The notion of collaborative governance suggests the possibility that progress towards sustainable development can be achieved by drawing on the strengths and resources of business, government, and civil society working in partnership. It is motivated by the increasingly important and complex socio-economic and environmental challenges faced by societies at local, national, and global levels, which defy resolution by any one sector working independently of the others. Collaborative governance is therefore an integral aspect of the broader debates surrounding, inter alia, the role of the private sector in sustainable development.

Collaborative governance itself entails important challenges. It requires that diverse sectors that are not usually accustomed to working together develop an understanding of each other’s interests and strengths. It also requires that innovative means of interaction, negotiation, decision-making, and joint action are developed and applied.

One of the most significant manifestations of collaborative governance is public-private partnership (PPP). The purpose of PPP is generally to combine the capacity and resources of the public and private sectors, in order to develop public goods and services more efficiently and effectively, while at the same time generating profit for private sector investors. However, PPPs are controversial, as there are concerns that they represent a misallocation of public resources and government responsibilities.

A second form of partnership has become prominent in recent years in the form of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) or so-called Type 2 partnerships. The latter term arose during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, 2002, whereby they were identified as a potentially important complementary mechanism to the formal inter-state agreements. Much hope has been expressed with regard to MSPs. For instance, the UK-based International Business Leaders Forum argues that, “Partnerships are a valuable tool for businesses seeking to engage more positively with NGOs, government and international agencies… action through cross sector partnership is likely to be the only way that the Millennium Development Goals can be met.” On the other hand, MSPs have also been criticised for a lack of delivery and accountability.

In a survey of South African MSPs that were announced during or in the wake of the WSSD, it was found that many of these initiatives failed to achieve their objectives because of a lack of sound governance and accountability structures, particularly with regard to a clear allocation of responsibilities and commitments among the participants (AICC, 2004). At an international level, case studies of a diverse array of partnerships gave rise to similar conclusions (Zadek and Radovich, 2006). As noted by the World Economic Forum (2005): “Effective partnership is problematic not least because of ambiguity in the concepts of good governance: accountability, transparency, legitimacy, disclosure, participation, decision-making, grievance management and performance reporting.”

In summary, therefore, PPPs, MSPs, and the broader topic of collaborative governance represent a crucial arena for more systematic research, teaching, and advocacy for the following reasons:

1. They are becoming an increasingly prominent mechanism for the provision of public goods and services, as well as the achievement of sustainable development outcomes more generally.
2. There are many challenges related to the design and implementation of effective governance structures and systems for PPPs and MSPs, and these challenges may have crucial impacts on the ability of such collaborative governance initiatives to achieve their objectives. Further challenges relate to the broader socio-economic and policy context in which such initiatives are planned or implemented.
   
3. Whereas collaborative governance is beginning to emerge as a crucial research theme internationally, there is relatively little systematic research that has been done on collaborative governance mechanisms, especially in Africa.
4. Bearing in mind the important differences between PPPs and MSPs, which relate to their objectives, scale, and levels of      formalisation, it is nevertheless expected that a research project including samples of both types will provide important benefits.    This is because of the similar underlying challenges faced across these different types of collaborative governance initiatives, as      well as the “cross-pollination” effect of lessons learnt in each of the types; i.e., it is expected that lessons learnt in an analysis of PPPs will have bearing for MSPs, and vice versa.
   

                

The overarching aim of this project is to investigate and provide guidance on how collaborative governance initiatives can better contribute to sustainable development in southern Africa, with emphasis on South Africa. A more specific aspect of this is to identify whether certain success factors are particular to different types of partnerships.

• To conduct and oversee rigorous, independent, and internationally respected research on the opportunities and challenges related to PPPs and MSPs and their contribution to sustainable development. This will include detailed research into crucial success factors of PPPs and MSPs, as they relate to the challenges mentioned above, as well as others that may be identified during the research.

• To develop and support a network of researchers and reflective practitioners working on issues related to collaborative governance in southern Africa.

• To contribute to an improved understanding among southern African stakeholders of the costs and benefits, as well as crucial success factors of PPPs and MSPs.

• To influence public policy and corporate strategy in order to support collaborative governance in southern Africa.

• To support the integration of collaborative governance issues into undergraduate and postgraduate teaching curricula, and to develop related executive education offerings (in partnership with other tertiary education institutions).

The project consists of five stages:

This first stage is currently nearing completion (October 2007). It consists of a review of the literature, as well as expert (or “elite”) interviews, whereby key informants are identified and approached on the basis of their specialised experience, knowledge, and access to information. In addition, project researchers have participated and / or presented at a number of national and international workshops related to the project objectives. Among other things, this stage has led to the development of a database of about 25 collaborative governance initiatives in southern Africa, as well as a typology of partnerships based on: a) objectives, b) scale, and c) governance models.

The objective of the second stage is to conduct comparative case studies that will enable the identification and analysis of key issues related to the design, implementation, and level of success of collaborative governance initiatives. Comparative case studies are an effective means for context-specific and detailed analysis of the inter-relationships between various variables, and they are suitable for developing theoretical propositions. The case studies will be identified from the above mentioned database of about 25 collaborative governance initiatives, whereby the objective is to choose initiatives at different scales of analysis (from local to international) in the following key thematic areas:

• Urban regeneration and integrated development planning: Examples include the Cape Town Partnership (www.capetownpartnership.co.za) and the Grabouw Sustainable Communities Initiative (http://www.twk.org.za/SC.htm) ;

• Infrastructure service provision (with focus on water): Examples include the European Union Water Initiative (http://www.euwi.net) and the Business Partners for Development water services partnerships (http://www.bpd-waterandsanitation.org);

• Energy: Examples include Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (www.reeep.org) and South African Energy Efficiency Accord (http://www.nbi.org.za/welcome.php?pg=126)

• Biodiversity and marine management: Examples include the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (www.bclme.org) programme, the Biodiversity in Wine initiative (www.bwi.co.za) and the C.A.P.E. Action Partners' Programme (www.capeaction.org.za)

These case studies will be investigated bearing in mind the following issues, among others:

• The origin of the partnership and the process of defining its objectives;

• The design of the partnership structure and governance systems;

• The extent to which the partnership objectives have been or are being met (this may include an assessment of diverse perspectives on this issue);

• The extent to which the partnership is achieving broader sustainable development objectives, as specified in international agreements (e.g., Agenda 21) and national strategies (e.g., the South African National Framework for Sustainable Development);

• Key factors explaining the partnership’s level of success or otherwise, with an emphasis on the initiative’s governance structures and processes, as well as the broader institutional context of these initiatives.

The findings from stage 2 will result in preliminary theoretical hypotheses about the key factors supporting the effectiveness of collaborative governance initiatives and their contributions to sustainable development. These hypotheses will then be tested in a survey questionnaire applied to a broad cross-section of collaborative governance initiatives.  

The preliminary findings of the previous stages will be outlined in a working document that will be made available to the project network, as well as the dedicated project website. This working document will also provide the basis for a one-day workshop to which all organisations in the project network will be invited.

The findings of the various research stages and the outcomes of the workshop will provide the basis for the preparation of, inter alia, a focused policy brief, articles in peer-reviewed journals, and articles in the popular press.