Innovations amid Gaps between Policy and Practice for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This study asks under what institutional condition or governance structure might the gap between policy and practice be conducive to innovative practices. It examines how social innovations are formed amid gaps between policy and practice to tame a wicked problem and achieve sustainable development. First, data was gathered during the implementation of a livestock wastewater policy in four municipalities in southern Taiwan where livestock wastewater pollution is rampant and presents a wicked problem. Next, the focus narrowed to the governing network, namely metagovernance, ignoring other factors such as the role of the social entrepreneur. The article argues that the gap between policy and practice can be framed as a window of opportunity, with positive connotations for policy implementation innovation. The authors analyze the empirical and showcase how innovations, represented by the heterogeneity of metagovernance, were generated in a recursive manner amid gaps between policy and practice in different localities.