ABSTRACT
Contemporary policy problems are increasingly complex. Public problem-solving involves a growing number of choices about who to involve, when, where, and how. Temporal and spatial horizons for strategic action such as projects are therefore increasingly used in the field of public policy making. Public sector actors perceive the increasing use of complex and embedded projects as an organisational solution to strengthen the problem-solving capacity of public sector organisations. However, the consequences of an increasing use of projects and their effects on government capacities for policy development and implementation in embedded public contexts are unknown. This chapter highlights the repercussions that projectification may have in terms of the capacity of government institutions to operate within collaborative structures and to coordinate policy development, and identifies how different dimensions are essential for strengthening government capacities by means of projects. This chapter shows that project governance in an embedded state requires multi-dimensional conceptualisations of embeddedness, an awareness of the delicate balance between over-institutionalisation and autonomy, as well as an understanding of the different rationales that permanent and temporary organisations follow.
