Obstacles and Motivators for Partnership Formation in a Multidimensional Environment

Partnerships are now essential to public service delivery. However, due to the limitations in collaborative capacity, there are both obstacles and motivators for forming partnerships. Intergovernmental and cross-sectoral partnerships offer different advantages and disadvantages in extending public service missions in new directions. Using survey data of local air quality agencies, findings determine different factors contribute to partnership and nonpartnership. Further findings suggest partnerships are driven largely by problem severity, but nonpartnership is driven by specific benefits and risks associated with types of partners. Conclusions indicate that understanding nonpartnership is a key to understanding partnership formation. Related Articles: Burau, Viola, and Carole Clavier. 2018. “Understanding Gaps in the Coexistence between Different Modes of Governance: A Case Study of Public Health in Schools in a Multilevel System.” Politics & Policy 46 (4): 604-629. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12269. Graizbord, Boris, and Jose Luis Gonzalez Granillo. 2019. “Urban Growth and Environmental Concerns: The Venture of the Greater Mexico City Metropolitan Area.” Politics & Policy 47 (1): 178-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12292. Porto, Edoardo D., and Sonia Paty. 2018. “Cooperation among Local Governments to Deliver Public Services.” Politics & Policy 46 (5): 790-820. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12275. Related Media : DeGood, Kevin. 2018. “When Public-Private Partnerships Fail: A Look at Southern Indiana’s I-69 Project.” https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2018/02/15/446720/public-private-partnerships-fail-look-southern-indianas-69-project/. Fowler, Luke, and Bryant Jones. 2018. “Local Governments and Air Quality Where You Are.” https://thebluereview.org/local-governments-air-quality/.