ABSTRACT
Networks have become such an accepted part of our understanding of how public policies and programs can be achieved that they are almost taken for granted. Unfortunately this general acceptance has often turned into an idealistic complacency, one in which the focus is more on the promise of networks, rather than their realities. The end result of this has often been failures that could have been avoided, learning opportunities missed and, increasingly, a “bad name” for networks. Collaborative networks are a particular case in point. These structures can deliver on high expectations, but the unique properties that make them viable can also render them vulnerable. Of major importance is a focus on achieving systemic changes, the existence of reciprocal interdependence between actors as well as deeper/ denser relationships and a focus on relationships not tasks, and therefore different ways of working and behaving.
