Open strategizing by public organizations: a qualitative comparative analysis of recent practices in Dutch infrastructure planning

Wide participation in the strategic processes of public organizations can enhance inclusion and transparency, thereby contributing to improved performance of public organizations. However, engaging with external participants is easier said than done. This study aims to identify how public organizations can open up their strategic processes to external participants.

The analysis is based on qualitative data from 12 early-phase strategy projects in the 2023 Dutch Multi-Year Program for Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Transport (MIRT). Interviews and document data were collected and analyzed using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA).

This study identifies that the government steering the process itself, by aiming for idea generation, opens up strategic processes. This is necessary for contributing to improved public service performance.

This study provides strategy actors (e.g. managers, planners and consultants) with actionable knowledge about what open strategizing with external participants requires to create openness.

This study addresses the ongoing and increased interest in the openness of strategy processes in general and in infrastructure planning in particular. It contributes to the discussion on whether and how participation leads to improved performance of public organizations. Additionally, this study illustrates the application of QCA to the study of open strategy processes.