International Mobility and Trade Corridor (IMTC) as a model for

Cross-Border Regional Development: a Delphi Study

John Belec*,Patrick Buckley***University of the Fraser Valley, **Western Washington University

Presented at Presented at the Border Policy Research Institute Fall Colloquium Series,

Western Washington University, October 14, 2010.

Outline1. Three Overlapping themes2. Social Capital Theory3. CBR Defined & Knowing There is no

single design nor strategy for actualizing a CBR

4. IMTC – what is it?5. Round 1 Delphi Study – how well

does it work? 6. Conclusions

1. Three Overlapping Themes

1. Changing issues of Geographic Site and Situation

1. Situation: Globalization has effected flows and supply chains

2. Site: End of Cold War era has resulted in more local control over local issues – economic, environmental…

2. Social Capital Theory3. Cross Border Theory and Networking

1. Social Capital – Value in Networks/Networking

http://leadingchangeinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Peoplematrix.jpg

Social Capital – Definition 1

“Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions…Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society – it is the glue that holds them together” (The World Bank, 1999).

Social Capital

• No single definition, no direct form of measurement

• Better understood through examples of outcomes– Ethnic immigrant groups– International networks of Mega-cities– Workplace/business relationships– Environmental alliances

Social Capital – Definition 2

In their study on social capital of cities use the following definition, social capital “…is a popular way of talking about how social relations within a community can affect a community’s ability to engage residents and mobilize resources.”

Blanco and Campbell, 2006, 170

Methods of Building Social Capital• Bonding -- generated by exclusive connections

within a homogenous group in a community (ex. Ethnic Group)

• Bridging generated by inclusive connections between heterogeneous groups in the same community. (Environmental, Business, Political Action Groups)

• Linking reaches out to members outside of the community (international exchanges), which enables a leveraging of resources and ideas

Social Capital Accumulation

• Grootaert and van Bastelaer (2002) focus on social capital as an asset that can be accumulated to create a flow of positive benefits to further community development,

Resulting – Benefit Streams

Benefit streams -- ways in which social capital can assist development and sustainability. (1) greater accessibility to new information and

knowledge; (2) facilitating community decision making and

implementation; (3)while reducing free-riding and individual

opportunism.

Grootaert and van Bastelaer (2002)

Summary

• Social Capital is network building across boundaries that creates benefits

2.1Defining a CBR

The world has entered the era of Cross Border Regions [CBRs]

1. CBR a new way of understanding and exploring cross border management 1. The era of the Cross Border Region [CBR] has arrived, where the CBR is defined to be …" a territorial unit that comprises contiguous sub-national units…" [Perkmann and Sum, 2002,3].

New Natural Unit

2. The national scale as the "natural" unit for planning, policy and decision making has changed– National Level unable or unwilling to address all local issues – local needs to

step in

3. The supra national organization and the CBR at opposite ends of the spectrum have begun to supplement and also compliment the national scale [Leresche and Saez, 2002]. – Economic, political, social, and environmental relations are no longer

controlled solely at the national scale

Era of Multiple Scales

4…"relativization of scale" [Jessop, 2002, 25].– a proliferation of scales has emerged causing governance to migrate

to the scale most appropriate to the issues.

Result: "multilevel governance and problem solving".

• new rubric the old national scale is not simply replaced or usurped by a new scale but instead coexists with a variety of new scales

• In a similar fashion, the new functional logic augments the affiliation logic in issues that can be "multiterritorial, multisectoral, and multi-institutional".

2.2 There is no single design nor strategy for

actualizing a CBR• “Transnational regionalism … is characterized

by a great variety of institutional designs and strategies.” …

Three key thoughts for developing North American CBRs

1. Parallelism instead of Political Union (Brunet-Jailly. 2008)

• Sovereign borders maintained

2. Evolution from topocratic government to adhocratic governance (Laresche & Saiz, 2003)

• From era of government to governance• Synaptic Networks as key contributor

3. Independent local secretariat serves as vital role in maintaining communication potential (Perkman, 2002)

Cognitive Construct

• “…from a constructivist perspective, cross-border regionalism can be seen as a cognitive construct that is shaped by – regional self-awareness (for example, in relation

to shared problems), – material incentives (from change activity)– overlying discourses of interdependence and

integration…” (Scott, 1999, p. 607)

Results• There is “a myriad of systems operating at various spatial levels…” (Scott,

1999, p. 606)– emergence of multiple, episodic, and ad hoc cooperation and coordination

networks across borders that facilitate local governance– Synapsis

• synapsis, a borrowed biological term defined as …"'very fine communication between neighboring cells through small networks in a membrane' or ' a point of contact between two neurons'" [Dictionary Robert, reported in Leresche and Saez, 2002, 88]

– Over time results in broadening and thickening of a relationships -- emergence of CBR governance

– Hibernation of relationships for resolved issues – No new bureaucracy but need for enabling secretariats to maintain

the forum– Never replaces sovereign states but augments them and

encourages parallel activity

Results• There is “a myriad of systems operating at various spatial levels…”

(Scott, 1999, p. 606)– emergence of multiple, episodic, and ad hoc cooperation and

coordination networks across borders that facilitate local governance– Synapsis is key to their realization

• synapsis, a borrowed biological term defined as …"'very fine communication between neighboring cells through small networks in a membrane' or ' a point of contact between two neurons'" [Dictionary Robert, reported in Leresche and Saez, 2002, 88]

– Over time results in broadening and thickening of a relationships -- emergence of CBR governance

– No new bureaucracy but need for enabling secretariats to maintain the forum

– Never replaces sovereign states but augments them and encourages parallel activity

3. IMTC: micro level example of a CBR in action?

IMTC participants identify and promote improvements to the transportation and inspection systems of the Cascade Gateway with the goal of increasing cross-border mobility, safety, and security.

The International Mobility & Trade Corridor Project

IMTC

IMTC focuses on the Cascade Gateway region which is composed of four border crossings:

-Peace Arch

-Pacific Highway

-Aldergrove/Lynden

-Abbotsford/Sumas

IMTC

IMTC is a binational, public-private planning coalition led by Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG)

COMPOSITION OF IMTC

General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

Core GroupCore Group

SteeringSteeringCommitteeCommittee

-Transportation

-Private Sector

-At-border Municipalities

-Non-governmental

-Inspection and Enforcement

-Other Governmental

Secretariat

• Secretariat role of Whatcom COG (Council of Governments)– meets daily

• Steering Committee – ~30 agencies– meets monthly– makes suggestions to the Core Group

General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

Core GroupCore Group

SteeringSteeringCommitteeCommittee

• Core Group - ~ 60 agencies and organizations - meets quarterly - decision-making body of IMTC

• General Assembly - ~200 mostly private-sector participants, stakeholders -- businesses, organizations, and agencies that depend on an efficient, productive, and safe cross-border system-meets annually- provide feedback and gain information on evolving border policies and operations

General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

Core GroupCore Group

SteeringSteeringCommitteeCommittee

Level of Project Funding Generated

-Both sides of the border

-Federal

-State/Provincial

-Local & otherFunding by Source (1999-2009)

Sample of Transpotation Projects IMTC has initiated

1999 – Peace Arch North Bound (NB). Extend NEXUS lane2002 – Sumas South Bound (SB). Built two truck lanes and staging area2003 – Peace Arch and Pacific Highway NB & SB. Install ATIS (Advanced

Traveller Information Systems)2004 – Cascade Gateway NB & SB. ITS (Intelligent Transportation System)

data archive Pacific Highway SB. Install ITS/CVO (Commercial Vehicle Operations) enhancements

2005 – Pacific Highway SB. Construct NEXUS lanePacific Highway SB. Rebuilt 8th Ave/Highway 15 intersection

2006 – Sumas SB. Install 2nd truck booth2007 – Peace Arch SB. Rebuild 8th Ave/ Highway 99 intersection2008 – Cascade Gateway NB. Install ATIS wait-time equipment

Pacific Highway NB. Rebuild SR-543 with FAST lanePeach Arch SB. Begin new port facility (to open late 2010)

Environmental Project: Greening the Border

• Problem: Excess Green House Gas emissions (GHG) from border congestion at Peace Arch Border Crossing

Greening the Border continued…

• Solution: -Implement Traffic Signal -Signal holds traffic allowing them to shut off engine-Save GHG emissions and fuel with the same wait time

Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS)

• Problem – Congestion and unknown wait times, SB and NB

• Solution – WA state build reader board and loops (ATIS) for NB

Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) continued….

• Additional Problem – ATIS not built for SB traffic

• IMTC Solution – Develop a similar system SB, by funding from U.S. and Canada

Transportation Border Congestion Relief (TBCR)

• Problem: Border Crossing times – congestion for trucking

• Federal Solution: FAST Lane – based on Detroit –Windsor & auto industry – preclearance protocol

Transportation Border Congestion Relief (TBCR) continued…

• Local Problem – under utilized, $50mill invest use 1% or less

• Local solution – current suggestion– “Peer Exchange” regarding FAST Lane utilization– Local solution not federal

Summary

• Social Capital Building – Bridging & Linking• Governance not government• Problem Solving

– Local– Ad hoc– Episodic

• Movement towards parallelism not integration• Synapsis critical mechanism• Need for a secretariat – WCOG for IMTC

IMTC

1. Deals with local problems in an ad hoc and episodic fashion

2. Has a flexible scale institutionally & geographically

3. Encourages parallelism4. Serves as a secretariat creating an

environment conducive to sysnapsis

Study BackgroundIMTC Core Universe:55 organizations listing 95 representatives

Responses:21 for 22% response rate

Nationality10 Americans10 Canadians1 Dual National

Organization Type2 Private Sector17 Public Sector 3 Other (Academic)

Study Background…Years of ExperienceBimodal distribution with largest group 1 – 4 years, second largest 10 or more years

Note – there was no question identifying possible transfers or terms of appointment as a representative.

Role of IMTC

2.1. From your perspective what is the role of the IMTC ?

Sounds a lot like Networking

Responses were collated as follows:1.Planning – The IMTC is a cross-

border planning organization that brings together various groups, including government, transportation, enforcement and NGOs, to promote trade in the Pacific Northwest corridor.

2.Economic growth – The IMTC exists to promote economic growth in the cross-border regions by searching for a balance between security and trade.

3.Forum – for information exchange, dialogue and analysis.

2.2 Rate of Success of IMTCGenerally, respondents rated the IMTC positively, with a modal score of 4 on a 5 point ordinal scale.

Examples of IMTC Success

1.Advance Transfer Information System and related integrated bi-national delay-detection technology.2.Infrastructure upgrades at Lynden, Pacific Highway and Peace Arch ports.3.Relationship building between member organizations. 4.Greening the border e.g., requesting drivers turn off their engines while waiting to cross the border.5.Educating the public about border security measures.6.Bringing NEXUS and FAST to life (successors to CANPASS and PACE).

Examples of IMTC Success

7. Border circulation study of cross-border travel patterns.8. Preparation for travelers going to and from the 2010

Olympics, including an additional passenger train between Vancouver and Seattle.

9. Development of the Enhanced Driver License.10. Increased border staffing.11. Development of an incident-response communications

protocol for managing border closures between operational agencies of both countries.

12. Truck staging and pre-screening areas.

SECTION 3: Communication and Collaboration in the IMTC

3.1 Formal Meetings are heavily favored

3. 2 IMTC activity has lead to substantial improvement of communication amongst agencies

SECTION 3: Communication and Collaboration…

3.3 Informal contact is an additional form of communication but doesn’t replace formal meetings

3.4 The IMTC has improved collaboration between my organization/ agency and:Public Organizations: There is improved collaboration between the respondents organization and Public Organizations both inside the respondents country and across the border

In Country

Across Border

3.4 The IMTC has improved collaboration between own organization and …Private Organizations: Collaboration between the respondents organization and Private Organizations both inside the respondents country and across the border doesn’t appear much changed.

In Country

Across Border

3.5 Participating before in the IMTCThe level of cross border communication before IMTC participation was not high.

Summary

• Formal meetings are quite valuable• IMTC participation has tended to improve

public sector communication both within country and across the border

• Private Sector communication has not equally benefited

• Prior to IMTC participation cross-border communication was not high

Obstacles/Challenges

Institutional Sustainability1. Meeting exhaustion 2. Turnover of personnel at

constituent agencies.3. Changes in

federal/state/provincial laws that undermine the IMTC’s capacity.

Funding and Support1. Sustainable funding for the IMTC.2. Loss of funding to Whatcom

Council of Governments to provide necessary support

3. More commitment and support from Washington State and British Columbia provincial governments.

Respondents identify obstacles faced by the IMTC. These can be broken into three broad categories:1.Institutional Sustainability2.Funding and Support3.Common Focus and Symmetry

Obstacles/Challenges Common Focus and Symmetry

1. The attempt by some groups to capitalize on, or even take credit for IMTC successes.

2. Occasional pressure from certain groups to push the IMTC to take an advocacy position.

3. Security concerns on the U.S. side of the border are often too high.

Respondents identify obstacles faced by the IMTC. These can be broken into three broad categories:1.Institutional Sustainability2.Funding and Support3.Common Focus and Symmetry

Summary

As a voluntary, ad hoc organization:• there is always the potential for either

broadening & thickening of ties or withering & dying or outright replacement

• Funding and support continually must be addressed

• Symmetry of purpose across borders both political and organizational is always an issue

Future Role of IMTC5.1 – Increasing Role of IMTC5.2 – Voluntary nature is not a limitation of IMTC

Future role…

5.3 -- Support is limited for a more formalized institutional relationship

Three Overlapping Themes

1. Our border has changed and one size doesn’t fit all

2. Social Capital seems to be a good way to explore changes on our border

3. The IMTC seems to demonstrate micro-level CBR activity

Conclusions

• The IMTC is building cross border Social Capital

• It has the hallmarks of creating a CBR within at least the public sector membership– Solving local problems locally, ad hoc, and

episodic• However it favors parallelism not cross border

institutions