Fischer, Manuel, and Simon Maag. "Why Are Cross‐Sectoral Forums Important to Actors? Forum Contributions to Cooperation, Learning, and Resource Distribution." Policy Studies Journal 47.1 (2019): 114-137.

In polycentric governance systems, actors must select from numerous forums for participation. This article investigates why certain types of forums hold more significance for actors compared to others, focusing on how functions such as cooperation, learning, and resource distribution influence forum importance. The study specifically examines cross-sectoral forums, which coordinate actors from various societal sectors like government, private interests, and science. Survey data from eight cross-sectoral forums in Swiss habitat and land use governance, encompassing 159 members, reveal that these forums are particularly important to actors who perceive them as contributing to learning and resource distribution.