| Abstract: | Two national estuary programs in Florida, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBNEP) and the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program (TBNEP) are used to study the intricacies of implementation networks. Both programs are forms of alternative regulation and share similar attributes: an absence of a regulatory authority, exchange relationships based on equitable partnerships and an expected net aggregate benefit. Yet they arrive at two very different solutions. The results raise questions regarding the nature, scope and functioning of implementation networks. They also indicate that building networks is shaped by members' expectations and perceptions, and the degree of congruency they share with each other and the role of champions. |
