The Rollout of the Multilevel Governance System: A Source of Reworking the Contingent Valuation Method?

This article analyzes the impact of multilevel governance (characterized by the joint production of public goods by several government level types) on the use of the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). We discuss several compelling reasons for adapting the CVM—which was conceived for a single‐level governance system—as a tool to assist public decision making where multiple levels of government are involved. We argue such adaptation of the CVM promises to allow various public decision makers to discuss the relevance of jointly producing public good, from a shared basis. However, this transferred application of the CVM also illuminates some important difficulties, due to the intrinsic complexity of the method, the highly unequal levels of expertise of actors, and the reservations that it can provoke among some of the latter. The study identifies the key opportunities and problems associated with applying the CVM to subnational education policy evaluation in two territories in Normandy, France. Related Articles Adams, Brian E. 2016. “Assessing the Merits of Decentralization: A Framework for Identifying the Causal Mechanisms Influencing Policy Outcomes.” Politics & Policy 44 (5): 820‐849. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12172/full Ryles, Tim C., and John D. Hutcheson, Jr. 1974. “The Use of Surveys as Citizen Participation Mechanisms.” GPSA Journal 2 (2): 3‐16. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.1974.tb00847.x/full Kim, Myunghee. 2007. “Citizens' Confidence in Government, Parliament and Political Parties.” Politics & Policy 35 (3): 496‐521. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00070.x/full Related Media CIRIEC (International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy). 2017. http://www.ciriec.ulg.ac.be/en/ and http://www.ciriec.ulg.ac.be/en/publications/ Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las consecuencias de la gobernanza multinivel (caracterizado por la producción conjunta de bienes públicos por distintos órdenes de gobierno) en el uso del método de valuación contingente (CVM por sus siglas en inglés). Este estudio muestra que el CVM, concebido para un sistema de gobernanza único, puede ser adaptado como una herramienta para la ayuda en la toma de decisiones públicas. En efecto, permite que diversos tomadores de decisión discutan la relevancia de producir de forma conjunta bienes públicos, desde una base compartida. Las dificultades de aplicación, deb