The emergence of local non-profit - government partnerships and the role of intermediary organizations in Japan Contractual relationships and the limits to co-governance

• Published in: Public management review Vol. 8; no. 4; pp. 567 - 581
• Main Authors: Tsukamoto, Ichiro, Nishimura, Mariko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01.12.2006
• Subjects: Advocacy; Co-governance; Contracts; contractual relationship; Cultural Capital; Governance; Government Policy; inter-organizational network; intermediary organizations; Japan; Japan - Government and politics; Local communities; Local Government; Networks; Non-profit organizations; Nongovernmental organizations - Japan; Nonprofit Organizations; partnership; Public Sector Private Sector Relations; Public services; Public-private partnership; Public-private sector cooperation; social capital; Strategic planning
• ISSN: 1471-9037; 1471-9045
• DOI: 10.1080/14719030601022965

This contribution explores the implications of the current emergence in Japan of local partnerships between non-profits 1 and local governments and the role of intermediary organizations. In particular, it focuses on the impact of contractual relationships on the organizational changes of the non-profits and examines some cases of local intermediary organizations from the perspective of co-governance. This work identifies Japanese situations; lessons for other countries concerning relationships between non-profits and government; and three key issues for intermediary organizations that play a distinct role in the co-governance model of partnership. The issues are: (1) developing a mixed resource strategy; (2) establishing representative and networking structures; (3) strengthening political functions such as advocacy and the mobilization of collective influence on government policy.