A Clash of Cultures: Bringing the Third Sector into Public Governance

Since the 1980s the use of networks as a form of governance has become increasingly popular. Governance networks were boldly envisioned as a way to tackle society’s ‘wicked problems’ and reinvigorate democracy (Davies,... [ view full abstract ]

Since the 1980s the use of networks as a form of governance has become increasingly popular. Governance networks were boldly envisioned as a way to tackle society’s ‘wicked problems’ and reinvigorate democracy (Davies, 2011). Governance networks are formalised structures, usually created by the state, to bring together statutory agencies and other key stakeholders to respond to local issues. Increasingly the third sector is being invited into these networks, giving the sector an important voice in local decision making. The definition of the third sector is a contested one; for the purposes of this paper it includes charities, voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises.

The governance turn has fundamentally reshaped the nature of relationships between the state and non-state actors. This paper traces the evolution of governance networks in the UK with a particular focus on Scotland and the experience and implications of third sector involvement. The first section charts the ascendency of governance networks in the 1980s as a response to the limitations of New Public Management and as a strategy to engage a disillusioned public. The second section explores the Scottish complexion of governance networks since devolution in 1997, identifying key legislative milestones. This history provides the context for the third section which charts and analyses the participation of the third sector in governance networks, exploring whether the voice of community is enhanced or eroded by its participation. The paper concludes with questions about the future landscape of governance arrangements in Scotland given the government’s focus on community empowerment and decentralisation.

The clash of cultures is a key theme in the analysis of the third sector’s involvement in governance networks. The culture of public service governance is fundamentally at odds with the ethos of the third sector. The implications of these two cultures working together is explored with particular consideration of the differential power that exists between the two. This analysis draws on critiques of network theory.

Governance networks have been heralded as an approach that can “…unlock a ‘third space’ between state and market, extending the public sphere…” (Deakin and Taylor, 2002, cited in Davies, 2011, p.2); they have also been critiqued as an “…attempt to purchase wider effective control of the political process” (Davies, 2002, p.315). This paper considers the potential of governance networks in Scotland within this polarised and political debate. It draws on a review of the literature undertaken for a PhD and makes a contribution through its application and analysis of existing research to the third sector's engagement in governance networks in Scotland.

The broader PhD research concerns the relationship between the third sector and the state in Scotland and explores how the third sector’s participation in governance networks impacts on issues of independence and representation in Scotland. The research uses a case study approach to analyse the engagement of the third sector in one of Scotland's most pervasive governance networks - Community Planning Partnerships.

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