GP3, here we go.

Q1. What explains the proliferation of global public-private partnerships of the last decade?
Q2. How effective are global public-private partnerships at accomplishing their objectives?
Q3. What accountability mechanisms do global public-private partnerships provide?
I have these huge broad big questions. I think I am moving in a good direction, towards something with potential. Scary as it is, I have narrowed to one topic: GP3s it is.

Contender 2: local v. global, development projects.
do piecemeal or grand plan approaches work best? how does the interaction between the IOs/states and the effector arms, on the ground, work? is there a current trend toward the micro-tising of all development work? what is the proper role for the centralized global IOs in coordinating small local projects?

contestants

contestant 1: IP3
IP3s in global governance. empirically mapping the existence and frequency. typology - looking specifically at those where private actors are equal players at negotiating and planning table. multistakeholder arrangements. corporatism in IOs. this inquiry then could focus on either effectiveness or legitimacy, or both. under what conditions do IP3s work? are they a result of resource interdependency? this topic would run into issues of corporate responsibility, private v public governance and neoliberalism, state of the state, sovereignty etc etc.

do private for-profit organizations join in partnerships for a market-based reason, improving consumer image or to create stable markets etc, or because of the "shadow of hierarchy" threat of regulation, or because they have been somehow persuaded normatively? certainly some of all three, and predominantly the first two.

the begining.

this will be the journal of my process. a place to post goals and accomplishments, primarily for my own use. i do not expect to share this blog with the world, predominantly because i do not expect the world to care. but who knows, perhaps it will develop into its own. currently, i am hoping it will assist me in the process, in some yet unforseen way.

where i am now:
point zero. not even at point zero, im a couple miles ahead of the starting line.

next goal: (deadline: christmas)
a free write on topic areas. key question: what do i want to be an expert in? which topic sentence produces the greatest most prolific and interesting free write? what gets my fingers moving and has the most interesting potential?

next next goal: (deadline: January 9, 2007)
define a short list of specific research questions. elaborate a bit upon these questions and send to advisors for reflection.

ultimate goal at this point: (deadline, January 23, 2007)
define one question to start proposal.1, a dry run to be pursued in spring semester.