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Online resource guides managers responsible for service delivery partnerships 

Albany, NY - Governments around the world are building partnerships across agencies and with private sector and non profit partners to improve the services they deliver to citizens and businesses. 

These partnerships which often make use of advanced technology are the focus of a new online resource launched by the Center for Technology in Government from the University at Albany, SUNY. 

New Models of Collaboration: A Guide for Managers is based on a multinational, longitudinal research project designed to understand how these relationships work. It includes case studies, success factors, and lessons learned compiled by a network of field researchers, who studied 15 collaboration case studies across two continents, four countries, and three different languages. 

"Our research uncovered critical success factors and lessons learned about the design, management and performance of a range of collaborative relationships," said Sharon Dawes, director of the Center for Technology in Government. "When we all stood back and analyzed all the cases, we identified four critical success factors that transcend national boundaries: leadership, trust, risk management, and communication. These elements were crucial to the development and outcomes of every project." 

Each of these four critical success factors are further developed as comparative essays in the New Models Management Guide 

"Because this broad-based research project studied a range of different collaborative relationships in different political environments, the lessons and success factors can be applied in many different settings in the future," Dawes said.

The Management Guide incorporates two years of learning, the results of an international colloquium, and a number of other resources designed to support today's public manager.

"Over the course of the two year research project, New Models researchers delivered presentations across the United States and Canada," said Ophelia Eglene, CTG's project manager for the study. "The multinational research teams also collaborated in producing white papers and articles, all of which are available in the New Models Guide." 

The U.S. portion of this collaborative research project was funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted in partnership with the Centre Francophone d'Informatisation des Organisations (CEFRIO), a Canadian research organization based in Quebec. It included researchers from the University of Quebec at Montreal, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Syracuse University, the University of Bremen in Germany, and the Cellule Interfacultaire Technology Assessment in Belgium.

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology. 

The University at Albany-SUNY has a broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and a commitment to public service. A University at Albany education brings the world within reach to students through nine schools and colleges, and an honors college. A student body of more than 17,000 students has a global connection to more than 140,000 alumni. For more information about this internationally ranked institution, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.php.