Culturally Adaptive Governance Framework - CAGF

At Adaptive Climate Solutions, we believe that appropriate governance structures are at the cornerstone of effective sustainable development and community resilience. Our mission revolves around empowering communities to thrive in the face of challenges, and we recognise that traditional governance models often fall short in meeting the diverse needs of today's world. Thus, we champion the implementation of a Culturally Adaptive Governance Framework (CAGF), tailored to the unique contexts and values of each community we serve.

Why Culturally Adaptive Governance Matters:

1. Empowerment: A robust and appropriate governance structure empowers communities to make decisions that directly impact their lives, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability.

2. Long-term Thinking: By promoting inclusive decision-making processes, we encourage communities to adopt long-term perspectives, ensuring that actions taken today align with sustainable development goals for tomorrow.

3. Resilience: Culturally adaptive governance fosters resilience by integrating local knowledge and practices with scientific data and innovations, enabling communities to effectively respond to crises and adapt to changing circumstances.

Our Approach:

1. Cultural Sensitivity: We recognise and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds of communities, integrating local traditions and values into governance frameworks to ensure relevance and acceptance.

2. Capacity Building: We provide training and resources to community leaders and stakeholders, equipping them with the skills needed to effectively participate in governance processes and drive sustainable change.

3. Collaborative Partnerships: We work hand in hand with communities, governments, and other stakeholders to co-create governance solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities of each locality.

Rooted in years of research and collaboration, the idea of Culturally Adaptive Governance was developed and outlined in an academic paper by ACS co-founder Daniel Duke and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) in 2021:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353505270_Culturally_Adaptive_Governance-Building_a_New_Framework_for_Equity_in_Aboriginal_and_Torres_Strait_Islander_Health_Research_Theoretical_Basis_Ethics_Attributes_and_Evaluation

A second paper, Culturally Adaptive Governance: Towards Conceptual Clarity is forthcoming, due 2024:

Abstract:

This paper advances the concept of Culturally Adaptive Governance and highlights several limitations in the original paper that necessitate further exploration. Building upon key theoretical underpinnings, we introduce the idea of meta-governance or the ‘governance of governance’, which involves overseeing governance processes themselves to balance the influence of various governance modes and actors in complex and ever-changing environments. The paper then introduces the idea of methodological mechanisms of difference making relations as a crucial component missing from the original discussion. These methodological mechanisms link the theoretical framework with implementation initiatives, incorporating structures and processes that align with the foundational framework principles of Invest, Effect and Foster. Conceptually speaking then, at its core, culturally adaptive governance is concerned with the interplay between processes of intentional structural reorientation and the implementation of causal mechanisms of change that enable the development of initiatives that blend traditional and context (culturally) specific knowledge with modern scientific innovations.