Constructing co-governance between government and civil society: An institutional approach to collaboration

This aim of this paper is to analyze how civil society organizations (CSOs) in developed and developing countries collaborate with governments through institutional processes. The concept of co-governance suggests that such collaboration can improve a government’s effectiveness. The vertical structures employed by the state and the horizontal structures embraced by civil society are forging collaborative relationships. Scholars of natural resource management argue that co-management involving public, civic, and private actors is crucial in directing development.