Abstract:
Budgetary constraints combined with the public's growing expectations have compelled
local governments to look for answers to the many problems with service delivery. This
study examines how inter-organizational collaboration can serve as an effective means of
delivering public service. Inter-organizational collaboration has been identified as a more
affordable and alternative method of offering services to the general public. The research
used a qualitative methodology to gather information from officials from the Ministry of
Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Bono-East Regional
Coordinating Council, EPA, Techiman Municipal Assembly and Techiman North District
Assembly. Employing resource-dependency theory as a framework for theory, the study
reveals that the two assemblies collaborate on areas such as revenue generation, security,
health, land management, waste management and planning. The study also reveals that the
collaboration between the two assemblies is driven by limited information, the small size
of an assembly, experience and proximity. The study also found that cost savings, access
to technical skills and promotion of accountability are benefits associated with inter
organizational collaboration between the two assemblies. The revealed challenges
affecting successful inter-organizational collaboration include; political interference,
bureaucracy and unhealthy competition. The policy recommendations of these findings are
offered
Description:
A Thesis in the Department ofPolitical Science Education
Faculty of social science submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Political Science)
in the University of Education, Winneba
