A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

A Local-State Spatial Data Sharing Partnership Model to Facilitate SDI Development
Many of these benefits can be generalised to explain some of the impacts with spatial data
sharing partnerships, however it would be expected that other benefits such as improved
data quality, access to other organisational data sets and improved communication
channels could also be evident.
3.2.4 Strategies and Theories for Collaboration
Strategies for collaboration refer to alternative plans or approaches available for
structuring inter-organisational planning and action (Mulford & Rogers 1982). Strategies
will vary from organisation to organisation and different strategies may be needed for
public and private sectors. Wood and Gray (1991) assert that there is no single theory that
explains the pre-conditions, processes and outcomes of alliances and collaborations.
Strategies for collaboration can be founded on a variety of approaches such as economic
theory, game theory, strategic management theory or organisational theory (Child &
Faulkner 1998).
Mulford and Rogers examined three managed coordination strategies namely: a mutual
adjustment strategy, alliance strategy and a corporate strategy across six dimensions.
Table 3.2 illustrates cooperation and the three coordination strategies mapped against the
six dimensions of focus, actors, formalisation, resources, power and goals. This
progression from less organisational inter-dependence (co-operation) to greater inter-
dependence within the coordination strategies was described by Dedekorkut (2004) as a
collaboration continuum.
Mulford and Rogers (1982) classified cooperation as having independent goals, few rules
or resources, no loss of autonomy and generally involving the lower ranking staff within
the organisations. Mutual adjustment focuses more on the agencies, common goals tend to
be of a temporary nature and there are few rules or resource commitments. Alliances tend
to be more structured and established at the administration or professional staffing levels.
Rules between the organisations are negotiated in more detail, additional levels of
resources are set aside, more collective goals and joint decision making is required. At
the corporate stage of coordination there are formal agreements, usually signed off by a
CEO, resource commitments are significant, the focus of power is centralised and the
collective goals of the venture are emphasised.
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