In complex, polycentric environmental governance systems, actors may choose to collaborate with one another to reduce their collective vulnerability and enhance system function. However, collaboration can be costly, and little evidence exists for how particular collaborative forums impact the broader governance system in which they are embedded. To address this gap, we investigate the role of intermediate collaborative forums, which support collaboration among a subset of system actors, in polycentric governance systems. Empirically, we analyze the structural and functional role of an intermediate collaborative forum called the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) within the municipal surface water governance network for the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (PMA) in Arizona, United States. To do this, we draw from 21 interviews with water professionals in the PMA, which we analyze through a combination of network analysis and qualitative coding. We find that AMWUA facilitates strong bonding capacities among members, allowing for streamlined bridging to the rest of the network that enhances information processing and advocacy of member needs. Our findings advance theory on the role of collaboration in polycentric systems and inform the design of collaborative institutions to improve environmental governance.

中文翻译：

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中级合作论坛在多中心环境治理中的作用

在复杂的多中心环境治理系统中，参与者可能选择相互合作，以减少其集体脆弱性并增强系统功能。然而，协作的成本可能很高，而且很少有证据表明特定的协作论坛如何影响它们所嵌入的更广泛的治理系统。为了解决这一差距，我们研究了中间协作论坛的作用，该论坛支持多中心治理系统中系统参与者子集之间的协作。根据经验，我们分析了美国亚利桑那州凤凰城大都市区 (PMA) 市政地表水治理网络中名为亚利桑那市政用水者协会 (AMWUA) 的中间协作论坛的结构和功能作用。去做这个，我们对 PMA 的水务专业人士进行了 21 次采访，并通过网络分析和定性编码相结合的方式进行了分析。我们发现 AMWUA 促进了成员之间强大的联系能力，可以简化与网络其他部分的联系，从而增强信息处理和会员需求的宣传。我们的研究结果推进了关于多中心系统中协作作用的理论，并为改善环境治理的协作机构的设计提供了信息。