Empirical Analysis of Partnership Between Non-Profit Organizations and Local Governments Evidence from Six Cities and Counties in Taiwan
Author: Shu-Hsin Lin
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
Faced with resource shortages, financial challenges, and the people’s rising demands, the government has come to the realization that its own capacity and resources are insufficient and inadequate. The management of public affairs or delivery of public services now requires more than the traditional unity of command approach. It has become essential that the government partners with the private sector and NPOs, and establishes an interactive network to facilitate resources integration and to achieve a win-win situation for all parties involved. Therefore, how does the government satisfy the people’s demands through reasonable management of social resources has become a pressing issue.
Accordingly, this paper intends to, through literature review, clearly define the aforementioned “partnership” and explore the elements fundamental to an ideal partnership. In-depth interviews and questionnaires have also been conducted to gain insights into the current status of partnerships between NPOs and local government in Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taichung City, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Taitung City. Research shows that the partnership between the government and NPOs in Taiwan is characterized by the following traits and challenges: firstly, such partnerships are (mostly) still at a development stage, mainly due to the lack of information; secondly, the willingness to form such partnerships is driven by diverse motives, while funding is not the only concern; thirdly, although NPOs are not on an equal footing with the government, a special partnership of mutual trust and respect can still be cultivated as the parties are unified by a common goal; fourthly, the amount of subsidies and the easiness of administrative procedures are key factors affecting NPOs’ willingness to participate in the partnerships.