ABSTRACT
The 2008 global economic and financial crisis highlighted three possible policy responses in the way governments allocate scarce public resources; these approaches have a differential impact on the sustainability of cuts and on performance and trust (Cepiku, Mussari, & Giordano, 2016). Among these, collaborative governance represents a promising reaction. As an alternative to hierarchy and competition, it includes inter-institutional networks, public-private partnerships, joined-up government, and co-production (Alford, 2017; Cepiku, 2017).
This chapter analyzes the empirical evidence on collaborative governance in the aftermath of the crisis in Italy. It focuses, in particular, on five collaborative efforts: 1) co-production aimed at regeneration and maintenance of common public properties at the local level; 2) the administrative barter (baratto amministrativo) in Italian cities, which allows citizens to pay lower taxes in exchange for their contributions to the maintenance and improvement of the community; 3) ad-hoc agreements between local entities and territorial associations; 4) inter-institutional collaboration and multilevel governance arrangements (more specifically, the enti territoriali di area vasta); and finally 5) the reuse center in Cremona. Overall, evidence suggests that not all efforts at collaborative governance succeed and managers need to adapt to this reality.
