The recent global financial crisis and associated austerity measures have led to a reconfiguration

of the role of the state and a fundamental reshaping in the design and delivery of public services.

State and non-state actors are struggling to cope with the scale of change, the speed with which adjustments are being made and managing a range of ‘wicked issues’ in the absence of necessary resources. In this uncertain environment, policy issues and objectives are often ill-

defined, constantly shifting and lack clear direction. There is also huge variability in the coping

strategies and creative responses being enacted by public leaders in different contexts.





Partnerships, co-production and networks have been viewed as an antidote to the ‘ungovernability’ of complex issues in public and social policy. However, collaborative governance is also fraught with difficulties and pitfalls and raise questions about legitimacy, accountability and social justice. Within this context,the 2014 conference seeks to address questions around the themes of leadership and collaboration. We ask participants to interpret this call broadly but some key questions might include:








• What scope is there for creative leadership in contemporary policy and politics?








• How can leadership and/or collaboration drive innovation in the design and delivery of








public services?








• What capacity do non-state actors have to influence policy and politics?








• What impact can leadership and collaboration have on legitimacy, accountability and








social justice in public policy?








• What are the challenges for public leadership and collaboration in a global context?








Papers are invited in any areas of public or social policy. In writing their papers authors are re-




quested to reflect on the conference theme.








Plenary speakers:








Professor Chris Ansell, University of California, Berkeley, US - ‘Collaborative governance of transboundary problems’








Professor Erik-Hans Klijn, Erasmus University, Nether-lands - ‘Public leadership between ‘front’ and ‘back’ stage’








Professor Helen Sullivan, University of Melbourne, Australia - ‘Collaboration as the new normal? Global trends, public policy and everyday practices’








Professor Jacob Torfing, Roskilde University, Denmark, - ‘How to lead and manage collaborative innovation’








For conference details and to submit an abstract please visit








www.bris.ac.uk/sps/policyandpolitics2014