Facilitating bricolage through more organic institutional designs? The case of water users’ associations in rural Nepal

This study scrutinizes the institutional realities of water project implementation
in remote, rural Nepal. It demonstrates that both sound institutional
design and local bricolage capabilities are required for sustainable operation and
maintenance of local institutions in the challenging operational environment.
Institutional bricolage processes are best facilitated through providing locally
legitimate, inspiring spaces to local agencies for continued learning, adaptation,
and innovation. However, the apparent institutional designs do not explicitly
facilitate such bricolage processes. We therefore outline more organic institutional design that accounts for and addresses the interlaced institutional design and bricolage processes in development intervention contexts for advancing more sustainable natural resources management.