Kotryna Slepetyte
Title: Experimentation as a Governance Tool: Analysing the 100 Climate-Neutral Cities Mission in Liepaja and Taurage
Supervisor: Dr. Erkki Karo
Opponent: Dr. Amirouche Moktefi
Defense: 9 June 2025
Abstract: This thesis investigates experimentation as a governance tool within mission- oriented governance. It explores how dynamic capabilities enable experimentation and proposes an experimentationbased governance framework inspired by agile ways of working in the IT sector. The paper also examines experimentation in the context of the “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities” mission implementation in Tauragė and Liepāja, exploring how both cities understand experimentation, implement it, and govern the mission to achieve climate neutrality targets by 2030. Both cities have currently implemented a collaborative co-creation governance model that encourages cross-sectoral and cross-actor cooperation, continuous feedback, and overall stakeholder engagement. Neither city has implemented purely bottom-up experimentation, but both acknowledge innovative methods to some extent and seek to adapt. The research highlights that both structural changes in government and shifts in the mindset of all actors involved are needed. Additionally, findings highlight that stakeholder involvement from the initial moments with meaningful contributions is crucial for successful collaboration and implementation.
Keywords: experimentation, Agile, climate-neutrality, mission-oriented governance
