Collaborative governance arrangements involving a diversity of groups (e.g., governments, civil society, industry) are increasingly being used to make decisions or give advice to decision‐makers on water issues. Legitimacy is a critical factor for the effectiveness, efficiency, stability, and popular approval of collaborative efforts. However, as a concept, legitimacy remains contested with various meanings, theoretical backgrounds, and source norms. Clarity is particularly needed around the changing sources of legitimacy as collaborative efforts mature. Drawing on case‐study research of five collaborations in British Columbia, Canada, we present a framework of legitimacy sources as collaborations evolve. Legitimacy during the establishment of a collaboration depends principally on community readiness to collaborate, a sense of need, and the perceived potential for goal achievement. As a collaboration continues to grow, its legitimacy forms mainly from normative processes—the perceived quality of factors such as accountability, transparency, consensus‐building, and representation of relevant discourses. Once a collaboration reaches maturity and faces questions of its future existence, legitimacy is largely result‐based—tangible and contextually meaningful outcomes must be easily identifiable and promoted. Increased understanding of the dynamics of legitimacy can help collaborative efforts strategically plan and work toward their goals as they evolve.

中文翻译：

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协作水治理整个生命周期的合法性评估

涉及各种团体（例如，政府，公民社会，行业）的协作性治理安排越来越多地用于决策或就水资源问题向决策者提供建议。合法性是协同工作的有效性，效率，稳定性和公众认可的关键因素。但是，作为一个概念，合法性仍然受到各种含义，理论背景和来源规范的质疑。随着协作努力的成熟，尤其需要围绕合法性不断变化的来源进行澄清。根据加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的五项合作的案例研究，我们提出了随着合作发展合法性来源的框架。建立合作关系时的合法性主要取决于社区是否愿意合作，是否有需要，以及实现目标的潜力。随着协作的不断发展，其合法性主要来自规范流程，即问责制，透明性，建立共识和相关话语表示等因素的感知质量。一旦合作达到成熟并面对其未来存在的问题，合法性就将以结果为基础，必须容易地识别和推广具有实际意义和相关意义的结果。对合法性动态的更多了解可以帮助协作努力从战略上规划和朝着目标发展。和相关话语的表示。一旦合作达到成熟并面对其未来存在的问题，合法性就将以结果为基础，必须容易地识别和推广具有实际意义和相关意义的结果。对合法性动态的更多了解可以帮助协作努力从战略上规划和朝着目标发展。和相关话语的表示。一旦合作达到成熟并面对其未来存在的问题，合法性就将以结果为基础，必须容易地识别和推广具有实际意义和相关意义的结果。对合法性动态的更多了解可以帮助协作努力从战略上规划和朝着目标发展。