CAPÍTULO VIII. ANÁLISIS DE IMPACTO
CONCLUSIONES Y RECOMENDACIONES
The overall methodological framework of the thesis is divided into seven parts as shown in Figure 5: research questions, theory, methodology, methods, data, analysis and conclusion. First, the primary and secondary research questions are outlined. Based on PPR’s four questions (Flyvbjerg, 2004), the case study fieldwork encompasses four elements: planning policy, the planning process, planning pragmatism and the way forward. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews are used as qualitative research methods.
Two case studies have been selected: one from New Zealand and one from Pakistan (to be discussed later). The M2PP is sixteen kilometre long road section of the Wellington Northern Corridor (WNC) from MacKays Crossing to Peka Peka Road in the North Island of New Zealand. The LRR-SL is the 41 kilometre long proposed southern half of Lahore Ring Road project in Pakistan. The route maps and other details of the M2PP and the LRR-SL are given in Chapters 5 and 7 respectively.
In line with the requirements of Flyvbjerg’s (2004) four questions, a four-stage methodological framework has been suggested consisting of: (i) phronetic planning policy, (ii) phronetic planning process, (iii) phronetic planning pragmatism, and, (iv) phronetic planning way-forward. As shown in Figure 5, the prefix ‘phronetic planning’ indicates that the conceptual framework follows Phronetic Planning Research approach. At the third stage, the methodology has been illustrated by developing a comparative case study of the M2PP and the LRR-SL projects. The methodology follows the fourth level where methods employed in the thesis are
81 Figure 5: The methodological framework of the thesis (the author).
shown. As previously mentioned, document analysis and semi-structured interviews have been used as the research methods in this thesis. The fifth part shows the
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nature and type of data used to feed the earlier mentioned four-stage conceptual framework. It shows that the phronetic planning policy component examines data on policy and investment analyses of the M2PP and the LRR-SL. This data is divided into national/federal, regional/provincial, and, local/metropolitan levels. These levels further rely on data from several sources such as cabinet papers, minutes of policy meetings and consultation documents. The second component, phronetic planning process, deals with stakeholder analyses in the two cases. In this regard, the data is retrieved from formal legislations, rules and regulations, and, the role of different stakeholders ascertained from semi-structured interviews. This dimension is further explored by incorporating data on informal practices on the role of stakeholders such as norms, customs and values. The third component, phronetic planning pragmatism, determines the dubious planning practices by questioning the claims of economic growth through discourse and content analyses. The data in this part is fed by the economic, social, environmental and ethical issues under the earlier mentioned two components. In addition, this dimension is further fed by data from media reports, complaint reports and the feedback on such reports. These three components collectively lead to findings of the thesis which then culminates at the discussion part followed by conclusion. The fourth component is phronetic planning way-forward which aims to provide better practices to be followed in transport planning by curbing the dubious practices investigated under the third component. It is shown by thick dotted line directly joining the findings stage. Four other dotted lines, connected with the secondary research questions, have also been shown indicating how the four secondary research questions are fed by their corresponding data.
From Chapter 2, it may be noted that quantitatively fixed approaches, such as BCR, constitute the main criteria behind justifying roads investment. This suggests that such approaches mark one of the taken-for-granted truths (Flyvbjerg, 2004, p. 284) in the contexts of roads investment in the two countries. The research questions of the thesis require that the assumptions of linking the M2PP and the LRR-SL investments with economic growth be critically analysed rather than being taken-
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for-granted. This suggests that the link between roads investment and economic growth in New Zealand and Pakistan may be hypothesised to be a rational and progressive promise of planning that may lack an understanding of contextual challenges due to which it is hard to achieve economic growth from these projects.
4.3.
Qualitative case study research
Creswell (1998) views qualitative research as an intricate fabric consisting of many colours, various textures, minute threads and different blends of material. This is what the above phronetic objective aims to achieve by examining roads investment and economic growth. According to Creswell (ibid, pp. 13-15):
Qualitative research is an inquiry process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of inquiry that explore a social or human problem. The researcher builds a complex, holistic picture, analyses words, reports detailed views of informants, and conducts the study in a natural setting.
Similarly Moriarty (2011, p. 3) argues:
… qualitative methods ‘reach the parts that other [quantitative] methods can’t reach’ (Green & Thorogood, 2004) particularly in research looking at links between processes and outcomes (Shaw, 2003).
Moriarty (2011) presents five approaches to qualitative inquiry: grounded theory, case studies, conversation analysis, ethnography, and life history and narrative approaches. In practice these approaches can be combined together (ibid). PPR aims to generate narratives through studying cases and contexts (Flyvbjerg, 2004, 2006). It is observed that contextual knowledge acquired through the study of cases and contexts can be effectively generalised for other cases and contexts, which usually takes the form of propositions (Flyvbjerg, 2006, 2011; Spicker, 2011).
Some authors note that narratives, case studies, interviewing, discourse and grounded theory are inseparably interwoven with each other (Flyvbjerg, 2004, 2006; Fontes & O’Mahony, 2008; Fraser, 2004; Glaser, 1992; Hammersley, 2003). This suggests using qualitative techniques when applying phronēsis (Flyvbjerg, 2004). Creswell’s (1998, p. 27) underscores the importance of case study research as:
84 I believe that the best studies have a strong inquiry procedure, and this approach can be gained through engaging in field studies, by apprenticing with individuals with a strong tradition of inquiry focus, or by reading good examples.
Generally, ‘knowledge about strategies for efficient and defendable procedures for analyzing qualitative data is less common’ (Thomas, 2006). However, good examples can strengthen the qualitative inquiry processes (Flyvbjerg, 2006). There is a wide range of literature documenting the processes associated with qualitative data collection and analysis (see, for example, Quinn (2002, pp. 452-458)). However, Phronetic planning researchers are not required to strictly follow these processes because PPR is a ‘problem-driven approach’ and not a ‘method-driven approach’ (Flyvbjerg, 2004, p. 291). Despite this recommendation, methods and processes have significance in qualitative inquiries involving case studies (ibid). The methodological framework, as shown in Figure 5, is based on four thematic areas making PPR predominantly an inductive approach14. Furthermore, a qualitative case study research is typically inductive particularly in developing themes for content analysis (Quinn, 2002, p. 453). The same approach applies to the discourse analysis as well where themes are developed based on the analysis of discursive contents. Based on the inductive approach, the final findings or propositions are usually deductive in nature. This suggests that once themes are established, the final confirmatory stage is usually deductive in affirming the authenticity and appropriateness of the inductive content (ibid, p. 454), making a PPR inquiry a combination of both inductive and deductive approaches.
Both the M2PP and the LRR-SL are distinct cases in two different contexts making it a cross-case analysis for comparing their respective policy approaches, planning processes and their discourses in support of the arguments for economic growth. The thesis primarily investigates how the arguments for economic growth are advanced to promote new road projects in two different countries. The primary objective of the M2PP and the LRR-SL cases is, therefore, bi-directional: first, the topic is well explored, and second, the essence of the phenomenon is revealed
14 Inductive approach is based on patterns, themes and categories in data while a deductive
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(Stake, 1995; Yin, 2009). Following this approach, the purpose is to answer how and why questions (Yin, 2009) in the M2PP and the LRR-SL policy and planning processes by focusing on three main dimensions: investigating the behaviour of stakeholders, context-dependent relevance of the phenomenon of economic growth, and, demarcation between the actual context and prevailing planning practices in the two cases.
These three dimensions are adapted from Yin’s (2009) four principles in considering case study research for the M2PP and the LRR-SL. One of Flyvbjerg’s (2004) methodological guidelines also suggests developing cases and contexts as he views rationality and power as context-dependent and constructed concepts. This suggests that the next step is to explore what type of case study is best suited for two different countries and contexts where the same theoretical and methodological framework is to be applied with a view to exploring a common phenomenon [economic growth] (Mitchell, 1983). Stake (1995) classifies case studies into three types: intrinsic case study, instrumental case study, and collective case study. The term ‘type’ (of case studies) is referred to as the context of the case by Creswell (1998) who classifies them in the same categories as Stake (1995). Yin (2009), however, discusses the case study types in more detail. He first presents three main types of case studies (explanatory, exploratory, and descriptive) and, then, draws a distinction among single, holistic, and multiple case studies. The selection of a particular type of case study depends on the overall objective of the research design and the study purpose (Yin, 2009). There are different objectives of a case study which demarcate their classification as well: some aim at describing a case, some case studies explore a case, and others compare a case (Baxter & Jack, 2008). The PPR approach explores all three dimensions in the M2PP and the LRR-SL cases with greater focus on comparative aspects of the dual case study involving the M2PP and the LRR-SL cases. This thesis aims to examine those phronetic aspects which may accelerate or hinder economic growth by building roads in multiple contexts of New Zealand and Pakistan. This suggests that the research involves
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multiple issues and multiple bounded systems defining a definitive boundary of the case in terms of rationality-power issues with regard to roads decision-making.