Falling Between The Silos: Fragmentation in Roles and Responsibilities Create Barriers to Climate Adaptation : A Case Study of Stormwater Management in the Municipality of Oslo

Abstract

The aim of this master thesis is to contribute to the literature on institutional change for climate adaptation by investigating the identified gap in literature of how, why, and where changes need to happen for more sustainable adaptation. We conducted a qualitative research with an empirical case study of interdepartmental collaborations on stormwater management in the Municipality of Oslo, interviewing 14 participants from four different agencies within the municipality. Our findings presented us with a set of barriers to institutional change, and through systematic analysis and conceptualization of the challenges and opportunities present in the Municipality of Oslo, we propose the following: The Municipality of Oslo has managed to build awareness of stormwater challenges in certain environments of the organization, but in order to align problems with available solutions and political acceptance, institutional entrepreneurs in the organization must influence change. Top managers must coordinate expectations, rules, and roles in their departments, and demolish the silo mentality that is currently prevailing in the organization. Dedicated, operational employees need incentives to avoid old, self-serving logics in order to implement new, collaborative practices and spread awareness and sense of responsibility internally and externally. If they manage to continuously build knowledge and managerial abilities and formalize networks, they can achieve legitimacy that lead to intentional change.