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.