Performance and Public Value in the ‘Hollow State’: Assessing Government–Nonprofit Partnerships

This innovative book sheds light on two key questions at the forefront of government-nonprofit partnerships: How are nonprofits performing? And does the involvement of nonprofits in a public service add public value?   International contributors approach these questions through the conceptual lens of the “hollow state”, highlighting the diminished role of government and the implications of the growing reliance on nonprofits in delivering public service. Through a set of empirical studies in public education, public health, urban sustainability, public parks and public social welfare services, chapters identify contributing factors to the success of nonprofits in mitigating public problems through performance measurement. Identifying challenges encountered by nonprofits in their roles as government partners, as well as the challenges posed to public organizations in generating nonprofit accountability, this insightful book takes stock of performance and public value of the hollow state.   This methodologically-rigorous book is critical reading for scholars, researchers and students of public governance and public management, particularly those focusing on the long-term effects of the New Public Management. Its practical insights will also benefit policymakers, as well as managers of nonprofits interested in the implications of new partnerships with government bodies.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface 1. Assessing performance and public value in the hollow state 1 Kelly LeRoux and Nathaniel S. Wright 2. The challenge of nonprofit accountability and quality control in the urban hollow state: the case of public education 25 Michael R. Ford 3. Are outsourced public health services linked to better health outcomes? Findings from a national study of service contracting by local health departments 43 Tianshu Zhao and Kelly LeRoux 4. The role of community action agencies in facilitating successful sustainable development in American cities 64 Nathaniel S. Wright and Tony G. Reames 5. Bridging charitable support and public service performance: a preliminary analysis of large US city park systems 85 Yuan (Daniel) Cheng, Yu Shi, and Simon A. Andrew 6. Negotiating performance: the strategic responses of associations where people in poverty raise their voice 102 Peter Raeymaeckers and Pieter Cools 7. Reconceptualizing performance: filling the hollow state with public value 125 Kelly LeRoux and Nathaniel S. Wright Index 140