Working together for stronger Victorian communities

The idea of collaboration is now well entrenched in public policy and linked to new ideas around devolution and network governance,1 yet the actual administrative arrangements necessary to give effect to the idea are still emerging. In this case study we canvass the ‘organising’ aspects that give administrative form to collaboration. We do this through the lens of the Victorian government’s community strengthening strategy – since to be effective, community strengthening requires substantial collaboration with communities, with other departments and with other sectors. Our view is that the idea of collaboration will become reality only through new forms of governance since our existing forms are built on a historical model that privileges hierarchy over collaboration.