CEES Working Paper Series

Adil Najam
Center for Energy and Environmental Studies
Department of International Relations
Boston University

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Introduction

All over the world, we see trends of increasing interaction between governments and the Third Sector. Is this the 'start of a beautiful friendship' or are they already 'too close for comfort'? This paper argues that the nature of these complex relationships is poorly understood and often simplified. It proposes a 4C framework based on institutional interests and preferences for policy 'ends' and 'means'--cooperation in the case of similar ends and similar means; confrontation in the case of dissimilar ends and dissimilar means; coplementarity in the case of similar ends but dissimilar means; and co-optation in the case of dissimilar ends but similar means. Note: At various points during their development, the ideas in this paper have been presented at a number of international research meetings and have benefited from the vigorous review and comments of a large number of colleagues studying the Third Sector in different parts of the world. While it is difficult to acknowledge all, the author is particularly grateful to Julie Fisher, Peter Dobkin Hall, Margaret Harris, David Lewis, Syed Ayub Qutub, and Dennis Young for valuable insights that have significantly influenced the evolution of this paper. ADIL NAJAM is assistant professor in the Department of International Relations and the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Boston University. His Third Sector connections include serving on the Board of Governors of the Pakistan Institute for Environment-Development Action Research (PIEDAR) and as a Visiting Fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), both in Pakistan.

 

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