ABSTRACT
This chapter answers the question in what contexts collaboration becomes functional, as well as what promotes or impedes the process. It also tests the sustainability of the outcomes of collaboration. The collaboration between local councils and the NGO exhibits a resilient base by facilitating enabling key factors of social capital such as an apparent willingness to collaborate, mutual respect and trust, active cooperation, and shared goals through challenging diverse types of setbacks at different phases of collaboration. The NGO’s consistent accompaniment, training, financial supports, advocacy, documentation, and other tools, strategies, and activities have brought successes in many areas. However, the sustainability of these outcomes is fragile as practices of key provisions of legal charters have been discontinued in some councils and reduced in others in the absence of the facilitating role of the project. Lack of mutual trust, mismatches in goals, political interference, discontinuation of best practices, and non-cooperation of government officials are some noteworthy impediments in collaboration at the local level. Still, the endeavour earned the trust and respect of common people with an aspiration for having same or such efforts in future with more intent actions for and engagement with them and their institutions.
