title: Intentions and knowledge shaping local safety policy: A comparison of two Swedish cities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article explores how intentions and knowledge shape two Swedish cities' local safety policy (LSP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The applied framework is derived from the integration of governance and implementation research and the theory of knowledge and its use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study shows that LSPs are shaped by a mix of intentions and different kinds of knowledge, and intentions and knowledge interplay and intertwine in many ways. Key-persons construct LSPs when they work out solutions to urgent safety problems and take departure in the local context, its pre-conditions, and their experience-based and professional knowledge. The state governs LSP softly through management by objectives in the background, but more often key-actor intentions and commitments, local safety problems, and events initiated and influenced LSPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The article contributes to a better understanding of conditions for LSPs in multi-level governance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The article can be used to improve governance, identify implementation problems and knowledge needs that will improve LSPs and the overall safety situation in the community. The study has implications for how LSPs should be evaluated; many different evaluation criteria can be appropriate, such as relevance, legitimacy, achievement of key actors' objectives, sustainability of policy solutions, and creation of a local safety culture.
authors.affiliation: Umeå Centre for Evaluation Research, Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: anders.hanberger@umu.se.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanberger
authors.affiliation: Umeå Centre for Evaluation Research, Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lundström
authors.affiliation: Umeå Centre for Evaluation Research, Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mårald
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D019359:Knowledge; D011050:Policy Making; D011340:Problem Solving; D011361:Professional Competence; D012449:Safety; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Intentions; Knowledge use; Local safety policy; Multi-level governance