Co-governance within networks and the non-profit – for-profit divide

Abstract

Throughout the western world, (social) care systems have been affected by a quasi-market agenda. Simultaneously, the literature on ‘governance’ suggests tendencies towards more networking and a stronger involvement of third-sector organizations have (again) changed the rules of the game. Looking at elderly care in three different European jurisdictions (Germany, France, England) this article argues that inter-agency collaboration as such is nothing new in this field so that viewing (co-)governance as a substitute for hierarchical government or market governance does not make sense here. Rather, there is a new non-profit – for-profit divide changing the architecture of those networks that had emerged in the pre-market era on the basis of a ‘domain consensus’ between welfare bureaucracies, professionals and civic actors. Nowadays, there is cross-country disorganization of this consensus irrespective of enduring national traditions of third-sector involvement. The result is ‘nervous’ network governance fraught with volatility and tensions. Co-governance persists but is less consistent than in previous times.

Key words:

• Comparative policy analysis
• home care services
• network governance
• non-profit organization studies
• welfare markets