Starting to Untangle the Web of Cooperation, Coordination, and Collaboration: A Framework for Public Managers

As public administrators face complex problems, fiscal stresses, and resource shortages, innovative partnerships are needed to bring diverse stakeholders together to resolve these problems. Despite their frequent use, little has been done within the interorganizational literature to explore empirically the range of interactions potentially useful in interorganizational settings. This article presents a conceptual framework that may be used to differentiate among cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. By exploring empirical differences between interactions and identifying the conditions which warrant their use, a more detailed picture of interorganizational arrangements may be captured and utilized to improve the integration of public programs and services. Conclusions suggest that the framework's conceptual clarity will have implications for interorganizational theory and the practice of public management.