RESEARCH PROJECT

Actor-centric understanding of sustainability policy integration

KEY POINTS
  • Develops a conceptual, actor-centred framework to understand policy integration in local sustainability governance
  • Theorises how systemic, organisational, and individual factors shape action strategies of Swedish municipal sustainability coordinators (SCs)
  • Contributes to both scholarly understanding and professional reflexivity
Updated: July 2025

Project overview

Project start: January 2024 Ending: December 2025
Project manager: Mari Kagstrom
Funded by: Strategic funding SLU

Participants

Research groups:

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Short summary

Policy integration is widely recognised as a key mechanism for promoting sustainability across fragmented governance systems. However, existing research often overlooks how this integration is enacted in practice by individual actors within public administration.

This project addresses that gap by theorising the role of sustainability coordinators (SCs) in Swedish municipalities—professionals formally tasked with advancing sustainability goals across policy sectors.

A conceptual framework is developed, highlighting how systemic norms, organisational positioning, and individual role perceptions shape SCs’ use of five key action strategies. These strategies reflect how SCs interpret their tasks and influence policy across sectors despite often limited formal mandates.

By focusing on SCs as institutional actors, the project contributes to a deeper understanding of policy integration in practice. It offers both theoretical insights and a reflective tool to support learning and strategic development among practitioners.

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