Local autonomy and the partnership principle : Collaborative governance in the European Social Fund in Sweden
Against the backdrop of strong local self-government, this article analyses how local autonomy in Sweden has been affected by the implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the ‘partnership principle’. Guided by theories on collaborative governance, the authors analyse three empirically-derived forms of organizational collaborative arrangements: top-down decision-making, bottom-up regionAgainst the backdrop of strong local self-government, this article analyses how local autonomy in Sweden has been affected by the implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the ‘partnership principle’. Guided by theories on collaborative governance, the authors analyse three empirically-derived forms of organizational collaborative arrangements: top-down decision- making, bottom-up regio