Table 1 Levels of IMC.
From: Drivers and barriers of intermunicipal cooperation in local service delivery
Level | Description |
|---|---|
Level of formality | It can be formed through informal agreements between local governments, formal agreements (contractual agreements), or possibly a permanent structure. |
Level of coercion | It can be formed by a voluntary initiative stemming from the lowest levels (bottom-up) or a voluntary initiative limited by various kinds of pressures exerted by regional or national governments, in the form of a mandatory network. |
Level of expediency | It can be formed through a voluntary initiative starting from the lowest levels (from the bottom up), limited by various kinds of pressure exerted by regional or national governments, in the form of a mandatory network. |
Partnership level | It is defined based on the number of partners. According to the general definition, the IMC must include at least two partners, with no upper limit on the number of partners. It can be a bilateral or multilateral partnership. |
Membership level | It focuses on the nature of group members. It may be purely general; it may involve a multi-level membership in which state administration institutions are also involved; or it may have the nature of multi-sector cooperation, which also includes entities from the private sector, structural funds, and similar entities. |
Level of cooperation | It is defined based on the area in which the cooperation takes place. The level can also be differentiated based on whether the cooperation focuses on the joint provision of services, investment projects, or the representation of common interests. |
