The state may have tightened its belt since the economic crises and structural adjustment of the 1980s, but results of work by Institute of Development Studies researchers indicate that this does not mean that non-state organisations should now have the monopoly on social service provision. Instead, working more closely together can help state and non-governmental organisations work in genuinely complementary ways. A key to making this relationship work productively is getting the state to provide the environment within which it can work. Other preconditions for successful joint efforts may not always be in place, but some of these may be built up.

It is now accepted that government and non-governmental service-providers have their own strengths and weaknesses, and that working together can be productive, or 'synergistic'. The ways in which this relationship might work and the preconditions for success are still relatively unknown. A review of the literature on different social service providers by researchers from the Institute of Development Studies indicates that while governments are likely to remain the most important providers of social services, they can also help civic efforts by creating a more enabling environment. Also important is that the partners 'learn-by-doing' rather than using blueprints for successful arrangements, as each set of partnerships will have features specific to it. From 'successful' case studies, it seems that there may certain conditions which already exist may be key to the success, such as social capital between government and non-government institutions. Some of these conditions may be produced, particularly through

Three areas in which governments have successfully combined with non-governmental organisations are:

• co-determination, in which both determine what social service is to be produced and how; this may work systematically, through committees and the like or ad hoc, through occasional meetings
• co-financing, as when community groups raise extra funds for mainly state-funded schools or clinics
• co-production, in which state and NGOs or communities supply resources and labour time to provide services to vulnerable groups like children or the elderly.

Case studies of state and non-state providers working together, indicate that successful partnerships rely on certain preconditions. They include:

• an enabling state policy environment within which NGOs and community organisations can work more effectively, involving a balance of non-intervention, support and regulation
• new institutional arrangements such as consultation with community groups, setting up collaborations for funding or supplying services, training and new systems of work incentives to modify officials' attitudes
• organisational change to enable the organisation to be responsive to both higher levels of government and local people, to prevent corruption, and to involve communities in designing and implementing projects.

Source(s):
The role of civic organisations in the provision of social services: towards synergy. WIDER Research for Action series, # 37 (United Nations University, Finland). M. Robinson and G. White (1997).

Funded by: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), UNU (Finland)

id21 Research Highlight: 1998-Apr-29

Further Information:
M. Robinson
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
at the University of Sussex
Brighton
BN1 9RE
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1273 606261
Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202
Contact the contributor: M.Robinson@sussex.ac.uk

Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK