ABSTRACT
Intergovernmental collaboration and cooperation are investigated in projects completed as a part of a comprehensive professional development program, the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program. Most models of collaboration depend on the leadership of organizations reaching agreement or consensus on programs and policies. These top-down models usually focus on organization-wide collaborative efforts. The Wisconsin model of collaboration is a bottom-up approach, in the style characteristic of street-level bureaucracy and decision-making. The study of the projects demonstrated a relatively high rate of successful implementation. A review of those successes underlines the importance of the leader, both during the project and afterwards. The street-level public manager, creating and carrying out a project, furthers intergovernmental collaboration that supports and promotes public service. Collaborative projects in public administration professional development programs may be an effective means of exploring or initiating intergovernmental cooperation.
