A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

Chapter 3 – Collaboration, Partnerships and the Government Environment
whole will often not reflect the performance of the partnership or alliance. In this case, the
assessment of joint goals and outcomes is a more appropriate method of assessing the
performance of the collaboration.
However, if objective performance measures are not readily available or are of
questionable reliability, Child et al. (2005) suggests that subjective measures may suffice.
For example, measures such as the satisfaction level of participants may be a useful
measure of performance. Geringer and Herbert’s (1991) finding that objective and
subjective measures are often highly correlated, especially measures associated with
satisfaction support Child’s position. Performance can also be seen as having both
positive and negative effects across many areas. For example learning outcomes may have
a positive impact such as building an understanding between the organisations, or a
negative impact such as organisational learning to the advantage of one party over the
other (Child et al. 2005).
Factors such as the external environment, initial collaborative conditions and the evolution
of the collaborative process are seen as important to the success of the collaboration.
External factors such as government policy and regulation often construct false
environments for collaboration and may not have clear economic or strategic foundations.
The initial conditions upon which the collaboration was established such as the extent of
equity in ownership and shared control are more likely to indicate success (Killing 1983).
Harrigan (1988) identified that complementary resource inputs and industry alignment lead
to longer lasting co-operative strategies. Although the initial conditions of a collaboration
can be linked to performance and success or failure, the ability of collaboration to evolve
and adapt to changed circumstances is also important (Child et al. 2005). Therefore, the
evolutionary process of the collaboration and adapting to change is in itself an important
outcome.
Increasingly government agencies are adopting performance models used by large private
sector corporations. Government agencies are now expected to be accountable for both
their use of public expenditure and delivery of service. In the United States, the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 requires government executives to
focus on defining missions, setting goals, measuring performance, and reporting
accomplishments (General Accounting Office 1998).
3.2.9 Section Summary
This section has defined collaboration in context with cooperation and coordination. The
motivations and consequences of collaboration were explored and often found to be
75