DOI: 10.5061/dryad.g1jwstqwp
title: ASEAN as network governance: an alternative lens to evaluate policymaking and performance

description: Background: This article offers a new perspective of ASEAN as network
 governance (NG) at its core, with a hierarchical organisational structure
 as its front (hybrid organisation). The works on network forms of
 organisation and policy network theory (PNT) were used for the analysis.
 Methods: Two case studies from the ASEAN Community were selected to show
 the applicability and effectiveness of NG. They were selected for their
 prominence and the prevalence of critical comments on their
 ineffectiveness in promoting ASEAN’s integration. A study on how these
 policies are made and implemented in ASEAN was evaluated using a
 qualitative research methodology by analysing existing literature.
 Results: The findings show ASEAN as a hybrid structure that has helped in
 two ways critical to ASEAN's survival and relevance. First, the
 approach provides legitimacy for ASEAN in the international community by
 purposefully adopting structures similar to the EU without the
 supranational elements. Second, it highlights ASEAN’s goal of asserting
 its centrality. While adopting a hybrid structure has led to the soft
 institutionalisation of ASEAN, characterised by a less empowered
 secretariat, whose member states are the decision-makers and implementors
 of policies, adopting NG better reflects the underpinnings allowing a more
 nuanced assessment of its performance. In addition, it opens a pathway to
 recognising the states’ autonomy where the extent of actors’ will and
 interests leads to decision-making and defines ASEAN’s performance.
 Conclusions: This article demonstrates ASEAN’s goal to pursue ASEAN
 centrality in regional cooperation and institutional arrangements through
 the alternative approach of NG. NG allows for a nuanced assessment of
 ASEAN’s performance by first highlighting ASEAN’s context and history and
 emphasising the role of member states as decision-makers and implementers
 of policies. The NG framework has contributed to ASEAN’s legitimacy and
 centrality, fostering regional integration despite its inherent
 limitations.
description: A qualitative content analysis
 and case
 studies related to the
 significance of NG and policy networks in ASEAN were
 undertaken. Through
 qualitative content analysis, relevant information was systematically
 analysed to identify patterns and themes. The case studies provided
 specific examples that shed light on the dynamics of policy networks,
 member states’ motivations, and the role of ASEAN’s centrality in
 policymaking. Combining these methods, the study aimed to understand the
 relevance and
 application of NG and policy networks within ASEAN.
 <strong>Content
 analysis</strong> The primary data used for the content analysis
 was ASEAN reports, documents, and research articles, besides analysis of
 studies and research papers on NG, policy networks, and ASEAN processes.
 They provided an understanding of the policy process phases and their
 varying degrees of success in the individual ASEAN
 communities. This
 study's search strategy for documents and sources involved a
 comprehensive approach. A systematic literature review was conducted using
 online academic databases such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate,
 Academia.edu, and ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN member states
 websites. The search terms included keywords related to
 ASEAN, network governance, hybrid organisations, policy network theory,
 and related concepts. The search was conducted between June 2019
 to March 2021, covering a wide range of scholarly articles, books,
 reports, and policy
 documents as part of the author’s doctoral research. The author conducted
 further searches between January to June 2023 in developing this
 article. Data collation involved a two-step process.
 First, relevant literature was gathered through the systematic literature
 review. The selected documents were then subjected to content analysis to
 identify key themes and concepts related to ASEAN’s
 network governance, resource dependence theory and organisational
 structure. The variables
 included in the analysis focused on understanding the structure,
 functioning, and effectiveness of ASEAN as a hybrid organisation with
 network governance at its core. These variables encompassed aspects such
 as organisational legitimacy, decision-making processes, policy
 implementation, and the role of member states in shaping ASEAN’s
 performance. The methods of analysis employed in this study
 were qualitative. Content analysis was used to examine the gathered
 literature and identify recurring themes, patterns, and theoretical
 frameworks related to network governance and hybrid organisations. The
 findings from the literature analysis were synthesised and interpreted to
 provide a comprehensive understanding of ASEAN’s hybrid structure and its
 implications for the organisation’s legitimacy and pursuit of
 centrality. <strong>Case
 studies</strong> Two case studies, one from AEC and another from APSC covering two policy
 networks each, were
 utilised to study the presence and workings of NG in ASEAN alongside the
 resource dependence among member states that impacted
 policymaking.  The selection of AFTA as a case
 study within the ASEAN Economic Policy Subsystem (AEPS) is a
 deliberate choice, as the AFTA was established before the AEC itself.
 Moreover, with its long
 and substantive history, AFTA is a significant policy network to examine
 the performance of AEPS. Its significance is pertinent because AFTA’s
 framework-agreement approach was used to launch negotiations for the
 AEC and establish other
 regional free trade arrangements. Besides, the ASEAN Single Window (ASW),
 a core component of AFTA, was selected as it is a relevant micro case
 study on the operations of NG in AFTA, where custom cooperation and trade
 facilitation are forged across the region. Likewise, the ARF was
 identified as a case study since it is recognised as a venue for
 multilateral and bilateral dialogue and consultations and the
 establishment of effective principles for dialogue and cooperation, where
 a myriad of political and security issues is discussed. On the other hand,
 the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) policy
 network was chosen as a contrast to ARF, where the focus on
 non-traditional security has often relied on the partnerships and
 cooperation of non-state actors (NSAs), which points to some acceptance of
 them in the APSS and at the discretion of member states. Figure 1 depicts
 the policy universe of the ASEAN Community with the two communities (AEC
 and APSC) and the policy networks (AFTA, ASW, ARF and
 AMMTC).