Policy innovation in Barcelona and Utrecht: The role of advocacy coalitions in multilevel contexts

Abstract

This article explores how policy innovation in local social policies emerges within a multilevel governance context. Drawing on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), it examines how beliefs, coalitions, and institutional arrangements interact across different political arenas—European, national/regional, and local—to foster innovative social policy solutions. Empirically, the study compares two cases of policy innovation (inspired by basic income principles)—Barcelona and Utrecht. Methodologically, the analysis relies on 19 semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in the policy process, complemented by documentary analysis. Findings show that policy innovation results from the interplay between local agency and multilevel structural opportunities. The ACF proves to be a valuable theoretical lens for explaining how ideas and coalitions gain traction across governance levels. Moreover, it concludes that local innovation depends not only on the role of policy entrepreneurs but also on the enabling conditions created by multilevel governance structures.