Switch to Community-Centric Governance? Use of Participatory Democracy Tools in Collaborative Governance in Lithuanian Municipalities

This paper deals with Collaborative Governance (CG) and several of its potential drivers in the context of Lithuanian local governance. We argue that CG may contribute to solving wicked problems in local governance and that it may be better explained by variables such as local actors’ involvement and the better setting of local agenda goals for enhancing participatory democracy approach. We use the Lithuanian case to explain difficulties and challenges on the road to such progress. Based on a thorough theoretical review, we develop a model and a set of testable hypotheses highlighting local councils' role in this process. We test our hypotheses using quantitative data from the online "Lithuanian Councilors" survey implemented in February-March 2024. The survey is a part of the comparative European project on “Local Councilors: in Europe II”. Initially, we had a personalized list of councilors elected for Councils during the last self-governance elections in May 2023. The personalized email list was collected from the municipal authorities' websites. The model is tested using the SEM (structural equation modeling) approach. The findings generally support the model and imply that (1) local agenda goal-setting by politicians leads to more substantial collaborative governance and increased reliance on local actors’ contributions, and (2) their involvement is also crucial for such collaboration activities. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and suggestions are made for further examination of politicians’ roles in local governance and participatory democracy. The main findings generally support the model on collaborative governance capacities by local councilors and imply that (1) local agenda goal setting by local politicians leads to more substantial collaborative governance in wicked problem solving and increased reliance on local actors’ contributions, and (2) their involvement is also crucial for such collaboration activities. Collaborative governance can help align interests and foster solutions that resonate with the broader community and reflect the institutional self-governance arrangements.