Inter-municipal Cooperation Research Articles

A win–win strategy for environmental governance – role of exogenous personalised gains

ABSTRACT Cooperation on environmental issues is often perceived as a zero-sum game, where individual gains must be sacrificed for collective benefits. This paper offers a the oretical solution that balances individual and collective benefits to foster joint environmental action. Drawing on game theory and insights from the inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) literature, the paper explores how to solve environmental problems that present a collective action dilemma. It aligns with proponents of gain framing for environmental action and introduces the concept of ‘exogenous personalised gains’ in driving environmental action. It demonstrates that if the right exogenous personalised gains are leveraged, joint environmental actions are more likely.

Urban growth and waste services: exploring scenarios in an inter-municipal cooperative framework in Sogamoso city, Colombia

ABSTRACT The spatial dimensions of city expansion in Latin America reveal the emergence of new urban agglomeration and metropolization phenomena. In this context, the goal is to implement a predictive model of land use change between 1976 and 2047 in the city of Sogamoso and neighboring municipalities in Colombia and to apply its results to a proposal for inter-municipal cooperation in the collection of solid household waste. The methodology used is based on a spatially explicit models using the CA_Markov model in Idrisi Selva software that incorporates Markov chains, multi-criteria evaluation, and cellular automata to identify future areas of urban expansion. The model forecasts urban growth from 2,420 ha in 2021 to 5,278 ha in 2047. The spatial distribution of the new urban areas implies collection routes that are ever farther away from the main urban centers. There is thus a vital need for new regional planning practices (such as inter-municipal cooperation).

Quality of institutions, rent-seeking, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation

AbstractThe differing fiscal needs of municipalities introduce bias into yardstick competition among local administrators driven by pure rent-seeking motives. The influence of institutional quality on this bias varies across cases, sometimes alleviating it, while in other instances exacerbating it. Inter-municipal cooperation provides incumbents with control over political yardstick competition. However, this alliance compromises the quality of public services when rent extraction is a priority. To address the issue of collusion and enhance accountability, the central government may find it counterproductive to uniformly improve institutional quality across all districts. Instead, a more effective approach may involve targeted policy interventions in specific districts, considering the varying levels of fiscal and institutional disparities. By doing so, the central government can disrupt the incentive for collusion and rent extraction among local incumbents.

The role of national and international standardization activities in the process of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine

The article analyzes the role of national and international norm-project activities in the process of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. It is proved that in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which is of an aggressive nature on the part of the aggressor, great troubles and destruction have been caused to our people and their state, which have manifested themselves in numerous human casualties, disintegration and destruction of the basic everyday and critical infrastructure of territorial communities, destruction and the actual devastation of large territories, which makes it virtually impossible for a person to exist and function in the relevant territory, limits his opportunities to organize his stable and predictable life cycle, as well as to satisfy existential needs, efforts, and interests. However, the war itself objectifies and actualizes the issue of the post-war restoration of the state and its TG, and this, in turn, puts on the agenda the issues of rule-making by the public authorities of the state and subjects of international relations, including member states of the international community and their associative and structural units - international intergovernmental and intergovernmental organizations, including, first of all, the important stage of norm-making - norm-project activity. It is argued that norm-projecting activity at the national and international levels in the process of post-war recovery of Ukraine plays an important methodological and praxeological significance, because the principles of post-war recovery of Ukraine and its TG: a) quite clearly, clearly, unambiguously reflect and determine the fundamental directions, forms and guidelines of norm-projecting activity public authorities of the state; b) even more, they are aimed at the unambiguous formation and formulation of the rights and obligations of the subjects of social relations that will arise in the process of post-war recovery; c) must be adequately taken into account and reflected in the relevant standard-setting activity of public state authorities, as well as, and this is especially important, in the standard-setting of local self-government bodies; d) they form the foundations of state legal and municipal legal policy in the field of post-war reconstruction. At the same time, the lion’s share of the above principles of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and its TG has a significant impact on the international level - their practical implementation cannot be implemented without significant financial assistance from foreign partners. And this, in turn, actualizes and contextualizes the normative-drafting activity of public authorities of Ukraine (including local self-government bodies) in the field of international contract law, including normative-drafting work in the field of international inter-municipal cooperation, as well as general international cooperation.

Is buying cheaper than sharing? A study of the effect stand-alone contracting out versus public co-production has on cost in Norwegian local auditing services

ABSTRACT Contracting out and public co-production are widely used alternatives supplementing inhouse service delivery with aims to decrease costs. Scholars struggle however with establishing causal relationships comparing how these alternatives affect performance. This paper analyzes the effects outsourcing and intermunicipal cooperation has on costs, using Norwegian local auditing services as case. We set out to determine how organisation, in the form of single municipalities contracting out versus intermunicipal production, and the size of the cooperation (i.e. number of cooperating municipalities) affect costs. The results indicate that under competitive market conditions, cooperation in general is more costly than contracting out to private actors. However, when it comes to cooperation size, the results show that costs decrease when more members are included, indicating that smaller cooperations are more costly than larger ones. This indicates that an increase in cooperation size creates significant returns to scale.

5G implementation and multi‐level governance: The case of Quebec municipalities

AbstractMunicipalities are often considered to be places of innovation. However, certain issues, such as 5G, suggest that the municipal level of government is hampered by challenges. In this article, we present the results of a survey of 220 respondents from 54 different municipalities of various sizes, alongside a media press review. We show that 5G is indicative of the challenges pertaining to multi‐level governance, the presence of a significant information deficit as well as the clout of the private sector in public planning. These findings call on us to examine municipal governance and the relevance of creating intermunicipal cooperation.

Intermunicipal cooperation in public procurement

ABSTRACT This study evaluates the impact of intermunicipal cooperation on public procurement (PP) performance, based on the Italian experience. We use both a fixed-effects regression model and alternative matching estimators to analyse a sample of 50,905 Italian public works contracts awarded by municipalities and municipal unions (MUs) between 2012 and 2020. Our results indicate that while local centralisation does not necessarily lead to significant cost savings in the procurement phase, MUs outperform individual municipalities in the execution phase, especially in terms of reducing delivery delays. We conclude that while MUs do not necessarily lead to strong economies of scale, they do improve efficiency during contract execution. This highlights the alternative benefits of PP centralisation beyond cost savings.

Ensuring the spatial integration of Ukraine based on updated instruments of cooperation of regions and communities

The article aims to delve into the potential of Ukraine's spatial integration, focusing on activating regional and community cooperation tools. the study employed a robust set of scientific methods, including induction and deduction, comparison, systematization and generalization, and the graphic method, underscoring the thoroughness and reliability of the research. The article critically examines the current state and pressing issues surrounding enhancing public-private partnerships and inter-municipal cooperation. This analysis is particularly relevant in the context of Ukraine's need to form an integrated economic space amidst the challenges of war and post-war recovery, highlighting the urgency and importance of the topic. It was established that the main problems that inhibit the development of public-private partnerships in Ukraine are the considerable duration of the procedure for preparing PPP projects, instability of the state's tax and investment policy, limited financial resources of stakeholders, lack of specialists for the development of public-private partnership projects, its full-fledged technical and economic justification, preparation of tender documentation, etc. Considering the above, ways of increasing the effectiveness of public-private partnerships as a tool for forming an integrated and competitive economic space of Ukraine in the conditions of post-war reconstruction are proposed. The main problems that slow down the development of inter-municipal cooperation as a tool for the formation of an integrated economic space are named (lack of a consistent and clear regional policy of stimulating the development of inter-municipal cooperation of territorial communities; low effectiveness of the implementation of existing agreements on inter-municipal cooperation due to a lack of financial resources, the transfer of forces and funds to the wartime economy; limited possibilities of attracting credit instruments by MMC participants; lack of statistical information on the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of existing agreements on inter-municipal cooperation). Considering the above, directions for increasing the effectiveness of inter-municipal cooperation as a tool for forming an integrated economic space of Ukraine in the conditions of post-war reconstruction are named. The importance and necessity of simplifying the procedure of inter-municipal cooperation, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and removing legal barriers to inter-municipal cooperation were emphasized. Keywords: spatial integration, community cooperation, public-private partnership, inter-municipal cooperation, post-war reconstruction, regional economy.

Does intense tax competition boost public acceptance for inter-municipal cooperation? Evidence from a survey among German citizens and local politicians

ABSTRACT Intense tax competition among local governments limits their potential for tax revenues. Inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in general and joint business parks in particular constitute a platform to coordinate local tax rates with neighboring municipalities to reduce tax competition. We ask whether local politicians and citizens are aware of this logic and whether they account for it. Using survey data from German municipalities, we find citizens’ support for joint business parks to increase in the intensity of tax competition but not for other forms of IMC. For local politicians, we do not find any effect of tax competition on IMC support.

MECHANISMS FOR ENSURING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS UKRAINE AND STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES IN THIS PROCESS

The article examines the problems of implementing structural transformations in relation to the priority tasks of local self-government in ensuring the capacity of territorial communities for economic development at the regional level in the public administration system. It was established that in such conditions, local authorities must deeply understand the peculiarities of the dynamics of local economic development, possess the necessary knowledge, information, skills and experience to ensure greater competitiveness of their communities in the complex world of new realities. Today, they cannot wait for decisions «from above», but must independently solve their local development issues – creating new jobs, increasing employment of the population, attracting investments, increasing the income of local budgets, improving the quality of life, developing public works and infrastructure.
 It has been highlighted that in recent years in the developed countries of the world, there have been significant changes in the practice of planning the development of territorial communities (local development) and these changes relate to three areas: the levels of government responsibility for the implementation of territorial development planning have changed. Territorial communities assumed almost all responsibility for the local situation, for the level of quality of work, education, recreation and life in the community; the methodology of implementing the local development management process has changed. All activities of communities are subordinated to the strategy, which is created and executed by the community, which is implemented through permanent planned project activities subordinated to the strategy; there was a change in the management entity. Through partnership and inter-municipal cooperation, cities began to independently expand the space of their influence in the region, creating local factors of competitive advantages, forming joint projects to increase competitiveness (transport corridors, industrial parks, public-private partnerships, clusters, etc.).
 It was found that local development, or the development of territorial communities in highly developed countries of the world, is directly related to»local economic development». In fact, local economic development is an objective and complex multifaceted process, it refers to a relatively complete socio-economic unit in which all aspects of the life of society are manifested. The phenomenon of "local economic development" arose as a result of globalization processes, which are becoming the main factors in the future development of the world economy. Analyzing the capacity of the community, the importance of understanding the essence and content of the object of research, the legal nature of the concept of «community» was determined. The development of an administrative-territorial unit depends primarily on an efficient, effective, self-development oriented community. And the state must justify the possibilities of development and the framework of the functioning of such a community in the normative and legal aspect.

The more the merrier? Examining the effects of inter-municipal cooperation on costs and service quality in upper secondary education

ABSTRACT For local governments, inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) has become an increasingly common solution to tackle fiscal constraints and demographic challenges. However, in many policy areas, it is still not clear whether IMC fulfills its promises of cost savings or increased service quality. This study aims to contribute new knowledge on the effects of IMC in one of these understudied policy areas – education – and does so by employing recent developments in difference-in-differences methods. The results show that being part of IMC significantly reduces expenditures on upper secondary education. However, there are indications that decreased costs come at a price, since joining a local federation also correlates with lower grades in the cooperating municipalities.

INTERMUNICIPAL COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD

The article is devoted to the problems of inter-municipal cooperation, practical foreign experience of administrative-territorial reform. The experience of European countries shows that local self-government bodies are endowed with broad powers in the field of spatial development. The aspect of the delegation of powers of European countries, the peculiarities of the functioning of the municipalities of France, the Netherlands, and the communes of Spain are considered. Attention is paid to the statistics of concluded agreements between communities from 2016 to 2023, the issue of concluding cooperation agreements is highlighted. The author examines the financial capacity of communities in the economic crisis, taking into account the changes to the Budget Code of Ukraine regarding the creation of the Rural Development Fund. Advantages for communities that participate in cooperation due to pooling of resources and delegation of authority are analyzed. The main risks that stand in the way of fruitful cooperation are identified: the insufficient level of competence of the heads of territorial communities; low legal education of representatives of local self-government bodies, which in turn is an obstacle when choosing a form of cooperation and legal drafting of agreements; budget conflicts of communities, which thereby create unreliable conditions for more capable communities when pooling resources with less capable communities. An assessment of the potential of community cooperation, indicators related to security issues, and an increase in the population share due to the influx of temporarily displaced persons during the war period was provided. Based on the best domestic and foreign practices, recommendations for communities were formed, which will be useful for further inter-municipal cooperation.

Inter-municipal cooperation cloud and tax administrative costs

The influence of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) on municipal finances remains underexplored. This study focuses on implementing the inter-municipal cooperation cloud (IMC cloud), a pioneering digital framework that facilitates cooperation among municipalities in Japan. The findings indicate that introducing the IMC cloud results in a decrease of approximately 5% in tax administrative costs. A further examination reveals that the IMC cloud offers returns to scale via cost sharing and promotes operational improvements, thereby driving savings in tax administration costs. These findings suggest the possibility that cost savings through operational improvements are an overlooked aspect in the existing studies on municipal collaboration context.

The relationship between the agriculture and agro-industrial complex' development and the rural areas' sustainable development, including the social infrastructure's development

Vertinova A.A. [Methodology for assessing the level of co-development of universities and the region as an ecosystem]. Regional'naya ekonomika i upravlenie: elektronnyi nauchnyi zhurnal, 2021, no. 2. (In Russ.) URL: Link Navrotski A.V., Shakhovskaya L.S., Matcovskaya J.S. [The role of supporting regional universities in socio-economic development of Russian territories]. Izvestiya Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta = Izvestia Volgograd State Technical University, 2017, no. 2, pp. 8–15. URL: Link%20-%202017.pdf (In Russ.) Baeva O.N. [Evaluating return on education at regional level]. Upravlenets = The Manager, 2013, no. 2, pp. 64–69. URL: Link (In Russ.) Nikitina E.V., Chistnikova I.V., Orlova A.V. [Economic potential of regions and assesment of efficiency of its use]. Nauchnye vedomosti Belgorodskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Istoriya. Politologiya. Ekonomika. Informatika = Belgorod State University Scientific Bulletin. History. Political Science. Economics. Information Technologies, 2012, no. 13, pp. 60–65. URL: Link (In Russ.) Ogurtsova E.V., Perfileva O.V., Firsova A.A. [Indicators of the university’s contribution to the innovative development of the region]. Universitetskoe upravlenie: praktika i analiz = University Management: Practice and Analysis, 2017, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 53–62. (In Russ.) URL: Link Trencher G., Nagao M., Chen C. et al. Implementing Sustainability Co-Creation between Universities and Society: A Typology-Based Understanding. Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, iss. 4. URL: Link Uyarra E. Conceptualizing the Regional Roles of Universities, Implications and Contradictions. European Planning Studies, 2010, vol. 18, iss. 8, pp. 1227–1246. URL: Link Bramwell A., Wolfe D.A. Universities and Regional Economic Development: The Entrepreneurial University of Waterloo. Research Policy, 2008, vol. 37, iss. 8, pp. 1175–1187. URL: Link Ponds R., Van Oort F., Frenken K. Innovation, Spillovers and University–Industry Collaboration: An Extended Knowledge Production Function Approach. Journal of Economic Geography, 2010, vol. 10, iss. 2, pp. 231–255. URL: Link Nechaeva M.L., Zhdankina I.Yu., Udalov F.E. [Inter-municipal cooperation as a tool for the development of regional municipal entities]. Regional'naya ekonomika: teoriya i praktika = Regional Economics: Theory and Practice, 2022, vol. 20, iss. 6, pp. 1052–1077. (In Russ.) URL: Link Sibiryaev A.S. [Rural development: results and methodology of ongoing scientific research]. Vestnik NGIEI = Bulletin NGIEI, 2023, no. 6, pp. 129–137. URL: Link (In Russ.) Shamin A.E., Zueva S.V. [Sustainable development of rural areas in the regional economy of the country]. Vestnik NGIEI = Bulletin NGIEI, 2022, no. 1, pp. 101–111. (In Russ.) URL: Link

Межмуниципальное сотрудничество в аспекте преобразований территориальной основы местного самоуправления

The article notes that the territorial organization of local self-government in Russia determines the need for horizontal interaction or inter-municipal cooperation. At the same time, it is proved that the implementation of various forms and types of inter-municipal cooperation cannot be assessed as sustainably effective, some gaps in the legal regulation of the status of associative inter-municipal associations are noted. The author substantiates the urban or urbanized nature of the absolute majority of unions and associations of municipalities. The individual advantages and disadvantages of agglomerations are evaluated. The assumption is made that the fundamental basis of inter-municipal cooperation is the legal personality of its participants and the corresponding conclusions are formulated about the importance of inter-municipal cooperation for the transformation of the territorial basis of local self-government.

Change Management in the Context of Decision-Making Behaviour of Local Politicians Regarding Inter-Municipal Cooperation

Change Management in the Context of Decision-Making Behaviour of Local Politicians Regarding Inter-Municipal Cooperation

Legal regulation of inter-municipal cooperation in European countries

The subject. Financial relations between municipal entities represent a crucial mechanism for enhancing the efficiency of public service delivery in European countries. Collaborative efforts among municipalities can lead to cost savings and the utilization of economies of scale. This is particularly prominent in countries with a high number of small municipalities. This article aims to identify effective forms of financial activities among municipalities across various cooperation domains and assess the applicability of international experience in the context of the Russian Federation.Methodology. This study analyzes various organizational forms of inter-municipal cooperation, drawing insights from different countries, including Switzerland (associations of districts and cantons), Slovakia (joint municipal institutions, municipal associations, associations of legal entities), and France (syndicates and districts). Special attention is paid to the experience of inter-municipal cooperation in Slovakia, where it is not only a vital component of local government but also a tool for project management, often funded by external sources.The main results, scope of application. The analysis of international experience in inter-municipal cooperation reveals diverse organizational models, each tailored to specific local contexts. Based on this analysis, the authors propose amendments and enhancements to Russian legislation. Implementation of these suggestions could enhance the efficiency of interactions among Russian municipal entities, improve planning capabilities, enhance labor productivity, and optimize public service expenditure.Conclusions. Inter-municipal cooperation, as demonstrated by various international models, offers valuable insights for Russia. Adapting and implementing lessons from abroad can lead to improved governance and resource allocation, ultimately resulting in enhanced service delivery and cost-effectiveness for the benefit of the Russian population.

Morphometric Indicators for the Definition of New Territorial Units in the Periurban Space: Application to the Metropolitan Area of Valencia (Spain)

New territorial units resulting from urban sprawl processes constitute a major challenge for territorial planning. The aim of this paper is to analyze periurban spaces, focusing on the delimitation and characterization of the urban units arising from urban sprawl processes. The delimitation derives from fractal analysis, where urbanized space is used to detect the limits of the units. The characterization starts with the calculation of eight different indicators, using Geographic Information Systems tools. PCA is used to obtain different dimensions of the urban sprawl phenomenon. Finally, a cluster analysis has been applied to establish a typology of territorial units and facilitate the comparative analysis. The methodology is applied to a case study, the metropolitan area of Valencia. Results show six groups of urbanized spaces, which present different types of urban sprawl structures with different necessities. This applied research can be useful for the spatial planning of the periurban spaces, insofar as it allows the identification of supra-municipal or infra-municipal areas, where it will be possible to improve infrastructures, facilities, or green infrastructure, to empower secondary urban nuclei and to create new inter-municipal cooperation and governance formulas. In addition, the results can constitute a non-administrative territorial basis for the calculation of land occupation indicators that are often used as thresholds for the creation of new residential spaces in regulatory planning documents.

Межмуниципальное сотрудничество в России: проблемы и перспективы развития

Exploring inter-municipal cooperation is highly relevant because of its potential to enhance the role of local governments in promoting socio-economic development within Russian territories. This article explores the unique aspects of inter-municipal cooperation, which enables municipalities to pool their resources and efforts to achieve common goals, particularly in the face of limited local resources. This study's theoretical and methodological framework draws on economic theory, regional economics, and public administration, utilizing synthesis, scientific abstraction, and economic analysis as key methods. The research identifies a system of essential prerequisites for effective inter-municipal cooperation, including the willingness of municipal representatives to collaborate, driven by clear goals and an understanding of the benefits; the presence of suitable entities for partnership; and a well-developed system for organizing these collaborations, shaped by established institutions. A key finding of this research is the crucial relationship between each element of the prerequisite system and the effectiveness of inter-municipal interactions. Analysis of Russian practices shows that many associative organizations lack proactive engagement for achieving meaningful outcomes, leading to largely formal partnerships. Furthermore, members of inter-municipal enterprises often face poorly developed methods and rules for interaction.The findings suggest several directions for enhancing policies at various governmental levels that regulate the development and implementation of inter-municipal cooperation. These policies should adopt a systematic approach that addresses all prerequisites for collaboration, focusing on refining formal norms and regulations while also raising awareness of the features and benefits of this cooperative instrument.

Teorija i praksa prevencije od poplava - studija slučaja teritorije grada Kraljeva

Increasingly frequent floods, caused by altered climatic conditions, result significant material damage and loss of human life. The floods of May 2014 were the largest recorded in Serbia, affecting the territory of the city of Kraljevo, particularly the settlement of Grdica and the industrial zone of Šeovac. The damages from the floods impacted residential buildings, infrastructure, agriculture, business entities, and public facilities. Similar flood events, in terms of precipitation volumes and river water levels, also affected the Kraljevo area in 2023. Due to the frequent natural disasters impacting various parts of the territory, along with the extensive network of watercourses and intense climate changes, the city of Kraljevo has adopted an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction. The flood risk reduction system is governed by several legal regulations, primarily the Water Law and the Law on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management. In compliance with these legal obligations, the city has adopted necessary planning documents, established institutional mechanisms, and properly equipped civil protection units. Additionally, continuous investments have been made in constructing new and reconstructing the existing infrastructure. A significant advancement in the city's risk reduction system is the establishment of a civil protection system and inter-municipal cooperation among cities and municipalities in the West Morava River basin. It is important to measure the impact of investments in flood prevention to assess the justification and effectiveness of the resources used. The activities and measures implemented to reduce flood risk from 2014 to 2023 have shown positive results. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the effects of preventive activities and investments in the disaster risk reduction and emergency management system in the Kraljevo area during the specified period. The concluding considerations indicate that preventive investments in the flood risk reduction system and the construction of resilient and necessary protective infrastructure, lead to reduced damages and losses from floods.