Frankenstein’s monster: The Amsterdam case of good collaborative governance

Abstract

“We have created Frankenstein’s monster”. This is what Lodewijk Asscher, then Amsterdam’s alderman for Finance, Education, and Youth Affairs, concluded in 2007 about the programs and projects for the city’s youngsters. In his opinion, social welfare, youth healthcare, youth mental care, and education were not transparent and accessible enough for children and teenagers in need. Several problems occurred in this domain. For one, there were overlaps and gaps in the supply of programs and projects by professional organizations, and the city’s services led children to get stuck between organizations or to an overload of professionals.