Building Local Governance in Denmark

Local partnerships have become an important strategic element in active social policy in Denmark. In order to progress towards the parallel objectives of increasing employment rates and creating a more open and inclusive labour market, improving local collaboration is considered paramount. Accordingly, the municipalities (which in Denmark are in charge of implementing most social policies and carry a large share of the financial burdens) have since 1999 been obliged to have a local coordination committee. Law determines the composition, the competences, and the main tasks of these committees albeit there is legal room for some variances.
The paper discusses pros and cons of nationally mandated local partnerships. One positive effect is that in some settings, the law have initiated local cooperation that otherwise would not have taken place or not reached the volume it has now. This has probably had a positive effect on reaching policy objectives.
In other settings, the mandated coordination committees have collided with already functioning local partnerships. The paper analyses one such case. It compares the old and the new forum for local collaboration with regards to participants, issues treated, resources available, and influence vis-à-vis the municipality and vis-à-vis enterprises and workers.
The results of the empirical analysis are used to discuss theoretical aspects related to the ongoing governance debate. Most governance literature emphasise the potential of involving local level actors through partnerships and networks and discuss how such involvement may improve societal regulation. The paper analyses the apparent paradox that local partnerships are mandated though hierarchical structures (law) and discusses the consequences hereof with regard to central features such as the degree of commitment by non-state actors and the longevity of the partnership.