Inter-organizational collaboration and public service delivery evidence from Techiman municipal assembly and Techiman North District Assembly.

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