ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the management of inter-governmental partnerships through performance-based contracting. In 1994 Baltimore was designated as one of the six original urban empowerment zones. Empowerment zone designation provided a variety of tools to address local problems and exploit local opportunities for urban economic development, especially job creation. Like the other empowerment zones, Baltimore has a partnership relationship with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that is managed by a performance-based contract. However, the emphasis the empowerment zone initiative placed upon the development of unique, local plans created a difficulty for partnership management - how to direct and evaluate partners in a process in which the means and ends of the relationship are uncertain.
