Frames and dilemmas in multifunctional projects

Increasing population, sea level rise and changes in public spending encourage the development of multifunctional projects. Multifunctional projects integrate various functions in the same area to satisfy multiple objectives simultaneously and to combine the resources and expertise of various stakeholders. Although the involvement of multiple interdependent actors offers opportunities for the inclusion of various interests in the decision-making process, the complex organizational context of multifunctional projects makes the identification and selection of functional combination difficult. When defining and selecting functional combinations, actors often need to prioritize various functions based on the demands that they need to fulfill and the available resources for the project. Since actors belong to different sectors and administrative levels, they often have different interpretations about what is going on and what the preferred course of action is. In these settings dilemmas naturally occur. Dilemmas are situations in which actors are confronted with various options to make a choice, all being equally desirable or undesirable. Dilemmas are often associated to situations of paralysis or impasse. Not knowing what to do leads to a deadlock. However, encountering dilemmas also offers the possibility of looking at issues from different lenses, stimulating deliberation about the issue at stake from different angles. Consequently, dilemmas have the potential to foster creativity and to think about solutions that bridge seemingly competing demands. Realizing their potential requires creating awareness about dilemmas and understanding their origin. The incorporation of various interdependent actors having their own interpretations about issues at stake makes multifunctional projects an ideal case to understand the influence of frames and dilemmas in decision making. The main goal of this thesis is to unravel the role of frames in the occurrence of dilemmas in multifunctional projects.