DOMINANT FACTORS IN THE POLICY PROCESS INVOLVED IN WATER POLICY CHANGE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TIMING OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE

Abstract

 With the declining population, the sustainable operation of Japan’s water supply has become an issue, however policy changes are not easy. This study structures the water concession policy process in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, based on Kingdon’s “Policy Window Model”, and compares it with a sewerage concession implemented in the same city. It was identified that dominant factors include (1) the political nature of water services, which are susceptible to political influence, and (2) differences in problem recognitions amoung actors involved in the policy process, and (3) the political situation peculiar to the policy implementing body. In order for consensus building on policy change in water supply, this study suggests the usefulness of public participation in the problem-setting (agenda-setting) stage to share the problem definition among policy actors and citizens in the sustainable management of water supply, before the policy becomes a political issue.