Intergovernmental Collaboration
Intergovernmental Collaboration has been receiving increasing attention in Ohio over the past few years. Governments are tasked with providing necessary services to their citizens, but often are suffering from depleted tax revenues in the wake of the recession that hit in late 2008. Collaboration is not a new concept to Ohio, as many Councils of Governments and Metropolitan and Regional Planning Organizations have been around for decades. However, newer collaborative efforts among local governments are focusing more on economic development and cost savings than they have in the past.
Due to the increased interest from State and Local Officials surrounding intergovernmental collaboration, the KSU Center has been studying collaborations of many different kinds in an attempt to enable more educated and effective collaborations to be undertaken. This website provides an overview of many of our research efforts, as well as descriptions of our work in educating others and facilitating collaborative progress among local governments in Ohio.
Our Research
Governments can collaborate on just about anything, with economic development districts and contracting or consolidating of safety services being some of the more popular choices. The Center has done work in categorizing these types of collaborations in an attempt to get a "snapshot" of Ohio, where governments, despite their strong traditions of home rule, are attempting to find more effective and efficient ways of providing services to their citizens.
Over the past year, the KSU Center has focused much attention and effort on researching Intergovernmental Collaboration. Our research has been documented in reports, case studies, and reviews of literature on intergovernmental collaboration – all of which can be found on this website. The Center’s staff has also delivered presentations based on this research in Ohio and in Washington D.C.
Educational Opportunities
The Center frequently hosts forums and seminars to educate officials and the public about inter-governmental collaboration, its benefits, and the challenges that it presents for state and local government. Through these efforts, the KSU Center is providing insight on best practices and is helping local governments to overcome barriers to creating collaborative efforts.
Facilitation
Come see what the Center has done and can do for you! The Center has provided educational and training forums for local governments, and has performed and facilitated assessments that have yielded improved collaborations. Click here for a list of past projects, and for information on how our Technical Services can provide the research and resources necessary to help communities develop successful collaborative efforts.