Opening the black box of the Municipal Associations. Analysis of the functioning of inter-municipal cooperation in Chile

Abstract

This paper offers insights about the operation of Chilean inter-municipal cooperation by opening the black box of municipal associations. This study provides relevant information based on the analysis of semi structured interviews with key actors and official documents from two cases of associations located in the Metropolitan region. The findings are organized in three dimensions of the operation: collective decision making, resources management, and the role of network managers. The results show the particularities of collaborative management models in contrast with traditional bureaucratic models; these particularities impact the integration of actors´ interests and the stability of relations.