In this paper, we build a theoretical framework to better understand the polycentric governance of global socio-ecological challenges through the lenses of meso-institutional analysis. Climate change, deforestation, pollinator decline, and loss of soil fertility are examples of complex socio-ecological challenges caused by anthropic pressures at a global scale. These challenges result in intractable social dilemmas and absent or weak macro-institutions, posing questions on how subsidiary mechanisms of coordination can be adopted in a polycentric governance approach. Building on the meso-institutional framework and socio-ecological systems framework, we investigate the emergence and establishment of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs), where businesses, governments, and civil society organizations try to address global challenges. Recognizing meso-institutional functions in MSPs allowed us to expand our theorizing of the polycentric governance of global socio-ecological challenges, looking at nested, interrelated, and multi-layered relations between multiple actors and organizations.

Mental health professionals form an important component of the response teams currently working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to treat what is historically the second-largest Ebola outbreak. They provide psychological treatment to patients under extraordinary conditions, helping them cope with anxiety and the daily death of other patients.