A Study of the Role of Independent Supporting Organizations in Partnerships

－The Case Study of Yamato City－

Abstract

It is difficult to solve social problems by government intervention alone, because of the diversity of public needs. Nowadays, the concept of partnership, in which the government and the public cooperate with each other, is gathering attention as a new approach to social problems, but it has triggered some new issues at the same time. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of independent supporting organizations in such partnerships. In our article, firstly we describe the three elements (common purpose, equality, and transparency) and the structure of a partnership (Fig. 1.2). Secondly, we use one case study and analyze the role of the partnership-supporting organization. The results show that it is possible that the supporting organization can play an important role between the government and the public party in the partnership. But it is important to be aware of two issues; firstly, the supporting organization can work as the screening committee and the organizer who adjusts the partnership proposal rules which apply to every partnership party equally, but cannot directly support each partnership proposal process itself and, secondly, the role of the supporting organization should be regulated in a flexible manner and the organization itself should follow a clearly regulated decision-making process.