiency of the vaccination, and priority of the vaccination. The seven criteria and the explanation of them provide a framework for the systematic examination of arguments for and against the inclusion and prioritisation of particular vaccinations. As an illustration, the vaccinations currently provided in the Netherlands through public programmes as well as 23 ‘candidate’ vaccinations are assessed against the seven criteria. The proposed assessment framework including the selection criteria can take full account of the values and specificities as they may differ between situations and countries; the transparency of the approach may help to clarify which elements of the assessment are pivotal in specific situations. Using the criteria furthers a trustworthy, transparent and accountable process of decision-making about inclusion of new vaccinations in public vaccination programmes and may help to retain public confidence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bos & Lommer is a district in the west of Amsterdam. The new centre, consisting of the district office, 96 apartments, a few dozen businesses and shops, a two-storey parking lot with capacity for more than 500 cars, and a market place, was completed in 2004. Less than 2years later, in July 2006, this whole multifunctional complex had to be urgently cleared, because its safety could not be guaranteed. The investigations revealed that the planning and realisation of the Bos & Lommer complex were anything but exceptional. What happened there could have happened anywhere in the Netherlands and possibly elsewhere. This paper analyses the decision-making process in the planning and construction of the Bos & Lommerplein estate on the basis of accident causation theories. It will ascertain which safety science methodology is best equipped to describe and analyse the events in this multifunctional estate. The analysis forms the basis for a reflection on a set of concrete guidelines for designing and constructing complex projects. Construction safety would be enhanced if the scope for improvement in decision-making on complex building projects were properly utilised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is generally assumed that the choice of transport mode and the choice of including intermediate activities on a work tour are interrelated, but little is known about the nature of the causal relationship. To shed light on this, this paper addresses the question of whether transport mode choice is dependent on the activity choice or vice-versa. A new methodology, referred to as the co-evolutionary approach, is combined with a set of MNL models, one for each choice facet involved, to derive an indication of the order of decisions on an individual level. The models are estimated based on the work tours of a large sample of individuals in the Netherlands. The results suggest that there is substantial variation in the order of the transport mode and activity decisions. However, in the majority of cases the activity decision is made before the mode decision, suggesting that the transport mode and, in particular, the choice between car and public transport is most often ‘adjusted’ to the choice of trip chaining rather than the other way round. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In contemporary healthcare policies the logic of Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) is typically proposed as a way of addressing a demand to explicitly justify policy decisions. Policymakers' use of 'evidence' is presumed to pertain to ideals of justice in decision-making. However, according to some, EBM is liable to generate 'epistemic injustice' because it prefers quantitative types of evidence and – as a result of that – potentially undervalues the qualitative testimonies of doctors and patients. Miranda Fricker's concept of 'epistemic injustice' refers to a wrong done to a person in their capacity as a knower. This paper explores the usefulness and limits of this concept in the context of public decision-making. How is evidence-based policymaking intertwined with questions of 'epistemic injustice'? Drawing from ethnographic research conducted at the National Health Care Institute, we analyze two cases of EBM-inspired policy practices in Dutch social health insurance: 1) the use of the principles of EBM in making a public reimbursement decision, and 2) private insurers' use of quantitative performance indicators for the practice of selective contracting on the Dutch healthcare market. While the concept of 'epistemic injustice' misses some key processes involved in understanding how 'knowing gets done' in public policy, it does shed new light on priority-setting processes. Patients or medical professionals who are not duly recognized as credible and intelligible epistemic agents, subsequently, lack the social power to influence priority-setting practices. They are thus not merely frustrated in their capacity to be heard and make themselves understood, they are potentially deprived of a fair share in collective financial and medical resources. If we fail to recognize inequalities in credibility and intelligibility between diverse groups of knowers, there is a chance that these epistemic inequalities are being reproduced in our system of health insurance and our ways of distributing healthcare provisions. • The concept of 'epistemic injustice' sheds new light on priority-setting processes. • Not all patients or professionals are credited equal status as epistemic agent. • Participation in priority-setting requires that agents are credibly understood. • Lack of recognition as epistemic agent means less influence on priority-setting. • Structural epistemic inequalities can be reproduced in allocating public resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]