I am a political scientist working in an interdisciplinary research environment on issues of environmental governance, water resource management and public participation. I studied at the University of Trier (DE) and Lund University (SE), hold a Magister Artium degree in Political Science (with a minor in Sociology and Media and Communication Studies) and a PhD in Political Science from Leuphana University (DE). I have been a visiting fellow at the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver (USA), and at the the eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH).

As a postdoctoral researcher in the project Leverage Points and team member of the research group on Governance, Participation, and Sustainable Development, my work focuses on the societal and spatial organization and institutional change in sustainability policies. I am particularly interested in the ways in which political institutions deal with complex, interlinked environmental problems, as well as the role of policy failure and decline in fostering institutional change.

In the context of the ERC-funded research project EDGE, I am concerned with the opportunities and pitfalls associated with participatory and collaborative environmental governance. This is examined via mixed-methods design, comprising a comprehensive large-N case survey meta analysis, as well as small-n comparative and quasi-experimental case studies in the contexts of the EC Water Framework Directive and the EU Floods Directive.

I am interested in the multi-level nature of environmental governance, involving multiple concurring environmental and social scales. As member of GoScaLE, I examine the role that governance scales play in the (participatory) implementation of (environmental) regulatory policies in complex and nested multi-level systems. A particular focus of my work lies on those situations where environmental resources span over state or national boundaries.

Beyond my thematic focus, I have a strong interest in social science research methods, both qualitative and qualitative, as well as mixtures of these. Methods I use include, among others, (case survey) meta-analyses, statistical modeling, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), network analyses, expert interviews and experimental approaches.

For more information and updates on my research:

• Follow me on Research Gate and Google Scholar
• Visit my Leuphana Website

Publications

2022

Derwort, P., Jager, N. and Newig, J. (2022). How to Explain Major Policy Change Towards Sustainability? Bringing Together the Multiple Streams Framework and the Multilevel Perspective on Socio-Technical Transitions to Explore the German “Energiewende”. Policy Stud J, 50: 671-699.

Jager, N. W., Newig, J., Challies, E., Kochskämper, E., & von Wehrden, H. (2022). Case study meta-analysis in the social sciences. Insights on data quality and reliability from a large-N case survey. Research Synthesis Methods, 13(1), 12-27 [free open access content].

2021

Jager, N. W., Newig, J., Challies, E., & Kochskämper, E. (2021). Corrigendum to: Pathways to Implementation: Evidence on How Participation in Environmental Governance Impacts on Environmental Outcomes. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 31(3), 616 [free open access content].

Derwort, P., Jager, N., & Newig, J. (2021 – in press). How to Explain Major Policy Change Towards Sustainability? Bringing Together the Multiple Streams Framework and the Multilevel Perspective on Socio-Technical Transitions to Explore the German “Energiewende”. Policy Studies Journal, 1-29 [free open access content].

Velten, S., Jager, N. W., & Newig, J. (2021). Success of collaboration for sustainable agriculture: a case study meta-analysis. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23, 14619-14641.
(free open access content).

Gollata, J. A. M., Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., & Newig, J. (2021). Participation in multi-level policy implementation: exploring the influence of governance culture. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 64(14), 2593-2617.

2020

Jager, N. W., Newig, J., Challies, E., & Kochskämper, E. (2020). Pathways to Implementation: Evidence on How Participation in Environmental Governance Impacts on Environmental Outcomes. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 30(3), 383-399 [Free Open Access Content.

Ulibarri, N., Emerson, K., Imperial, M. T., Jager, N. W., Newig, J., & Weber, E. (2020). How does collaborative governance evolve? Insights from a medium-n case comparison. Policy and Society, 39(4), 617-637 [free open access content].

2019

Newig, J., Challies, E., & Jager, N. W. (2019). Democratic innovation and environmental governance. In S. Elstub & O. Escobar (Eds.), Handbook of Democratic Innovation and Governance (pp. 324-338). Cheltenham, UK & Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Newig, J., Jager, N. W., Kochskämper, E., & Challies, E. (2019). Learning in participatory environmental governance – its antecedents and effects. Findings from a case survey meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 21(3), 213-227 [Free Open Access Content].

Derwort, P., Jager, N., & Newig, J. (2019). Towards productive functions? A systematic review of institutional failure, its causes and consequences. Policy Sciences, 52(2), 281–298.

Koontz, T. M., Jager, N. W., & Newig, J. (2019 – in press). Assessing Collaborative Conservation: A Case Survey of Output, Outcome, and Impact Measures Used in the Empirical Literature. Society & Natural Resources, 1-20.

Newig, J., Derwort, P., & Jager, N. W. (2019). Sustainability through institutional failure and decline? Archetypes of productive pathways. Ecology and Society, 24(1), 18 [Free Open Access Content].

2018

Newig, J., Challies, E., Jager, N. W., Kochskämper, E., & Adzersen, A. (2018). The Environmental Performance of Participatory and Collaborative Governance: A Framework of Causal Mechanisms. Policy Studies Journal, 46(2), 269-297 [Free Open Access Content].

Lührs, N., Jager, N. W., Challies, E., & Newig, J. (2018). How Participatory Should Environmental Governance Be? Testing the Applicability of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model in Public Environmental Decision-Making. Environmental Management, 61(2), 249-262.

Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W., & Newig, J. (2018). Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation. Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

Newig, J., Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., & Jager, N. W. (2018). Researching participation in environmental governance through the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. In E. Kochskämper, E. Challies, N. W. Jager, & J. Newig (Eds.), Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation (pp. 3-10). Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

Newig, J., Challies, E., Jager, N. W., & Kochskämper, E. (2018). Concepts: How participation leads to effective environmental governance. In E. Kochskämper, E. Challies, N. W. Jager, & J. Newig (Eds.), Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation (pp. 11-27). Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

Jager, N. W., Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., & Newig, J. (2018). Paired case research design and mixed-methods approach. In E. Kochskämper, E. Challies, N. W. Jager, & J. Newig (Eds.), Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation (pp. 28-36). Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., Newig, J., & Challies, E. (2018). Impact of participation on sustainable water management planning: Comparative analysis of eight cases. In E. Kochskämper, E. Challies, N. W. Jager, & J. Newig (Eds.), Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation (pp. 117-148). Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., Newig, J., & Challies, E. (2018). Participation and Effective Environmental Governance: Causal mechanisms, and beyond. In E. Kochskämper, E. Challies, N. W. Jager, & J. Newig (Eds.), Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation (pp. 149-159). Oxon [u.a.]: Routledge.

2017

Challies, E., Newig, J., Kochskämper, E., & Jager, N. W. (2017). Governance change and governance learning in Europe: stakeholder participation in environmental policy implementation. Policy and Society, 36(2), 288-303 [Free Open Access Content].

Abson, D. J., Fischer, J., Leventon, J., Newig, J., Schomerus, T., Vilsmaier, U., von Wehrden, H., Abernethy, P., Ives, C. D., Jager, N. W. & Lang, D. J. (2017). Leverage points for sustainability transformation. Ambio, 46(1), 30-39.

2016

Newig, J., Schulz, D., & Jager, N. (2016). Disentangling Puzzles of Spatial Scales and Participation in Environmental Governance – The Case of Governance Re-scaling Through the European Water Framework Directive. Environmental Management, 58(6), 998-1014. [Free Open Access Content]

Jager, N.W. (2016). Transboundary Cooperation in European Water Governance – A set-theoretic analysis of International River Basins. Environmental Policy and Governance, 26, 278–291.

Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Newig, J., & Jager, N. W. (2016). Participation for effective environmental governance? Evidence from Water Framework Directive implementation in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Journal of Environmental Management, 181, 737-748.

Abson, D. J., Fischer, J., Leventon, J., Newig, J., Schomerus, T., Vilsmaier, U., von Wehrden, H., Abernethy, P., Ives, C. D., Jager, N. W., & Lang, D. J. (2016). Leverage points for sustainability transformation. Ambio [Free Open Access Content].

Jager, N. W., Challies, E., Kochskämper, E., Newig, J., Benson, D. Blackstock, K., Collins, K., Ernst, A., Evers, M., Feichtinger, J., Fritsch, O., Gooch, G., Grund, W., Hedelin, B., Hernández-Mora, N., Hüesker, F., Huitema, D., Irvine, K., Klinke, A., Lange, L., Loupsans, D., Lubell, M., Maganda, C., Matczak, P., Parés, M., Saarikoski, H., Slavíková, L., van der Arend, S., & von Korff, Y. (2016). Transforming European Water Governance? Participation and River Basin Management under the EU Water Framework Directive in 13 Member States. Water, 8(156).

Newig, J., & Jager, N. W. (2016). Partizipation und Nachhaltigkeit. Chancen und Risiken zivilgesellschaftlicher Beteiligung. Rostock, Universität Rostock.

Newig, J., Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., & Jager, N. W. (2016). Exploring governance learning: How policymakers draw on evidence, experience and intuition in designing participatory flood risk planning. Environmental Science & Policy, 55, 353-360 [Free Open Access Content].

2015

Velten, S., Leventon, J., Jager, N., & Newig, J. (2015). What Is Sustainable Agriculture? A Systematic Review. Sustainability 7, 7833–7865 [Free Open Access Content].

2014

Newig, J., Challies, E., Jager, N. W., & Kochskämper, E. (2014). What Role for Public Participation in Implementing the EU Floods Directive? A comparison with the Water Framework Directive, early evidence from Germany, and a research agenda. Environmental Policy and Governance, 24(4), 275–288.

Newig, J., Challies, E., Jager, N. W., & Kochskämper, E. (2014). Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung und EU Hochwasserrisikomanagement-Richtlinie. Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung, 58(6), 339-340.

2013

Newig, J., Adzersen, A., Challies, E., Fritsch, O., & Jager, N. W. (2013). Comparative analysis of public environmental decision-making processes: A variable-based analytical scheme. 65 S. (INFU Discussion Paper; Nr. 37). Lüneburg: Institut für Umweltkommunikation der Universität Lüneburg.

2012

Newig, J., Jager, N. W., & Challies, E. (2012). Führt Bürgerbeteiligung in umweltpolitischen Entscheidungsprozessen zu mehr Effektivität und Legitimität?. Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 22(4), 527-564.