Comparative study of local public service collaborations in Scotland, Finland and Sweden

This paper focuses on comparing six local public service collaborative cases in Scotland, Finland and Sweden. The research consists of two case studies in each of the three countries. The intention was to explore a variety of... [ view full abstract ]

This paper focuses on comparing six local public service collaborative cases in Scotland, Finland and Sweden. The research consists of two case studies in each of the three countries. The intention was to explore a variety of collaborative practices and to draw broad conclusions about key management challenges in collaborative relationships. The specific service was not the focus, as it would be difficult to find comparable cases of collaborative working across the three nations – it was considered sufficient if the service fit within the broad framework of social services. Even with the broader collaborative relationships that could be chosen, the selection of case studies was difficult, because of the differences in local authority public service provision and particular local challenges differing across the three countries. A variety of public service collaborations were included in the research, with any combination of public, private and third sector participants considered relevant. A collaboration continuum was defined, which allowed the selection of two Contractual relationships (Collaborative provision of services for children affected by parental substance misuse; Provision of child protection services via contractual collaboration), two Co-operations (Collaboration for providing transitional housing for people with difficult social problems; Collaboration for providing services for socially excluded unemployed youth via a co-operation hub), and two Partnerships (Partnership for supporting people with alcohol and drugs issues; Partnership for providing services in a family centre for families with young children). The research provide insights into the differences in the local government arrangements in Scotland, Finland and Sweden and how these influence collaborative working. Brief conclusions can be drawn on a country level, highlighting particular similarities and differences in collaborative service delivery. In Scotland, collaboration is often mandated by law, whereas in Finland and Sweden collaboration is voluntary based. The findings suggest that Scotland is towards one end of collaborative public service delivery, with service providers from public, private and the third sectors readily utilised. Swedish collaborations correspond to the other end, with limited use of external service providers, as services are provided by a variety of public sector organisations. When external providers are used, it is at an arm’s length approach in comparison to Scotland where service providers are involved in the service planning. Finnish collaborations seemingly sit in between these approaches, with both approaches being evident, though, Finnish local authorities seem more willing to outsource service provision compared to Swedish local authorities. These findings can help explain the management challenges, such as lack of trust and power imbalance, in different collaborative relationships.