Collaborative advantage in public and social services: The case of Poland

Abstract

Objective: This article seeks to analyse the relationships between the third and the public sector, with a particular focus on relations with local government units (LGUs) on the example of Poland. Research Design & Methods: Research methods include literature overview together with the analysis of results of a 2012 focus group interview regarding the model of cooperation between public administration and NGOs, and several free-form interviews performed in 2013 with representatives of social organizations. Implications & Recommendations: The tools within the strategic cross-sector collaboration model are helpful in the realization of the strategy of co-operation and collaborative advantage. They ought not to be used, however, in a selective manner or at random, since it is absolutely vital to create a coherent system of co-operation based on the demonstrated rules. The system should also be regularly monitored and continually improved with a long-term collaboration in mind. Contribution & Value Added: The article characterises the essence and rules of collaboration between the social and public sectors in Poland, and determines the meaning of the cooperative development of strategy of collaborative advantage. It also presents a useful tool which facilitates the realisation of such a task - a model of strategic cross-sector collaboration.