<title>Abstract</title> This article aims at contributing to the study of arm's length agencies by focusing on what are considered to be core concepts of agencification: autonomy and control of public agencies. The balance between autonomy and control is studied for a set of Flemish public agencies, from three...

<title>Abstract</title> Autonomous bodies established by or reformed under NPM-inspired reforms should be, from a normative point of view, characterized by (1) structural disaggregation, (2) managerial freedom, (3) contractual relationships with the oversight authorities, and (4) tasks on the operations side...

We test a typology of public-private partnerships by using survey data on the relationship between non-profit organizations (NPOs) and Flemish local governments. We found that quite strong relations occur, but this is not a uniform picture: although most NPOs are not financially dependent on...

Local government plays a central but altering role in local governance. Together with the shift from a night-watchman state to a welfare state , the models of governance provision changed. Government itself became larger and more scattered throughout the local community. Moreover, government was...

1. Co-production as a maturing concept / Taco Brandsen, Victor Pestoff and Bram Verschuere -- 2. Co-production and third sector social services in Europe : some crucial conceptual issues / Victor Pestoff -- 3. From engagement to co-production : how users and communities contribute to public...

Faced with an increasingly challenging environment, nonprofit organizations (NPOs) must behave innovatively and act in a result- or performance-oriented manner. In this article, we explore the extent to which NPOs behave innovatively (in their management and service delivery), and the factors...

Nowadays, cities formulate long-term strategies to address the challenges and opportunities they face. Numerous strategic plans or planning instruments are developed for this purpose. In this article, we would like to examine the role, impact and relevance of these types of plans in...

In this article, the complex set of driving factors and mechanisms that explain the evolution of territorial governance in Flanders in economic and spatial policy are discussed. A mix of both exogenous and endogenous trends has led to an increased focus on the sub-regional arena and to an...