Title: The 'externalisation' of local public service delivery: experience in Italy and Sweden

Authors: Daniela Argento, Giuseppe Grossi, Torbjorn Tagesson, Sven-Olof Collin

Addresses: Department of Business and Social Studies, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco, 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. ' Department of Business and Social Studies, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco, 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. ' Halmstad University, P.O. Box 823, SE-301 18 Halmstad, Sweden. ' Halmstad University, P.O. Box 823, SE-301 18 Halmstad, Sweden

Abstract: In recent years, the local government sector in European countries has undergone important changes involving, among other things, the externalisation of local public service provision through various forms of corporatisation, public-public collaboration, public-private partnerships and contracting out. An important consequence of these institutional changes has been the recasting of local governance systems through the need for increased cooperation between public and private actors. This article addresses these matters with comparative reference to the experience in Italy and Sweden. In doing so, it considers local governments in their constitutional and legal contexts, leading to more detailed discussions of their externalisation initiatives and resultant organisational forms and governance arrangements. Issues of ownership have been important concerning the significance of |community| and |place| in the management of public affairs.

Keywords: externalisation; corporatisation; privatisation; community; public service delivery; institutional change; Italy; Sweden; local government; public-public collaboration; public-private partnerships; PPP; contracting out; public ownership; public sphere; public policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2010.029780

International Journal of Public Policy, 2010 Vol.5 No.1, pp.41 - 56

Published online: 02 Dec 2009 *

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