Collaborative governance in Social Impact Bonds: aligning interests within divergent accountabilities?

Abstract

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a novel form of cross-sector collaborations and an alternative way of financing innovative social services. Based on an in-depth longitudinal case analysis and drawing from agency theory as well as resource dependence theory, we examine the process of interest alignment among involved partners over the lifespan of a SIB pilot project in Austria. Our study shows the multitude of problems and costs that such a challenging arrangement of multiple stakeholders brings along, thus dampening overoptimistic expectations in SIBs. We also suggest an analytical framework that improves the assessment of SIBs’ probability of success.