A new perspective on the work of boundary organisations: Bridging knowledge between marine conservation actors in Pacific Small Island Developing States

Abstract

In the face of growing pressures on the marine environment, evidence-based decision-making in the realm of marine conservation policies is of utmost importance. Through their boundary work, comprising the transfer of knowledge through the production of boundary objects and the facilitation of knowledge exchange, boundary organisations stand out as highly promising in bridging the gap between science and policymaking. However, so far, the research on knowledge exchange between marine scientists and policymakers as well as on boundary organisations in general is largely based on case studies in the Global North. This imbalance highlights the need to conduct studies on knowledge uptake in different geographical and political settings, with an increased focus on the Global South. By exploring the applicability of the current conceptual view on boundary organisations to the specific empirical reality of marine conservation in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), our research seeks to improve knowledge uptake in SIDS by identifying factors and strategies for successful boundary work in this context and to enrich the generic understanding of the role of boundary organisations with perspectives from the Global South. We conducted ten interviews with representatives from boundary organisations working on marine conservation in Pacific SIDS. Based on the findings, we developed a new framework for successful boundary work that is better adapted to realities in the Global South and reconceptualised the understanding of boundary work towards science-policy-community interfaces, emphasising that the gap between marine science and policymaking can only be bridged by engaging local communities and their knowledge.