Collaborating to Manage

In a single, very readable volume, Agranoff presents an extremely well-informed discussion of collaborative multi-organizational arrangements that have become so central for addressing the complex tasks and problems often faced by government agencies and NGOs. By focusing especially on such critical issues as what approaches seem to work, what the challenges are, and how public managers might manage most effectively in such settings, Agranoff offers a valuable guide for both public and nonprofit professionals and students. -- Keith Provan, McClelland Professor, The University of Arizona The genius of this book lies in Agranoff's translation of his path-breaking research on collaborative public management to concrete, practical advice for those in the field. Highly recommended for those around the world who use or study collaboration as a management strategy. -- Rosemary O'Leary, Distinguished Professor and Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership, The Maxwell School of Syracuse University This timely book offers scholars and managers alike a deep understanding of the actions and structures that forge collaboration across the many organizations that must work together to solve today's difficult public policy problems. The model of the 'conductive' organization offers a powerful and realistic roadmap for how today's bureaucracies can survive and thrive in meeting the collaborative public management challenge. -- Paul Posner, George Mason University Agranoff's book is the most comprehensive treatment of collaborative management for public administration. -- Charles Wise, Founding Director, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University Collaborating to Manage is a sweeping assessment of the numerous factors that support successful collaboration among public, private, and nonprofit organizations. For practitioners and students, it offers a wide range of strategies for managing in our current era of multi-sector governance. For faculty, it provides illuminating examples for sparking engaging classroom discussions about strategic management, and serves as a one-stop guide to the extensive literature on collaborative management. -- Craig W. Thomas, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington

Offers basic ideas and approaches to public management in an era where government must partner with external organizations as well as other agencies to work together to solve difficult public problems. This title provides techniques in intergovernmental grants and regulation management, purchase-of-service contracting, and more."Collaborating to Manage" captures the basic ideas and approaches to public management in an era where government must partner with external organizations as well as other agencies to work together to solve difficult public problems. In this primer, Robert Agranoff examines current and emergent approaches and techniques in intergovernmental grants and regulation management, purchase-of-service contracting, networking, public/nonprofit partnerships and other lateral arrangements in the context of the changing public agency. As he steers the reader through various ways of coping with such organizational richness, Agranoff offers a deeper look at public management in an era of shared public program responsibility within governance. Geared toward professionals working with the new bureaucracy and for students who will pursue careers in the public or non-profit sectors, "Collaborating to Manage" is a student-friendly book that contains many examples of real-world practices, lessons from successful cases, and summaries of key principles for collaborative public management.