Accountability and inter-organizational collaboration within the state. Issue 5 (4th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lægreid, Per; Rykkja, Lise H.
• Is Part Of: Public management review. Volume 24:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 683
• Page End: 703
• Publication Date: 2022-05-04
• Subjects: Accountability -- collaborative arrangements -- institutional perspective -- wicked problems -- state-centric -- whole-of-government; Local government -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2021.1963822
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-9037

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article discusses collaborative arrangements within the state and looks at their consequences for democratic accountability in networked governance involving public actors at different levels and in different policy areas. Applying an institutional perspective, it examines two such collaborations in Norway: work-related organized crime and vulnerable youths. It finds that horizontal collaborationsincorporate local differentiation and expertise resulting in a 'collaborative culture' facilitating broader involvement and more deliberative processes. However, top-down mechanisms, organizational commitment, resource allocation, and monitoring are also important. The cases demonstrate a shift towards more informal, voluntary, and horizontal accountability existing in the shadow of hierarchy, constraining the collaborative arrangements' effectiveness and making them more complex and multi-layered.