Budgetary Models, Motivation and Engagement in Financial Collaborations

Abstract

This article focuses on the financial aspects of collaborative working between public authorities and other private and voluntary sector organizations. Drawing on research on five English case studies involving local authorities, it considers the extent to which decisions to collaborate and modes of working together are shaped and mediated by financial considerations. In particular, the research highlights differences in ‘budgetary form’ (pooled or aligned), individual partner ‘motivation’ (selfless/altruistic or self-interested) and ‘level of engagement’ (active commitment or passive involvement) as key variables that help to understand how and why some financial collaborations are more successful than others.

Key words:

• Financial collaboration
• local authorities
• partnership working
• inter-agency relations

Notes

Note The financial contributions of the five partner local authorities in the Malvern Hills AONB have been based on an agreed formula that largely reflects the proportion of the overall designated AONB area falling within each council area.