Institutional Collective Action and Local Government Collaboration

Abstract

The delivery of community services in metropolitan areas is often coordinated through networks (Provan and Milward 2001). Collaborative networks for provision of public service are often imposed by statue and are designed and created by a hierarchical coordinating agency. Thus network managers are responsible for the structure and maintenance of an integrated network among decentralized units. In this chapter we instead focus on intergovernmental relationships that are more voluntary and self-organizing in nature, such as voluntary service agreements among local government units to coordinate or jointly provide services. Of particular interest are collaborative institutions in which the agencies or jurisdictions involved are able to enter or exit agreements and craft customized conditions without special review by a single superior coordinating agency. The development of voluntary coordination mechanisms is particularly salient for metropolitan areas where the problems of fragmentation are frequently most pronounced and the institutional complexity makes the imposition of standardized solutions difficult. U.S. metropolitan areas are characterized by fragmentation of service responsibilities across a multitude of municipal and county governments, specialized agencies, and districts. Decisions of

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