The Cohesion Policy of the European Union as a driver of hybridity and projectification

In this chapter, we study how a specific public policy, the Cohesion Policy of the European Union, impacts hybridisation through its project-based implementation. Our study is based on a mixed-methods design. As our analytical framework, we apply the Multiple Governance Framework (MGF) developed by Hill and Hupe. We first delve into the constitutive governance of Cohesion Policy as a driver of hybridisation. Moving to the operational governance of the policy, we then investigate the actors present in Cohesion Policy projects, the beneficiaries of these projects, the value created in them, as well as the hybridity-related tensions present. Our study shows that Cohesion Policy is a central driver of hybridity, combining primarily public funding with various implementers and beneficiaries at the local level. While this leads to new forms of hybrid organisations and a joint culture for the project actors, it also causes tensions emanating from the actors’ backgrounds.