A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

Chapter 3 – Collaboration, Partnerships and the Government Environment
unresponsiveness and the inefficient use of scarce resources. Attempts to reconcile
these structures therefore often motivate jurisdictions to seek more cohesive
structures through collaboration. In the case of state and local government
jurisdictions, the impact of fragmentation is difficult to assess as it is often
disguised as reforms or restructures. An example of fragmentation is the
devolution of responsibilities such as tax collection or environmental monitoring to
local governments.
6. Meeting Necessary Legal or Regulatory Requirements: In some cases
organisations have no choice but to collaborate. For example, in the UK local
councils are required to establish local strategic partnerships which bring together
key organisations serving a community (local government, police, fire, voluntary
organisations, local businesses) to define and deliver a community strategy (Lank
2006). Oliver (1990) notes that organisations often establish linkages with other
organisations in order to meet a necessary legal or regulatory requirement. The
collaboration may be mandated through legislation, regulation, higher authorities
or professional regulatory bodies. The demands from these extra-organisational
forces are often a powerful reason for organisations to pursue collaboration
(Schermerhorn 1975). However, as noted by Halpert (1982), these organisations
are often vulnerable to more powerful organisations in a hierarchical system, in
which case collaboration may result in the loss of autonomy and, consequently,
power. The parallels of this motivating factor to the exchange of property
information between local and state government are strong, particularly where
legislative frameworks demand the exchange of property related information.
7. Resource Scarcity: Often a response to shortages of resources is to encourage
improvements in efficiencies and hence cost savings. These efficiency
contingencies are generally internally focussed rather than externally orientated
and will cause organisations to be receptive to inter-organisational collaboration
(Oliver 1990; Schermerhorn 1975). Collaboration is seen by many as not only a
means to improve the quality of public service delivery systems but also as a way
to improve the efficiency of government (Whetten 1982). Resources can be
considered as economic resources such as money, staff, equipment; and non-
economic resources such as authority, legitimacy and prestige (Mulford & Rogers
1982). This distinction becomes important during collaboration as both forms of
resources may be used strategically. Resource scarcity may also operate against
collaboration and encourage organisations to exert power or influence to control
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