Collaboration and Networks in the Public Sector

Last night we had an interesting discussion over collaboration and networks in the public sector.

As more public services have been contracted out and more non-profit and private organizations have been responsible for delivering specific public services, the number of players acting in the public sector has rapidly expanded as well as the importance of managing networks.

The challenges faced by interdependent organizations are the willingness to renegotiate, identify alternatives, and measure outcomes. As interests usually diverge, resources are limited, and accountability oftentimes fuzzy, public administrators have to constantly tap into their negotiation, management, and statistics skills.

In this context where the public sector is no longer isolated from market forces and citizen pressure, public organizations not only collaborate with different players but periodically review command-and-control structures. As more organizations have been delegated power to accomplish assigned tasks and less clear have become to whom constituents should blame for when things go wrong, state agencies must centralize and tap into their authority position by creating call centers where complaints are received and ultimate decisions regarding network collaboration made.

Technology has allowed public organizations to effectively oversee decentralized systems. Contemporary challenge is the provision of training and conditions for personnel to further explore the possibilities of electronic systems to reduce monitoring and transparency costs deriving from information asymmetry.

As technology rapidly evolves, decision-making process in public organizations has become more similar to dynamic and existing structures found in the private sector. As long as public servants receive proper training and incentives, electronic systems unfold possibilities that substantially improve the quality of services provided to - and in collaboration with - taxpayers.