Public Institutions and Ngos Cooperation for Social Innovations in Post-Socialist Rural Poland

Abstract

Social innovation (SI), which is known as an alternative practice for solving social problems, can be implemented by various actors, including nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and public institutions. This article addresses the implementation of SIs by public institutions in rural areas of Poland. Its aim is to answer two questions: 1) Does cooperation with NGOs distinguish rural public institutions in Poland that have implemented SIs from those that have not? 2) Does the level of human and financial resources of NGOs affect the level of cooperation between public institutions and NGOs from rural gminas? The results of an internet survey conducted on a random sample of 330 public institutions and 400 one-to-one interviews conducted on a random sample of NGOs from rural communes (rural gminas) are presented to answer the research questions posed. According to the findings, collaboration between public institutions and NGOs does not distinguish institutions that implemented SI and those that did not. In addition, the level of human and financial resources of NGOs was not a factor in determining whether or not public institutions cooperated with NGOs.

Keywords

• public institutions
• nongovernmental organisations
• social innovation
• cooperation
• post-socialist poland
• rural areas