The development of the river chief in Nantong and Huzhou: Policy transfer in an authoritarian system

Abstract

The river chief system is an institutional innovation designed to mitigate the fragmentation of watershed governance in China. The idea was to develop offices of river chiefs and designate named individuals as responsible for water quality across all regions and levels of government. This article examines the mechanisms that led to the transfer of the river chief model from Wuxi to the Jiangsu Provincial government, Nantong, and Huzhou. The objective is to examine how and why Nantong officials created a virtual replica of the Jiangsu provincial policy, while Huzhou officials transformed the original Wuxi model to form their unique river chief. To do this, we undertook an extensive review of the core documents related to the river chief systems in Nantong and Huzhou, which led to a series of interviews, confirming our understanding of the procedures and outcomes of the transfer process. The result demonstrated the importance of motivation, structural context, and the ability to engage in re-engineering in policy transfer to understand the outcomes of the transfer process. As such, this study demonstrates, unlike much of the existing literature, that these aspects are worth further study when investigating the policy transfer process.

Keywords

River chief / Policy transfer / Learning / China

Funding

This research was supported by the Youth Project of the National Social Science Fund of China (No. 24CZZ006).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

[1] Nanjing Great Wall Land Real Estate Assets Appraisal Cost Appraisal Office. Performance Evaluation Report of Jiangsu Province’s Backbone River Management and Protection Project (2014). Internal Documents Internal Archives - Non-Public; 2015.

[2] Volden C. States as policy laboratories: Emulating success in the children’s health insurance program. Am J Polit Sci. 2006; 50(2):294-312. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00185.x

[3] Zhang H. Policy transfer and policy experimentation in China: The case of state-sponsored student loans. Policy Stud. 2023; 45(6): 929-947. doi: 10.1080/01442872.2023.2243830

[4] Dolowitz D. Does transfer lead to learning? The international movement of information. Novos Estudos. 2017; 17(1):35-56.

[5] Dolowitz D, Marsh D. Who learns what from whom: A review of the policy transfer literature. Polit Stud. 1996; 44(2):343-357. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.1996.tb00334.x

[6] Dolowitz D, Marsh D. The future of policy transfer research. Polit Stud Rev. 2012; 10(2):339-345. doi: 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2012.00274.x

[7] Dolowitz DP, Marsh D. Learning from abroad: The role of policy transfer in contemporary policy-making. Governance. 2000; 13(1):5-24. doi: 10.1111/0952-1895.00121

[8] Evans M, Davies J. Understanding policy transfer: A multi-level, multidisciplinary perspective. Public Adm. 1999; 77(2):361-85. doi: 10.1111/1467-9299.00158

[9] Evans M.Policy transfer in critical perspective. Policy Stud. 2009; 30(3):243-268. doi: 10.1080/01442870902863828

[10] Jacoby W. Talking the talk and walking the walk. In: Bonker F, Muller K, Pickel A,editors. Post-Communist Transformation and the Social Sciences. Maryland, USA: Rowman and Littlefield; 2002. p. 129-151.

[11] Kerber W, Eckardt M. Policy Learning in Europe Thünen-Series of Applied Economic Theory - Working Paper No. 48. Rostock: Universität Rostock, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre; 2005.

[12] James O, Lodge M. The limitations of ‘policy transfer’ and ‘lesson drawing’ for public policy research. Polit Stud Rev. 2003; 1(2):179-193. doi: 10.1111/1478-9299.t01-1-00003

[13] Marsh D, Sharman JC. Policy diffusion and policy transfer. Policy Stud. 2009; 30(3):269-288. doi: 10.1080/01442870902863851

[14] Peck J. Geographies of policy: From transfer-diffusion to mobility-mutation. Prog Hum Geogr. 2011; 35(6):773-797. doi: 10.1177/030913251039401

[15] Rose R. What is lesson-drawing? J Public Policy. 1991; 11(1):3-30.

[16] Wolman H, Page E. Policy transfer among local governments: An information-theory approach. Governance. 2002; 15(4):577-501. doi: 10.1111/1468-0491.00198

[17] Hao Y, Wan T. The River Chief System and an Ecological Initiative for Public Participation in China. Berlin: Springer Nature; 2023.

[18] Zhang Z, Xiong C, Yang Y, Liang C, Jiang S. What makes the river chief system in China viable? Examples from the huaihe river basin. Sustainability. 2022; 14(10):6329. doi: 10.3390/su14106329

[19] Lundvall B, Tomlinson M. International benchmarking as a policy learning tool. In: Rodrigues M,editor. The New Knowledge Economy in Europe. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar; 2002. p. 203-231.

[20] Martin G, Beaumont P. Diffusing ‘best practice’ in multinational firms: Prospects, practice and contestation. Int J Hum Resour Manag. 1998; 9(4):671-695. doi: 10.1080/095851998340955

[21] Patton M. Evaluation, knowledge management, best practices, and high quality lessons learned. Am J Eval. 2001; 22(3):329-336. doi: 10.1177/109821400102200307

[22] Purcell J. Best practice and best fit: Chimera or cul-de-sac?’ Hum Resour Manag J. 1999; 9(3):26-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-8583.1999.tb00201.x

[23] Dolowitz D, Plugaru R, Saurugger S. The process of transfer: The micro-influences of power, time and learning. Public Policy Adm. 2020; 35(4):445-464. doi: 10.1177/0952076718822714

[24] Stone D. Understanding the transfer of policy failure: Bricolage, experimentalism and translation. Policy Polit. 2017; 45(1):55-70. doi: 10.1332/030557316X14748914098041

[25] Milhorance C, Howland F, Sabourin E, Le Coq J. Tackling the implementation gap in adaption strategies. Clim Policy. 2022; 22(9-10):1113-1129. doi: 10.1080/14693062.2022.2085650

[26] Mukhtarov F. Rethinking the travel of ideas: Policy translation in the water sector. Policy Polit. 2014; 42(1):71-88. doi: 10.1332/030557312X655459

[27] Müller M. (Im-)mobile policies: Why sustainability went wrong in the 2014 olympics in sochi. Eur Urban Reg Stud. 2015; 22(2):191-209. doi: 10.1177/0969776414523801

[28] Hustad O. From global goal to local development policy: How partnerships as a policy idea changes through policy translations. Dev Policy Rev. 2023; 41(2):e12659. doi: 10.1111/dpr.12659

[29] Sausman C, Osborn E, Barrett M. Policy translations through localisation: Implementing national policy in the UK. Policy Polit. 2016; 44(4):563-589. doi: 10.1332/030557315X14298807527143

[30] Peck J, Theodore N. Mobilizing policy: Models, methods, and mutations. Geoforum. 2010; 41(2):169-174. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2010.01.002

[31] Prince R. Policy transfer as policy assemblage: Making policy for the creative industries in New Zealand. Environ Plan A Econ Space. 2010; 42(1):169-186. doi: 10.1068/a422

[32] Prince R. Policy transfer, consultants and the geographies of governance. Prog Hum Geogr. 2012; 36(2):188-203. doi: 10.1177/0309132511417659

[33] Stone D. Transfer and translation of policy. Policy Stud. 2012; 33(4):483-499. doi: 1080/01442872.2012.695933

[34] Wheeldon J. Visual Criminology: From History and Methods to Critique and Policy Translations. London: Routledge; 2021.

[35] Fritsch O, Benson D. Mutual learning and policy transfer in integrated water resources management: A research Agenda. Water. 2020; 12(1):72. doi: 10.3390/w12010072

[36] Nikolakis W, Roberts E. Wildfire governance in a changing world: Insights for policy learning and policy transfer. Risk Hazard Cris Public Policy. 2022; 13(2):144-164. doi: 10.1002/rhc3.12235

[37] Denzau AT, North DC. Shared mental models: Ideologies and institutions. Kyklos. 1994; 47(1):3-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6435.1994.tb02246.x

[38] Brown G. What is involved in learning? In: Desforges C,editor. An Introduction to Teaching: Psychological Perspectives. England: Blackwell; 1995.

[39] John-Steiner V. Notebooks of the Mind: Explorations of Thinking. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1997.

[40] Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China. The Notification of Implementation Opinions on the Promotion of the River Chief System from ‘in Name’ to ‘in Practice. (In Chinese). Available from: http://www.mwr.gov.cn/ [Last accessed on 2018 Oct 11].

[41] Stoecker R. Evaluating and rethinking the case study. Soc Rev. 1991; 39:88-112. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-954X.1991.tb02970.x

[42] Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China. The Guide for ‘One River (or Lake), One Document Programming. (In Chinese). Available from: https://www.mwr.gov.cn/zwgk/zfxxgkml/201805/t20180514_1037385.html [Last accessed on 2018 Apr 13].

[43] Zhang Y, Marsh D. Learning by doing: The case of administrative policy transfer in China. Policy Stud. 2015; 37(1):35-52. doi: 10.1080/01442872.2015.1107959

[44] Nantong Municipal Government Office. Opinions on Strengthening the River Chief System of River Management in the City (Internal Document); 2023

[45] Wuxi Municipal Government Office. Decision on Comprehensively Establishing the River Chief System and Comprehensively Strengthening the Comprehensive and Comprehensive Improvement and Management of River Courses. (Internal Office Documents): N/A; 2008

[46] General Office of Jiangsu Provincial Government. Notice on Strengthening the Work of River Chief System of River Management in Jiangsu Province: 11. China: General Office of Jiangsu Provincial Government; 2012.

[47] Huzhou Municipal Government Office. Implementation Plan of Establishing the River Chief System in Huzhou. (Internal Documents); 2013.

[48] Huzhou Municipal Government Office. Implementation Opinions on Deepening the River Chief System. (Internal Documents); 2014.

[49] Huzhou Municipal Bureau of Water Affairs. Huzhou Won the Title of National Advanced Collective for Comprehensively implementing the River Chief System and Lake Chief System. Available from: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1690003733439938155&wfr=spider&for=pc [Last accessed on 2021 Sep 30].

[50] He YL, Li N. Competition for innovation: A new local government competition mechanism. J Wuhan Univ Philos Soc Sci Ed. 2017; 1:87-96.

[51] Huzhou Municipal Government. Huzhou Water Ecological Environment Protection Fourteen-Fifth Plan. Available from: https://www.huzhou.gov.cn/hzgov/front/s1/xxgk/sswgh/sswzxgh/ybzxgh/sthbl/20220315/i3140804.html [Last accessed on 2022 Oct 27].

[52] Dolowitz D, Xiong Y. Policy transfer and the movement of Chinese river chief system. Asian J Polit Sci. 2024; 32(2):138-156. doi: 10.1080/02185377.2024.2363186

[53] Nantong Historical Records Network. Available from: https://www.ntszw.gov.cn/?c=index&a=show&id=2460 [Last accessed on 2022 Mar 08].