From Abstract:

This study takes as its starting point the hypothesis that manager-harvester relationships are a key indicator of successful co-management processes. Interviews were conducted with senior resource managers from the Sahtu Region of northern Canada to obtain their assessment of evolving manager-harvester relationships before, during and after the establishment of co-management institutions. Interview narratives were analysed to shed light on changes and continuities in the participation of indigenous people in decision-making This led to the conclusion that the institutionalization of collaborative relationships within the bureaucratic framework of co-management has had a negative affect on indigenous participation. Nevertheless, the co-management regime was found to be surprisingly adaptive as a result of certain key continuities in the resource management system; a history of strong relationships between resource managers and harvesters, and a problem-solving approach by managers appeared to be stronger than the depersonalized and bureaucratic aspects of co-management institutions. Thus the study confirms the ongoing significance of social capital as a determinant of successful co-management.

Access this Resource: 

Request this thesis from Stockholm University.

Carthew, Ruaraidh. Beyond Bureaucracy: Collaborative relationships in the transition to co-management—a case study in the Sahtú Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. Master’s Thesis, Stockholm University, 2007.